Farnsfield in Notts Premier League relegation danger after defeat

With bottom-of-the-table Gedling Colliery down, Farnsfield are battling it out with four other teams to avoid the second relegation spot.

But they weren’t helped by their efforts at mid-table Caythorpe, and now have only two matches in which to save themselves.

All looked rosy to begin with because, after winning the toss, they sailed to 80 without loss in the hands of Freddie Skelton, who made 38, and 40-year-old Notts CCC assistant coach Paul Franks, who added 30.

But then it all turned sour as they lost three wickets for no runs and five for 12. In the end, they had to limp to a final total of 161-7 from their allotted 50 overs which was augmented somewhat by no fewer than 32 wides.

Caythorpe’s best bowler was Jonathan Miller, who bagged 3-27 for take him past the 50-wicket milestone in NPL cricket.

The home side’s reply began in a similar fashion to Farnsfield’s as Lyndon James and Fynn Purnell put on a stand of 53.

But unlike the visitors, they didn’t mess up and reached a winning score of 162-5 by the 47th over, despite 3-40 from the experienced David Loveridge.

The mainstay of Caythorpe’s innings was James, who went on to his fourth half-century of the season before being dismissed by Loveridge for 61, but the reliable Martyn Dobson (36) also marshalled matters expertly.

The defeat dropped Farnsfield to next to bottom in the table, six points adrift of Plumtree, who won, and 11 adrift of Hucknall. Their last two fixtures are both at home, to Hucknall and Cuckney.