ITS NO JOKE AS CLOWNE MISS OUT IN THE FINAL OVER

CLOWNE TOWN 166 FOR 6 SOUTH WINGFIELD 168 FOR 7

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION 2 AT HIGH LEYS RD

19 JUNE 2021 --- 1PM

BEN LODGE ON HIS WAY TO TOP SCORE FOR CLOWNE TOWN CC

A slow scoring game toyed with Clowne Town with the visitors struggling to 57 for 3 after 25 over this in reply to the home sides efforts which set a target of 167, including keeper Ben Lodge [60*] with the bat looking to make the difference.  But it was not to be as Alex Mace [59*] came to the assistance of the South Wingfield reply to see them secure a three wicket victory with just four balls to spare for a thrilling finish.

FORMER CLOWNE SOUTH STATION WITH TICKET OFFICE ABOVE TUNNEL

Last season one of the earlier games at Ashover Barbarians featured Clowne Town and having enjoyed that and taken a look at the visitors excellent social media and tidy looking ground a visit went on the list and today was the day.  There was every intention of taking a brief look at the former stations and greenway [walk/cycle] development before the cricket and then walking back to Staveley on the said route, sadly due to a finish after 7pm the latter could not be undertaken today.  It is though on the cards at some point probably with a look at Creswell and their former ground from their Midland League days, hopefully the houses are not over it yet.

Back to the day and a smart TM Travel Versa service 49 whisked me from base to Clowne in just over 45 minutes and a departure in the town centre by the recent development of shed type stores that led to the loss of the old Coop and many of the smaller businesses in the former Clowne, although there did appear to be a resurgence of local businesses currently.

CLOWN AND THEN CLOWNE AND BARLBOROUGH STATION RE BORN

A brief drop down to the former station of Clowne South with its station building situated above the tunnel that signaled the approach to the platform, the former ticket office appears to be occupied by a beauty business now.  The Chesterfield to Skegness line long since gone was sidled up to by the adjacent Midland Railway Clowne and Barlborough station which has now had its former platform re born with a selection of rail, signage and a wonderful new information board installed by the local enthusiast for the greenway.  The group have an active Facebook page which continues to support the development and looking after on a day to day basis of keeping the walk in  good condition.  The latter station started as Clown without the 'e' before it got posh and added the letter in 1951.  Just three years later the passenger timetable was stopped and goods services finished on 1960.  The former Clowne South closed in 1964 with the line going three years later leaving the nearest station now a mile away at Creswell on the Worksop to Nottingham line.

THE IDEAL CRICKET FANS HOME

A sharp ten minute walk through the neighbouring housing estate found the first ball just being bowled as Clowne Town had elected to bat in this mid tabled encounter.  

First impressions are of a tidy and very large ground that I guess over successive developments has seen the ground surrounded by new houses but the club have retained the attractive feel to the facilities with nets, ground mans storage [the former pavilion], new changing rooms and bar and extensive netting to protect all from match day activities.  The new pavilion is low slung of a dark development and this may have been a required nature for a new build which came in 2020 assisted by club and lottery funding.  The scoreboard seems to be out of action and is not of a much more regular electronic variety today we would be serviced by a manual stand up type.  Thankfully the club take part in the live score electronic update and provided an excellent service via that option.

ADAM WHITE WATCHING CLOSELY

With a central wicket it appears a large outfield today and upon the obligatory first circuit after the whitewashed maintenance building and wind turbine in the distance there are not to many focal points barring the massive house build by the third man boundary which has surprisingly no fencing up or hedging just a straight walk on to the outfield.  Had the club built this as a future pavilion?  You could only but hope couldn't you, but it appears a former player and committee member purchased the ground and put up his house facing the pitch for the ultimate match day experience.

KHALIQ MALIK IN DEFENSIVE MODE

Clowne Town were formed in 1878 and added the suffix Town as the simply geographical description had already been taken by one of the other clubs over time there appears to have been five other cricket clubs associated with the area many connected to the three Methodist churches.  During the visitors reply there was a time to catch up with and thanks to Graham a former secretary at the club who guided me through a collection of Clowne Town CC information.  Since 2000 the club had transferred into the Derbyshire Cricket League having moved from the Bssetlaw League.  I also learned of the ground having a former running track and indeed through the covers had the running straight pointed out to me and the cambered edges of the outfield were from the former cinder bike race track which had attracted large crowds to watch.   I have since spoke to Frank from Morton CCC who also recounts a relative telling the tale of racing on the track and coming off it all follows a clear interest in cycle racing along with the high flats track of similar composition at Clay Cross.  But times were so different with village communities not travelling much from their immediate area and the simpler way of life being to the fore and sometimes now how we crave a return.

MALIK AND WHITE DISCUSS TACTICS

With Clowne sat in the middle of a triangle made up of Chesterfield, Mansfield and Worksop alongside Rotherham and Sheffield nearby the village sits well for commuting and hopefully for welcoming new visitors and players to its selection of teams of all ages. 

DALE STEERS CAUGHT BEHIND BY CHRIS DUNN

The game then and a slow and methodical start from Adam White [12] and Khaliq Malik [20] built a base for advancement before the former was run out with the score on 35.  When Malik, bowled and Dale Steers caught behind by Chris Dunn were out close together it was 41 for 3 and further caution was called for.  This came in the form of captain Ed Kinsey [14] and keeper Ben Lodge [60*] this stabalised the innings until the former was out off the final ball of over 31 with 96 on the board.

ED KINSEY LOFTS ONE AWAY

There were good contributions from Rhodri Wyse [14] and Owen Lester [23] as Lodge looked to accelerate and with Matt Parker [2*] they remained undefeated as Clowne reached 166 off the allotted 45 overs.  Of note in the South Wingfield attack was Tony Palladino who was released by Derbyshire last year and now following a very tight line in economical bowling this afternoon but he went without a wicket over his ten overs.  The five wickets, one run out, were all spread evenly amongst the over 5 bowlers.

LODGE AND KINSEY HAVE SEEN THE TEAS ARRIVING

Tea interval walk would be around the new housing developments just over the busy Mansfield Road the sort of building that is going on in many of the former industrial heartlands of Derbyshire but as ever you do have to ask how many of the local population can afford these.

FORMER DERBYSHIRE BOWLER TONY PALLADINO PERFORMING FOR THE VISITORS

Once again a slow start to get some sort of base in place was the order of the day for South Wingfield as scoring remained at a premium but the visitors were also looked in trouble at 56 for 3.  Richard Fenn [4], Steven Wilson [5] at one and three went cheaply with Steven Shuttleworth [24] looking set until an excellent reactive caught and bowled by Matt Cope left the visitors scratching their heads.  Mace [59*] and captain Liam Mitchell [34] created the partnership would set up the grandstand finish.  The latter fell to an superb stumping by Lodge who had the bails off in a flash as Mitchell took a step away from the crease.  The score was now above three and over and the chance was there to grab a victory for South Wingfield but still a wicket fell regularly to continue this thrilling finish and continue to encourage Clowne in their efforts.  

CONFIDENT LOOKING START FOR SOUTH WINGFIELD

When Kyle Mitchell [14] was run out at 155 for 6 in the middle of over 43 the dozen runs looked a long way off still.  The penultimate over was costly by the standards of today going for nine but with Paladino [5] out off the last ball still the result was in the balance. 

NOT OUT MACE GOES ON TO TOP SCORE

It came down to three required off the last over and with Mace facing the tie was probably in the visitors favour and so it proved when after a dot ball he secured the much needed boundary to get home with four balls to spare.  If your on the end of winning or losing games like this they feel like the absolute extreme of those emotions but both sides take credit for putting on superb efforts on a wicket that was clearly hard to score from.

An enjoyable afternoon in Clowne and a club worth a visit too, as for the old railway line greenway I still need to walk it after this later than planned finish and so hopefully a return beckons soon.

NEARLY THERE NOW FOR SOUTH WINGFIELD