Fernando fireworks in amazing century for Mansfield Hosiery Mills

Sri Lankan star Fernando carried his bat for a magnificent 167no as Hosiery Mills amassed 289-8 against struggling Whitwell in The Championship.

He struck no fewer than ten sixes and 15 fours, and shared stands worth 84 with fellow opener Steve Gooding (37, seven fours), 44 with skipper Mark Smallwood (18) and 58 for the last wicket with tailender Joe Maltby.

The only downside to Fernando’s fireworks was that they didn’t yield an outright win for the Millers. Instead, the match finished in a weather-affected draw as Whitwell held on at 95-8 from 29 overs in reply after rain had interrupted proceedings.

The hosts’ skipper, Andy Shaw, who had earlier taken three wickets, opened the innings with 40 (seven fours), but from then on, it was wickets all the way as Kamal Manek (3-6), Anandakrishnan Thansaiah (2-29) and Kyle Garside (2-31) all struck.

Hosiery Mills’s two main rivals for the title at present, Clipstone and Bilsthorpe and Welbeck, were not so frustrated, and chalked up 20-point wins to move above their neighbours in the standings.

Clipstone shot out Glapwell Colliery for just 47 to sweep to an eight-wicket success. New-ball bowlers Chris Tindle (5-28 in ten overs) and Mohamed Althaf Anwardeen (4-9 in nine overs) did all the damage.

Welbeck got the better of Thoresby Colliery after a five-wicket haul from Andy Marchant (5-35 in 10.3 overs) helped them dismiss tha hosts for 155, despite 37 from John Skinner and 34 from Lewis Cameron.

An undefeated 72 (one six and 12 fours) from Ali Waqas masterminded Welbeck’s run-chase, with the help of 41 (five fours from captain Richard Stroh.