Monday 26 July 2021

BODILL TON BLASTS DENBY TO VICTORY

ASHOVER BARBARIANS CC 249 FOR 7 DENBY CC 2'S 258 FOR 5
DERBYSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION 3 NORTH AT MILKEN LANE
24 JULY 2021 --- 1PM
MAN OF THE MATCH JAMES BODILL 

A match winning century from James Bodill [114] alongside two wickets in his ten over spell was enough to see off the home side who pushed the result a lot closer than it looked at the half way stage of their reply.  
The day provided a warm but thankfully cooler one off the heady temperatures of the last week so what could be better than the country village setting of Milken Lane in Ashover with its church bells ringing out for another big match of the day.  As I arrived after the one hour walk which regular readers will know offers such great views the cars bedecked with ribbons were arriving into the village for the celebrants.  The alpacas were nicely shorn for the summer but for those of you who care they still were having no conversation with this sport hopper, a quite aloof animal.
IAN COOKE BOWLS JOSH TORR

The other big battle of the day was here on the cricket ground and with Ashover not looking as dominant as last season in the results stakes and Denby just below mid way it should be a well matched game for my first viewing this season of The Barbarians.  Having covered the lovely village and historical elements on previous visits today is not the time to re engage but there are plenty and its well worth visiting for a stroll around.
JAKE SMITH BUILDING HIS INNINGS

Ashover won the toss and sent Denby into bat and when Josh Torr [5] was out bowled by Ian Cooke in the first ball of the second over it looked at good choice.  Ten overs later it was 61 for 3 with Stephen Payne [33] lbw to Jonathan Taylour after a smart knock that kept the runs flowing and Jake Smith [20] who was caught behind by Russ Cooke off Alex Fowkes.  All this though had brought together Bodill and George Wilson [51*] who proceeded to put on a remarkable 184 for the fourth wicket.  
GEORGE WILSON HALF CENTURY FOR DENBY CC

Early build up of his innings saw me keep seeing references to Geoff Boycott although I guess that was probably to do with his dark blue cap wearing style because his scoring rate was certainly more affluent as he hit 16 fours and four maximums from his 104 deliveries.  It was a well measured performance that accelerated away at just the right time.  As the close of innings came he was striking well but found Alex Flint who took the catch off the bowling of an impressive Alex Fowkes.  The moment that could have changed the afternoon though was a turned down lbw decision early on, off Fowkes, which looked a clear cut decision but the umpire thought otherwise and Bodill went on to confidently stride on to those three figures.
JONATHAN TAYLOUR ASHOVER BARBARIANS CC

Brandon Bullock [7] supported the final overs alongside Billy Askey [2*] around all this George Wilson went to his half century in the final over but the total of 258 would be a stern challenge for the home side.
BODILL HITS OUT ON HIS WAY TO A CENTURY

For the bowling side of the half a dozen bowlers used five chipped in with one wicket each but overall this was a big score with runs being hard to hold up for too long.
The tea interval was spent close by with no village wandering today and upon return thoughts of the reply went very much towards captain, wicketkeeper and opening bat Russ Cooke needing to hit big and bat long certainly over a century for the home side to get over the mark, as witnessed in the past this is most definitely in his reach.
AFTER HIS DISMISSAL FIRST THINGS FIRST WATER FOR BODILL

The reply got off to a good start as Cooke [54] dispatched two first over deliveries for boundaries but when William Saxton and Flint fell for ducks in the next over it was looking precarious at 8 for 2.  Fowkes [19] who had bowled encouragingly come in at number four and smoothly kept the scoreboard moving along as Cooke fired big.  The game didn't needed the captains dismissal because he was looking good and Denby knew he was the danger man to their target but in the twelfth that's what happened caught by Askey behind the stumps off the bowling of Jamie Kelly.  His knock though had including 11 fours and 1 maximum in 40 balls and the plus sign was that the run rate was being well achieved however there were now three wickets down with the total on 84.
RUSS COOKE WATCHES THE BALL

At 104 for 5 with Fowkes dismissed and Alex Lawson [7] both bowled by Wilson the target looked a long way off on some distant horizon.  The ship though was steadied by Ben Roche [38] and Ian Miller [83*] who made a sterling effort to get Ashover close to getting over the line.  But it would be Bodill who would deny the home side again when Roche was caught by Askey off his bowling and then David Atkin [6] who was caught by Liam Foster to provide the century maker with two wickets.  Chris Dent [11] chipped in a valiant effort at the end though Ashover came up nine runs adrift.
JAMIE KELLY FREE FLOWING DELIVERY FOR DENBY CC

Monday 12 July 2021

WOOLVEN WORKS WONDERS FOR GRASSMOOR

GRASSMOOR WORKS 123 FOR 4 NOTTS AND ARNOLD AMATEUR 121 ALL OUT
BASSETLAW AND DISTRICT DIVISION 2 AT BARNES PARK
10 JULY 2021 --- 1PM
GRASSMOOR WORKS AND THEIR BARNES PARK HOME

A quick fire innings from Grassmoor opener Andy Woolven [43] set the 'works' up for a victory ably assisted by captain Adam Bedford [34*] who also contributed 4 for 23 with the ball.  The visitors were bowled out off the penultimate ball of their innings for 121 and after a steady but slow start just two other batsman, aside the openers, made double figures with Ravi Don [22] most likely to move the scoring along at a faster pace.
OPENING BOWLER FOR THE WORKS CRAIG DAWES

Grassmoor is situated three miles south of Chesterfield in this former mining and industrial area that has suffered from the loss of many of its key employment outlets.  A too large selection of former strong clubs have completely disappeared off the cricketing map and those that have have merged or languish in the lower leagues.  Grassmoor though continue with fortitude in The Bassetlaw and District League which will provide a debut blog for us.  The village was formerly sandwiched between the colliery with its coking plant and towards the west side the old Sunbrite carbonistaion plant all of course gone and although they have a nice park and country park the option of regeneration in these areas often comes alongside of lets build more 5 bedroom executive houses that do little for the local population and Grassmoor is no exception it has these across a few developing sites with more to come. 
FIRST CHANGE BOWLER DAVID SPENDLOVE

Barnes Park named after the former colliery owner sits aside the busy B6038 adjacent to the Boot and Shoe public house and Woodleigh Motors, soon to be a new Coop, this the site of the former cinema  beautifully named the Electric Theatre before switching to the more mundane Roxy.  In recent times the village has come to notice as the place where Paul Burrell, the butler to Princess Diana, grew up.
The ground is situated at the southern end of the park with a new very impressive new build pavilion, grey in colour it looks functional and the right sort of development for the village, this replaced the former wooden structure and I guess will be shared by the football clubs on a Sunday as the last facility was.  The only downside is the scoreboard is just that perched up outside and although the visitors were irregular updating it a kindly gentleman from Grassmoor kept us up to date during the home sides innings.  There was no live update but thankfully the scorecard was on the leagues website that night so all was good.
JOHN KENWARD NASH

With rain forecast an umbrella would accompany me and of course the obvious happened it remained fine all afternoon.  The two sides had met just a couple of weeks ago in a tight encounter but today didn't match this with Amateurs put into bat they made a steady start but the scoring was slow.  Jack Taylor [24] and Rayhan Don [15] looked comfortable but as they tried to push on they fell to David Spendlove and John Kenward-Nash.  It was left to Ravi Don to try to push the score along and with just Jins Jacob Saju [15] they were the only two, other than the openers, to hit double figures as the total meandered along to 121 all out off the next to last ball of the alotted 40 overs. 
RAVI DON PROVIDED A MOMENT MAINLY FOR THE UMPIRE AT SQUARE LEG

On the bowling front Adam Bedford returned 4 for 23, Kenward-Nash 3 for 20, David Spendlove 2 for 25 and John Donaldson chipping in with a wicket late on as Grassmoor kept a firm grip on the visitors innings. 
The interval here would not provide to much of insight just a wander around the executive housing as previously discussed and we were soon back in place for the home sides reply at just after 4pm.
RAVI DON IN STRIKING MODE NOW

It was a good job to be in place too because ninety minutes later it was all over Andy Woolven [43] started at a pace and after ten overs the reply was going at double the required rate, ably supported by Donaldson the pair set a base that would secure victory.  The tantalising bowling of Saju would be the undoing of both the openers with the former looking bamboozled as his stumps were disturbed.
JOHN DONALDSON GRASSMOOR OPENER

Captain Bedford [34*] came in and further promoted the cause for Grassmoor along side Spendlove who was mightily unlucky to be run out of a straight drive that touched the bowlers finger tips before breaking the stumps with the non striker just out of his ground.  Carl Bowling [9] would then support with Craig Dawes [1*] undefeated at the conclusion as the first ball of the second over from Awais Ghazanfar beat everybody and went sailing through for four byes.
ANDY WOOLVEN HITTING OUT

With just four wickets to fall not too much to report for the visitors bowling attack accept to mention Saju who was always interesting to watch and finished with 2 for 21 from dismissing both openers.
WOOLVEN GOING BIG AGAIN AS HE LAUNCHES ANOTHER DELIVERY

Interesting to watch some cricket very locally with a nice new facility which is really good for the club and must mean so much more than the old pavilion which had seen time out quite a while ago.  Its a fairly pretty park only spoilt by the constant hum and noise of traffic from the travelling two and four wheel vehicles.  Overall cricket wise a good win for Grassmoor who continue to sit just off the top two in the division.
CAPTAIN ADAM BEDFORD SEES GRASSMOOR OVER THE LINE