NOTTS PREMIER LEAGUE: Farnsfield's relegation fears deepen with heavy defeat

Desperate Farnsfield's attempts to stave off the threat of relegation in the Notts Premier League suffered a hammer-blow in a heavy defeat at mid-table Hucknall on Saturday.
Notts star Brett Hutton in bowling action for relegation-threatened Farnsfield at Hucknall in the Notts Premier League.Notts star Brett Hutton in bowling action for relegation-threatened Farnsfield at Hucknall in the Notts Premier League.
Notts star Brett Hutton in bowling action for relegation-threatened Farnsfield at Hucknall in the Notts Premier League.

Despite the presence of a current Notts player, Brett Hutton, and a former one, Paul Franks, in their ranks, Farnsfield lost by 147 runs and remain firmly entrenched in the bottom three of the table, six points above Welbeck and 15 above Attenborough, with four games to play.

Hutton took 2-48 with the ball, and later top scored with the bat, making 32, but it was another Notts man, Jake Libby, who guided Hucknall to their triumph, hitting 64 in his side’s total of 210.

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Mark Hallam led a Farnsfield fightback with 4-58 from 12 overs, but 34 from Scott Harris enabled the hosts to set a fair target, which proved way beyond the brittle visitors. They crashed to 63 all out in 23.4 overs with Franks (ten) the only other player to muster double figures. Of the Hucknall bowlers, Geoff Dods (3-16) caused the early problems before Suhail Ahmed wrapped up the innings with four wickets in 30 balls.

Welbeck did their survival chances no good in a six-wicket defeat at high-riding West Indian Cavaliers. As Shahzada Khan took 5-19, they were rolled over for 130, despite 36 from Tom Lungley, before Cavs eased home on the back of 42no from another ex-Notts man, Bilal Shafayat. Mansfield Hosiery Mills pulled off a terrific six-wicket win in the last over at Kimberley thanks to an unbeaten 129 from captain Tom New and 68 from Mark Smallwood in a stand of 165 that enabled them to chase down the hosts’ total of 247-9.

At the top of the table, relieved reigning champions Cuckney survived a scare to maintain their 17-point lead with four matches to play.

Taking on bottom-of-the-table Attenborough, Cuckney were reduced to 114-7 at one stage, despite 31 from James Hawley. But they recovered to a total of 203-9 in the hands of Daniel Wood, whose 55 took him past 1,000 NPL runs, and tailenders Simon Mugava, who blasted 34no from 15 balls, and Arosh Janoda (27).

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It proved more than enough because Attenborough were bundled out for 143, even though opener Byron Hancock stayed 80 balls for a stubborn 40 and took the score to 80-2 at one point with the the help of Dominic Harvey (31).

Once Hawley (2-35) had removed them both, Cuckney seized the initiative, and the rest of the wickets fell to Janoda (4-26 in 9.4 overs), Mugava (2-26) and Notts bowler Luke Wood (2-37 in 12 overs).