PILSEY AND CLAY CROSS DOMINATE

PILSLEY AND CLAY CROSS 255 FOR 6 SOUTH WINGFIELD 3RDS 118 FOR 9

DCCL DIVISION 7 NORTH AT RUPERT STREET

15 MAY 2022 --- 1.30PM

TRISTAN BOWERS PILSLEY AND CLAY CROSS CAPTAIN

Pilsley and Clay Cross dominated this game against South Wingfield 3rds all bar taking the final wicket to confirm outright victory so much so that they had to settle for a winning draw which is still a result option in this level of The Derbyshire County Cricket League.  Posting a massive 255 for 6 in their 40 overs the visitors got nowhere near reaching just 118 but with that final wicket still in hand they would deny the home side.

IAN KNOWLES SOLID INNINGS BUILDING 65

A quick return to a village I should probably consider moving to as I spend that much time there and with football all but over with a nice day forecast no rain and no strong wind the option to take in the first game of the season for me at Rupert Street would see the most  clement weather I have experienced there.  Pilsley is always a pleasant club to visit and today was no exception with a nice feel added to that by the visitors from South Wingfield.

Having arrived for just before start time that I had planned for 1pm before realising it was actually 1.30pm I decided to pop down into the main village and take a look at Reeve Avenue a small collection of houses built on the former site of Reeve Burgess the bus body builders.  The site actually developed directly over the main road of Bridge Street as well but the original site had the houses situated on it and the original company name installed as its entry road.

Being of a certain age I well remember the two buildings and by all accounts as the company developed during the seventies and eighties the latter date after the deregulation of the bus industry saw a big uptake in orders for midi bus and sprinter type buses for increased frequencies and so Reeve Burgess benefitted so much so that they opened further operations in Stonebroom and Tibshelf.  The company was bought by Plaxtons who sadly closed the Derbyshire operations in 1991 and moved the order book to their Scarborough factory. 

The company was originally known as Harry Reeve founded in 1888 as a wheelwright and blacksmith, there was then a partnership with Kenning which was added to the Reeve title and now a variety of vehicles were in production from trucks to buses and coaches.  The Reeve family saw Kenning sell their part back to the original family but by 1974 Burgess was added to the title when the Worcester based company purchased the Bridge Street company.  Probably the most noticeable and successful period before Plaxtons took them over in 1980 and then just over ten years later with a full order book closed the operation down and moved it to North Yorkshire.

STEVE WOOD CONFIDENTLY MOVING THE SCORE ON FOR PILSEY

Back to the cricket and with arrival a few minutes to the start time there was time to familiarise before the blogs fourth cricket match of the season.  Pilsley were asked to bat after losing the toss and Pete Lacey was out early for four but the resilience and innings building knock of wicket keeper opener Ian Knowles [65] and Steve Wood [47] would prove vital to what became a large total.  

We took a short break in play at 2.09pm as a Lancaster Bomber offered a personal fly pass to all at the ground.  It was actually performing this duty at nearby Hardwick Hall for the 80 year anniversary of the Dambuster raids.

The home sides innings continued apace with contributions from Tom Hewitt [25] and captain Tristan Bowers [27] who kept the scoreboard ticking along and then arrived Jack Cartwright [68] who hit a blistering knock including 19 off the the first five balls of the final over, he was assisted by Shaun Fisher [15] as Pilsley and Clay Cross reached 255 for 6 in their 40 overs.

For South Wingfield Jack Radford returned 3 for 50 with a special mention for the frugal bowling of Nicky Marshall 1 for 30 in his nine over spell.

FLY PAST OF LANCASTER BOMBER

Tea interval would take me on the regular trip along Back Lane and past the old pit canteen adjacent to the former colliery.  Upon return a brief look across the fields saw a couple of hares frolicking merrily away oblivious to the importance of the cricket match about to restart in the adjoining field.

DRINKS INTERVAL DRYING

It was not a great start for South Wingfield's reply when captain Bowers sent back the opening three batsman Jonathan Briggs [12], David Shore [1] and William Jones without troubling the scorers.  The resilience came from Tom Marshall [19] and captain wicketkeeper Anthony Crick [34] who top scored for the visitors before he was dismissed late on bowled by Lacey.

TOM HEWITT QUICKFIRE 25 FOR PILSEY

At the half way stage the visitors had reached 47 for 5 and it was clear now that it was all about survival in the wicket stakes as the run chase was well and truly off.  The ninth wicket fell with just over four overs remaining and it would be a crowd the bat with close in fielders scenario to try to secure that final wicket.  I'm not a fan of wining/losing draw results but in fairness it made this game a nice tense finish with the game pushed to a full allotment of overs as South Wingfield fought on.

JACK CARTWRIGHT BLISTERING BATTING

There was now a nice selection of banter on the field but all pretty fair and funny at the same time non more so when upon completion of the game young batsman Richards [5*]was congratulated on how well he had batted out the closing overs.  Andy Mitchell also remained not out having protected his wicket rather than pushing to get off the mark.

STEVE GARDINER DURING HIS SPELL FOR PILSLEY

The bowling for the home side saw Bowers return 3 for 14 with Wood 2 for 13, Gareth Hatton 2 for 23 a wicket apiece for Lacey and Steve Gardiner.  

From a game of cricket point of view it was a full match with the allotted eighty overs bowled and although Pilsley and Clay Cross were dominant they could not take that final wicket thanks to the rear guard action of the final South Wingfield batsman.

DAVID SHORE BOWLED BY PILSLEY CAPTAIN TRISTAN BOWERS

A lovely afternoon of watching cricket in the best weather I have spectated in at Rupert Street.  There may be a small break now in watching local sport as a few other commitments take over hopefully this will only be a few weeks but I couldn't ask for a better visit than to Pilsey before this break.

Return journey on a beautiful evening saw a brief look at the pit tub and miners tools at the house just below the cricket ground, which I have featured before, it was now planted out with an array of colourful flowers after having a winter refurbishment.

Return to base was around 7.30pm.

STEVE WOOD BOWLING FOR PILSLEY