CRAIN HALF CENTURY CANNOT SAVE GRASSMOOR

GRASSMOOR WORKS CC 155 ALL OUT MANSFIELD CC 172 FOR 9

BASSETLAW AND DISTRICT LEAGUE 1 AT BARNES PARK

24 JUNE 2023 --- 1PM

BARNES PARK GRASSMOOR WORKS CC V MANSFIELD CC

Mansfield Cricket Club lifted themselves off the bottom of The Bassetlaw and District League One table with this 17 run victory over Grassmoor that earned them a second success of the 2023 season.  On a wicket that saw the ball not coming onto the bat it had been a struggle and how they were grateful for the match winning contribution of Jake Hyatt [49*] coming in at number 8 and somehow moving the score on with a speed his colleagues had struggled to achieve.  At the close he was just one short of a half century from 44 balls and including half a dozen 4's'

CRAIG DAWES PICTURE BEFORE IAN BRADLEY IN THIS BLOG

So for just the second match of the cricket season it was a welcome return to Grassmoor and armed with new camping chair an afternoon of frustration endured on a warm day the wicket proved difficult to score runs from with both sides struggling to get the ball of the square.  It must have been as annoying to the players and was especially true when you saw free flowing players struggling to time their shots with any confidence.  However at the end of the day this was to be ultimately a poor day for the home side as their Nottinghamshire visitors took full advantage to secure a hard won victory.

IAN BRADLEY IN FULL FLIGHT

As ever a warm welcome was offered during the afternoon from all at the club and it was good to be back watching some cricket on a sunny day.  The visitors would have arrived with hope of a second win but for Grassmoor who start their second season in league one there was a need to start to get some wins on board to move into a mid table position and this fixture would have been one of those targeted.

DAVID SPENDLOVE AND CARL BOWLING CATCH UP ON THE NEWS

Mansfield lost opener Raymel Adams [1] with the score on five and this brought the Jamie Spencer [42] to crease and a steadying took the score onto 61 before three quick wickets moved the game into the favour of Grassmoor.  The first was that of Spencer caught by Adam Bedford off Toby Burgess this was followed by a superb forward diving catch from Bruce Shiels to dismiss Yasser Shafi [1] off the bowling of David Spendlove and the third wicket in this spell was when Burgess bowled Ben Wright [12] the score had slumped to 63 for 4. 

DAVID SPENDLOVE GRASSMOOR WORKS

A steady fall of wickets saw captain Azeezuddin Shah [21] and Aaron Ferry [16], as aside to Hyatt being the only two other players in the second half of the visitors innings to reach double figures.  Twenty two runs were put on for the final wicket and the positive stroke play of Hyatt got Mansfield to a total that looked way off their attainment level earlier in the afternoon.  Grassmoor had appeared to let this one get away but you still hoped that the target of 173 was reachable.

TOBY BURGESS TAKES A BREATHER

Strangely then Burgess and Spendlove both went for five an over but had three wickets in the bag each, with Luke James showing two wickets in his eight over spell from the Birkin Lane end.  The other wicket was snapped up by Ian Bradley and Craig Dawes delivered half a dozen overs for a miserly nine runs.

TOBY BURGESS DELIVERS

The usual leg stretch out down to the country park still allowed for a comfortable pitching of 'the seat' before the Grassmoor openers took to the pitch to formulate their reply.

TOBY BURGESS GRASSMOOR WORKS

The reply started cautiously and shakily when Carl Bowling [2] was bowled by Spencer and it allowed Adam Bedford to join opener Mark Crain at the crease and anticipation was high for a speedy move of the scoreboard.  But both were struggling with the pitch and non more so when Bedford [11] was caught by Christo Cyriac off Shafi.  Luke James [2] was soon to follow him back to the pavilion but the arrival of David Spendlove [16] slowed the fall of wickets for a while, but when he went off the bowling of Mansfield top scorer Hyatt giving the second catch to Cyriac [C].  Ian Woolven [1] was bowled by Adams who was finding his danger spot on this wicket.

WATCHING THE BALL

The dropping of Crain in the 23rd over to a skier gave hope that this could be the turning point if the opener could bat through like the previous week the home side could get home.  Sadly this wasn't to be the case when he tickled on down the leg side to the keeper Aaron Ferry from the bowling of Rajesh Patel.

THE EXPERIENCED EXECUTIVE ENCLOSURE

A difficult spell now for Grassmoor with the players still there to get over the line could they reach the 173?

DAVID SPENDLOVE HITS OUT

Grassmoor keeper Dale James [32] tried to do a Hyatt and hit out to try to get the home side to the target but Adams was having non off it dismissing Dawes and Bradley bowled for ducks in consecutive balls and a tentative play and miss from Burgess saw the ball drifting just past the off stump was enough to deny the spinner a hat trick.

GRASSMOOR TOP SCORER MARK CRAIN

With Burgess [1] dismissed shortly afterwards with Adams disturbing his stumps it was left to Shiels [8*] and Adams [D] who did their best with just over four an over required they got neared until going for a second run off the third ball of over 43 and the the latter was run out after a valiant effort to secure a much needed victory.

IAN WOOLVEN STUMPS DISTURBED

A strange game to watch free flowing it was not but a hard fought for and deserved victory for Mansfield as Grassmoor came up short even after the efforts of Crain and Adams [D] in their reply.  It will now be important for the Barnes Park side to start to pick up points to keep away from those bottom positions

RAYMEL ADAMS JUST MISSING OUT ON A HAT TRICK

PILSLEY LEAPFROG DUFFIELD TO GO SECOND

PILSLEY AND CLAY CROSS 169 FOR 6 DUFFIELD 3S 168 FOR 9

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE 6 NORTH AT RUPERT ST

17 JUNE 2023 --- 1PM

JAMES ALDIS SOLID BASE FOR PILSLEY TO SECURE A WIN

Pilsley and Clay Cross needed determination and hard work to beat Duffield in a tight encounter that saw the home side put their recent week stumble behind them as they returned to winning ways and a top two spot that had welcomed them in the opening weeks on their return to this division.

THE SCENIC ONE WITH NORTH WINGFIELD CHURCH IN VIEW RUSSELL KING ON HIS WAY TO A TOP SCORE OF 71

Firstly it was great to return to some sport after an enforced break that had seen no sport never mind pics/blog.  Today would see a return to one of the 'locals' at Pilsley and along with Grassmoor, who I hope to get to when they are next at home all things being equal.  Arrival was a similar route but this time by taxi, put it on the expenses, and just a few overs into play with new seat pitched we were ready for some summer sport.

CAPTAIN BOWERS BOWLING WITH DUFFIELD TOP SCORER RUSSELL KING AT THE NON STRIKERS END

I say summer sport but from somewhere on a bright sunny day there was for two hours a constant amount of albeit wet stuff coming out of the sky, not enough to be noticeable to most on this warm afternoon but enough for constant camera lens cleaning.  So much so that in the end I zipped up the bag regularly to then just watch the game, thankfully by the second innings the sun had come out to play but so too had my hay fever.

CHARLIE JOHNSON FROM THE PARKHOUSE END

A steady score of 168 was posted by visitors Duffield that owed so much to number three Russell King [71] with support from Harry Fearnehough [16] and Ian Bowyer [20] the former skying a short ball from Charlie Johnson which the delivery raced through to claim with Bowyer bowled by Gareth Hatton with the last ball of the 27th.  Two other players made double figures Will Clare [10] who again skied one from Hatton and was snapped up by Andrew Parker and there was a defiant flurry from Max Patterson [21*] at the end.  

GARETH HATTON AND IAN WORTHY

From a Pilsley front this was an acceptable target after a strong performance from the bowlers attached to some sharp ground fielding including a couple of super cover field stops from Pete Lacey, on the downside proceedings may have been over earlier with a a few early dropped catches that would have been stunners had they stuck.  There was a wicket apiece for openers Tristan Bowers and James Aldis along with first changes Ian Worthy and Charlie Johnson.  Pick of the bunch though was the ever effervescent Gareth Hatton who bagged four from his ten overs.

IAN WORTHY WALKS BACK TO HIS MARK

For a change the tea break was taken at the ground in the company of the now increasingly strong sun as we awaited the Pilsley reply.  Also of note this season is the live scoring of which thanks to Steven Horsley it makes the game much more interesting and adds an extra touch to the club.

GARETH HATTON OFFERS UP HIS THOUGHTS

Openers Pete Lacey and Ian Knowles came out to start the reply and the latter was in 'bazball' mode the current philosophy of the England side as they crashed 29 off the opening three overs.  Lacey [4] went with the score on 31 which brought Aldis [39] to the crease who again providied a solid base for this win but it was proving harder that may have been expected non more so with the threat of Niall Watson who was a threat through his ten overs.  Amazingly he somehow remained wicket less but conceded just 28 runs, alongside Patterson [1 for 39] they were a constant threat as they secured their line and length to add to their pace. when Aldis fell it was 110 for 3 off the last ball of the 23rd it did appear that Pilsley were on their was to the win.  But it remained a tight game scoring wise and with Parker [16] from 65 balls enforcing the argument, he had been joined by captain Bowers [30] who guided the home side nearer to the target. Parker fell with the score on 139 in over 33,.  His replacement Johnson [3] went back with 151 on the board and within four balls the captain fell to Adil Ahmed caught by Max Patterson.

Ian Worthy [4] and Shaun Fisher [12] saw it through with no more scares in over 39 to secure to 22 points.

GARETH HATTON ITS ALL ABOUT THE EXPRESSION

Nice to be back watching some of the 'beautiful game' and catch up with some of the players, hopefully summer as started roll on some dry weather.

PILSLEY OPENER IAN KNOWLES