Match Reports 28/05/11
Sandiacre Town made it four wins out of five and maintained their unbeaten start in the league with an 8 wicket win over Ilkeston.
Having won the toss Rob Attwood chose to have a bowl, with a damp pitch and rain around it seemed the sensible choice. When Dave Smit effortlessly drove Ryan McFadyean through mid-off for 4 in the third over it looked like the bowlers had a long day ahead of them on a slow and low track. McFadyean however, is having something of an Indian summer and he made the breakthrough. Smit was late on a straight one and trapped in front of middle. 23-1 soon became 24-2 as Ross Slater was bowled by Dan Wheeldon for a duck.
Ilkeston have decided to blood some youngsters this season, evident as 16 year old Daniel Shelton joined 17 year old Alex Park, with Luke Marriot also 17 due in at 6. Shelton and Park added 16 before the later was bowled for 18 by Wheeldon, driving loosely at one that nipped back to hit the top of off stump.
Ian Banks fared no better, registering Ilkestons second duck of the innings when he gently fended Andrew Marlow to gully. It was followed by Ilkestons highest partnership of the innings though as Shelton and Marriott added 44 for the fifth wicket. Marriott took a shine to Jono Clare’s off-spin, with 2 fours and a six through square leg, but was next to fall as Sandiacre brought back McFadyean. Marriott was late trying to pull a short delievery but clothed it to David Jordison at mid-on.
Andrew Marlow picked up more reward for a good spell with a second wicket, having James Brandrick caught behind. Ilkeston struggling on 90-6 as Marlow completed his 11 over spell with 2 for 22. James Lockhart kept Shelton company long enough to add 42 before he was also caught behind, Wheeldon the bowler this time as Lockhart went for 20. McFadyean then picked up the wicket of Shelton one run short of a well-deserved half century, the bowler finding his inside edge with Danny Green diving away to his left to take a good one handed catch.
At 158-8 Sandiacre fancied wrapping the innings up quickly. Grant Robertson was the third Ilkeston batsmen to fail to trouble the scorers and Rob Green was caught on the long-off boundary by Marlow off Trueman but not before Green had launched him for two big sixes to take the score to 170.
Sandiacre’s chase began slowly as John Trueman and James Chapman played the bowling of Green and Lockhart with caution. But they began to find their stride, ran some impeccably judged quick singles, much to the bowlers’ annoyance and occasionally rode their luck with shots over the top.
They took the score past one hundred before Trueman mistimed a drive to mid-on for 44. Chapman continued to score freely as Sandiacre closed in victory. With just 6 needed Qureshi, who has struggled for runs so far, attempted to launch Rob Green out the ground only to see his stumps shattered. It was disappointing for the overseas and scant reward for the bowler.
Sandiacre did eventually get past Ilkestons total with 17 overs to spare as Chapman finished 87 not out. It was perhaps an opportunity missed for Sandiacre to push for 27 points but they will be pleased with a job well done and move on to bottom side Alfreton next week.
Sandiacre Town second and third XI’s continued their good start to the season with wins over Derby Congregational’s and Breadsall seconds respectively.
Derby Cong’s find themselves at the wrong end of the table after a poor start to the campaign but they can be a dangerous opposition for the way the attacking nature of the cricket. They made early inroads too as Andrew Addy claimed the wickets of Curtley Read and Ben Ruhrmund to leave Sandiacre 20-2.
Sandiacre rebuilt with a 92 run partnership between Tom Priestley (60) and Ally Leek (47), before Ben De Vos decided to bring his off-spin into the attack. He removed both batsmen within 13 runs of each other and ran out Praveen Chandran for just 6 with Sandiacre 129-5.
This brought the skipper, Gareth Goodall and Ady Taylor to the crease and they added a 91 run partnership of their own. Goodall was the major contributor with 62 from 50 balls which included 7 fours and 3 sixes, while Taylor made 38.
De Vos completed a good spell of bowling claiming the wickets of Goodall and Kev Newbold, but not before Newbold cracked 27 from 12 balls. De Vos finishing with 4-65 as Sandiacre amassed 267-8 from their 46 overs.
The one thing you can be certain about with Derby Cong’s is that will have a go, the draw option being a last resort. However, they lost De Vos for a duck, LBW to Neil Smith and found early runs hard to come by.
Goodall then brought Anthony Taylor into the attack. The young left arm seamer has been third teams main bowling threat over the last few seasons but has found opportunities in the seconds hard to come by. He did himself no harm however, as he ran through the Derby Cong’s batting line up claiming 6-40. He took the next four wickets to fall, as Derby Cong’s slipped to 89-5 before Sandiacre found some resistance as Adam Palmer and Usman Siddiqi added 60 for the sixth wicket.
Rotating his bowlers Goodall brought back Newbold and Smith and it was Smith that struck. He bowled Siddiqi for 41 before Newbold ended Palmers dogged innings of 23 made from 51 balls. Smith claimed a third wicket when Rashid Ayaz was trapped in front first ball and it was left to Anthony Taylor to wrap up the win, clean bowling Addy and Mick Woolley. Derby Cong’s were all out for 179 from 36 overs to give Sandiacre an 88 run win, leaving them second in the table, one point behind leaders Cutthorpe.
The Third team won their fourth game on the bounce to maintain their 100% start to the season with a 6 wicket win against Breadsall.
Only 4 Breadsall batsmen made it into double figures and they were grateful to Jordan Shapland’s 28 batting at number 8 to get them past 100. The wickets were shared around between openers Paul Standring (2-16) and James Dean (3-28) and first change bowlers Jake Trembling (2-24) and Paul White (2-34) as Breadsall were all out for 119.
In reply Matt Shuttleworth made 36 and Neil MacNamee dealt only in boundaries for his 24. Sandiacre reaching their target in just 23-1 overs to pick up another 22 points. The win leaves them in second place, 24 points behind Langley Mill but with a game in hand.