APPERKNOWLE CANT STOP LEADERS BUT WIN THE BEAUTIFUL GROUND STAKES

APPERKNOWLE CC 114 ALL OUT BELPER MEADOWS 2'S 115 FOR 4

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIV 6 NORTH AT HIGH ST

12 JUNE 2021 --- 1PM

APPERKNOWLE CRICKET CLUB GROUND WITH VIEWS

The visitors would show their leadership credentials in this victory that was superbly guided by Fynn Marshall with 4 for 14 with the ball and then 61 with the bat that showed some true quality as Apperknowle found it hard going against a side with a fair bit of quality within it.  However for the neutral the cricket is only part of the afternoon out in the village and today would be blessed with a warm and sunny afternoon with thankfully a cooling breeze to assist proceedings.

MAN OF THE MATCH FYNN MARSHALL RECEIVES THE APPLAUSE FOR HIS 50

The journey into Chesterfield was stress free and then the TM Travel service 15 which borders along the one a month variety, I think there are three a day each way along the whole route, this is were the fun starts.  As a user of the train and the buses the selection of tracker systems available help immensely it would appear though the buses on this route do not pick up on the system and when you arrive at the stop the electronic display boards also appears not to list the service.  Having given it a moments thought I decided to avoid walking from a New Whittington bus, something I planned to do on the return, and by this time the 15 had arrived.  Departing at the Travellers rest which is just opposite the ground and today was doing a roaring trade with meals being served at tables on the adjoining grass verges.  There appeared to have been a very prompt start with me missing the first few overs but that was fine as Apperknowle who were invited to bat had not got off to a speedy start.

ALISTAIR HERATH FINDS THE EDGE

Apperknowle sits on a ridge in North East Derbyshire at 200 feet above sea level it offers some excellent views towards Dronfield, the Peak District and the moors around Curbar and Owler Bar.  It doesn't end there because turn slightly south and a view back down the valley towards the north of Chesterfield and the rolling hills also offers up the most exquisite view from the top side of the ground.  The village gives a feeling of a mini Ashover with a mixture of social housing and many private houses of stone construction without selection you could have either of these offering the views.  There is no village shop anymore which is a real shame but of course there is the Travellers Rest and also adjacent to the ground the Primitive Methodist Church commands a view.    

SOME CRICKET ACTION BEFORE MORE VIEWS AS BELPER LAUNCH THEIR REPLY

Back to the ground and the bowlers end towards the neighboring village of Hundall is being developed into a 'natural burial ground', so I'm not sure who will be bowling from the graveyard end shortly.  The ground has a long pavilion block of what appears to be very much like old 'k' blocks we had as overflow classrooms in the 80's at school.  They are painted in what would appear to be a former Chesterfield Bus Corporation green but the front has had some remedial work completed with wooden panelling.  The outfield drops away from the High St and reaches its only flat point for the location of the wickets, it then drifts away downhill again making this a unique ground never mind the views.  There is a well placed electronic scoreboard with a scorers box to one side of the pavilion along with a selection of heavyweight groundsman's paraphernalia two well placed sight screens adorn the ground. 

ALISTAIR HERATH IN FULL FLOW

As will hopefully be obvious from the pictures this ground are nearly impossible without framing the view up in some way on most of the shots so some of the closer action ones are not as prominent in this blog.  The visitors from Belper had the strange sponsorship emblazoned on their shirts of 'monkey vs owl' which did appear to be an invite for Harry Hill to declare 'fight, fight, fight'.  It did though force me to look it up and I discovered a property management company based in Derby.

CHEDGEY STRIKES OUT WITH DRONFIELD AND THE MOORS OF THE PEAK DISTRICT

The cricket then which was the main purpose of the visit and the reason for the ground now being circumnavigated.  It was a slow start for the home side but this was heavily down to the accuracy of the opening bowlers Michael Jackson and James Bowers.  Home openers Richard Tinsley [10] was first out bowled by Jackson with fellow opener Thomas Chedgey [28] starting to force the pace but he too was out in the eighteenth over.  Daniel Loughlin [10] made double figures as a mini revival occurred with Alistair Herath [30] who top scored for the home side.  A steady fall of wickets continued with just Robert Parkin [13] offering some resistance down the order.  Apperknowle would fall to 114 all out twenty two balls short of their allotted 45 overs.  Marshall [F] had taken four wickets with the other four visiting bowlers chipping in with wickets too.

DOWN THE VALLEY TOWARDS THE NORTH OF CHESTERFIELD

Tea time for the players gave thirty minutes for a walk around the village and to discover some of the properties previously mentioned, it would appear no surprise that this would be a much sought after location, although I guess in the depths of winter or a windy day it may not have the same attraction.

GO ON THEN  ANOTHER VIEW WITH ROBERT PARKIN IN ACTION FOR THE HOME SIDE

For the first full cricket match of the season return timing was just right as the players took the field and with Belper losing their first wicket at five when Rob Marshall was dismissed for the same figure.  It brought Matt Wheatcroft [20] to the crease and along with Marhsall [Fynn] who would push the score on to 78 before the former was caught by Daniel Loughlin off the bowling of Jake.  Dave Boyes [14] hit three mighty fours in his contribution but it would be FynnMarshall who would be the man of the match today the four wickets was a good contribution but added to this an at first cautious approach with the bat that became ever more confident as the foundations were laid to the innings a final score of 61 saw him reach his half century in the closing stages.  With five balls short of the half way stage of their reply Belper Meadows had made light work of their reply losing just four wickets to secure 22 points.

LOOKING TOWARDS THE PAVILION AND METHODIST CHURCH

Time to leave around quarter past five after a lovely afternoon and an enjoyable encounter on a beautiful ground that I look forward to visiting again, although this will probably not been on an inclement day.  The option now was either to walk down the hill to Unstone about twenty minutes in time for a return bus to Chesterfield or to New Whittington a journey of about half an hour.  The latter was decided upon and travelling past the neighboring village of Hundall a brief look in at their cricket ground found proceedings having well over an hour still to go there.  A steep climb along the narrow road to the TV masts that stand atop the hill would soon see the descent to 'New Whit' and coming out by The Revolution House with fifteen minutes to play with before the 50 would take me back to spire town.  The spare time saw a walk towards the end of the Dronfield by pass for a stop nearer to town, instead of waiting around.  In the dust and hullabaloo of the busy roads it seemed hard to believe that just an hour ago Apperknowle and its cricket ground had offered such a lovely alternative and contrast to this.

THOMAS CHEDGEY APPERKNOWLE OPENER