NOTTS PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND-UP: Cuckney take charge of title race with runs in sun and favours from neighbours

Taking control of the Notts Premier League title race, tabletopping Cuckney owed as much to near-neighbours Mansfield Hosiery Mills and Welbeck as they did to their own blistering batting.
ACTION CAM -- Lewis Cameron on his way to a top score of 43 in a brilliant win for Welbeck against league champions Kimberley.ACTION CAM -- Lewis Cameron on his way to a top score of 43 in a brilliant win for Welbeck against league champions Kimberley.
ACTION CAM -- Lewis Cameron on his way to a top score of 43 in a brilliant win for Welbeck against league champions Kimberley.

On a day when the run shone at last and a full programme of matches was completed, Cuckney stormed 20 points clear with a mammoth total of 320-5 and a winning draw at home to Ordsall Bridon.

But they were also given a huge boost by victories for Hosiery Mills and Welbeck against two of Cuckney’s chief rivals for the champions’ crown, Plumtree and Kimberley.

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The Millers stunned former leaders Plumtree, even though they were skittled for a modest total of 139, of which Mark Smallwood contributed 41. Matt Milnes ran through the rest of their batting, taking 7-37 in 14.3 superb overs.

However, the home side’s reply was even worse, succumbing to 110 all out against terrific bowling from Elliott Bowles (4-17 in 11 overs), Matt New (2-13), Matt Wright (2-34) and Irosh Samarasooriya (2-34). Only Matt Wood (33) offered any resistance.

Welbeck also triumphed despite a sub-par total. Put in by league champions Kimberley, they were restricted to 183, even though Lewis Cameron (43, one six and five fours) batted well and captain Jonathan Ball added a valuable 33 at number nine.

But it proved enough as the visitors were bundled out for just 56 to continue their poor run of form. The chief destroyer was Muhammad Nadeem Malik, who took 6-24 in an inspired 11-over spell. Tom Lungley and Andrew Marchant also weighed in with two scalps each.

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All of which enabled Cuckney to cash in against Bridon with a batting masterclass, led by Australian Trent Lawford, who bludgeoned nine sixes and five fours in an amazing 37-ball knock of 94. There were also half-centuries for Nick Langford (69), James Hawley (55) and Adam Burgess (53no).

Lawford (3-42) and Hawley (3-30) then took three wickets apiece with the ball, but Bridon just held on for a losing draw, finishing on 202-9 thanks to 98 (one six and 14 fours) from Paul Van Den Heuvel.

The defeats for Plumtree and Kimberley enabled West Indian Cavaliers to leap into second place in the table after an easy six-wicket win against bottom team Clifton. A return of 6-22 for former Notts CCC all-rounder Bilal Shafayat shot out the visitors for just 81.

On a day of outstanding performances, the best was reserved for Caythorpe batsman Steve Allcoat, who hammered 194 (seven sixes and 22 fours) off 140 balls in a total of 345-6 that ended Hucknall’s improved sequence of results. Andrew Staszkiewicz also made 50 before the visitors fell for 184 in reply, despite 69 from Dale Campbell and 66 from Richard Greatorex.

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In the day’s remaining fixture, Notts CCC Academy’s charge towards title contention stuttered in a 39-run defeat at Radcliffe-on-Trent, for whom Dan Mason fired a magnificent 102 in a total of 203-7. With Rob Sutton (3-26) and Ben Savage (3-39) bagging three wickets apiece, the Academy were rolled over for 164, despite 72 from Tom Keast.