Blidworth (0)                           96ao   

Thoresby Colliery (20)           97-1    

 

 

An impressive overall performance against a Blidworth side clearly lacking in confidence gave Thoresby maximum points by shortly after 5.30 pm on Saturday.

 

Hill and Willis opened up the Thoresby attack against the youthful, promising Hinds and the experienced Craig Turton. Even from the first few balls it became evident that the air conditions were favourable for bowling and the track less than a ‘belter’. Jono was finding a good length and Stevie pronounced away swing as the initial shine disappeared from the ball. Turton, usually solid in technique, was induced into a couple of wild swings across the line, only for the ball to banana its way past off stump. Indeed it was Willis who looked ‘the most likely’, but it was Hill who made the first breakthrough, finding the edge of Hind’s bat for Birkett to take a well-judged low catch diving forward. This was to be the first of a number of excellent catches on the day.

 

Soon after, Turton tried to pull a ball round to mid-wicket off Hill, only to find a top edge that was again safely pouched by Birkett. At this point Blidworth had become marooned in the early twenties and matters became worse for them as no.3 Price became another c Birkett b Hill victim.

 

Willis then got in on the action producing the ball of the match to square up New Zealander Pairama and for Nige Birkett to take one of the best catches of his career. Indeed it was such a good catch, it deserves a short paragraph all of its own……………………

 

Taking off to his right, leaping like a salmon, attaining a streamlined horizontal shape in mid-air, thrusting an outstretched glove no more than 12 inches off the floor, clutching glory from the flailing Cheshire at first slip, grasping the ball one-handed as clean as a well-polished whistle, landing with a soft glide and then ……… exhilaration and adulation, combined with a little incredulity! The batsman couldn’t believe it either – he stood for ages before the umpire raised the dreaded digit.

 

So 21-0 had become 23-4 and Blidworth were in trouble.

 

Youngster Dave Willcock joined veteran Richie Gibbons and they set about repairing some of the damage. Willcock hung around well as Gibbons showed his quality with several cleanly struck drives. Dancing Dave Deidre Georgie Roper Evans (all one bowler) replaced Hill and immediately found some of the old confidence and rhythm. Without trying to bowl too fast or force the issue, he found a good line and length assisted by some turn. It seemed only a matter of time, and it was, before he found the edge of Willcock’s bat and Pete Scott took a sharp catch comfortably at first slip.

 

Gibbons looked like being the only stumbling block now as he continued to play his game, realising that any sort of a total for Blidworth rested on his shoulders. But as he hit another trademark off-drive Pete Scott took an absolutely blinding catch, no more than 12 yards from the bat at short extra, inches from the ground off the delighted Willis.

 

From this point Blidworth inched their way to 80 for 9, with Willis steadily working his way through the late middle order with accurate, clever bowling. Pete Wood at no.11 hit a few excellent lusty blows to roll back the years before Hill eventually yorked him on the last ball of his returning over. (We didn’t hear the bat bouncing around the dressing room, honest Pete!).

 

So, a commendable performance in the field with good, tight, controlled bowling and some excellent catching from Nige (4) and Scotty (3). Special mention to Glenn ‘Billy Whizz’ Keeble for his enthusiasm in the field and Callum ‘I was up at 7 o’clock, you know’ Flinton who was obviously jetlagged after his mammoth transworld trip from ………………… Bath.

 

Cheshire and Hill went in for Thoresby with a positive attitude. And after an initial look at the bowling and conditions, both began to tee-off. Cheshire was especially severe on anything anywhere near him, hitting numerous boundaries before Wood caught him round the corner for a quickfire 39. Hill played some lovely shots, including one delectable straight on-drive for four, in his 28no. He was joined by Paul Hughes who appeared to be on some kind of a mission, making his 22no in just nine deliveries, finishing the scoring with a fabulous drive through cover ‘on the up’. So in 13.5 overs the game was over!

 

Time for a leisurely shower, pint with old friends, steady drive back to Edwinstowe, STILL in time to watch the culmination of the mighty 2nd XI’s victory.

 

(IH)

 

 

BLIDWORTH

V

THORESBY COLLIERY

SAT

 

5TH JUNE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLIDWORTH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATSMAN

 

HOW OUT

SCORE

 

BOWLING

O

M

R

W

HIND

 

C BIRKETT B HILL

8

 

S WILLIS

12

3

43

1

TURTON

 

C BIRKETT B HILL

5

 

J HILL

8

1

24

3

PRICE

 

C BIRKETT B HILL

3

 

D EVANS

10

3

34

1

PAIRAMA

 

C BIRKETT B WILLIS

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

GIBBONS

 

C SCOTT B WILLIS

21

 

 

 

 

 

 

WILCOCK DAVE

 

C SCOTT B EVANS

12

 

 

 

 

 

 

NORWOOD

 

LBW B WILLIS

9

 

 

 

 

 

 

WILCOCK DAN

 

B WILLIS

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHARMA

 

C SCOTT B WILLIS

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

SMITH

 

NOT OUT

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

WOOD

 

B HILL

12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXTRAS

16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

96

10

WKTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

THORESBY COLLIERY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATSMAN

 

HOW OUT

SCORE

 

BOWLING

O

M

R

W

M CHESHIRE

 

C WOOD B SMITH

39

 

PAIRAMA

4

0

16

0

J HILL

 

NOT OUT

28

 

WOOD

4

0

29

0

P HUGHES

 

NOT OUT

22

 

SMITH

3

0

18

1

P SCOTT

 

 

 

 

SHARMA

2.5

0

28

0

N BIRKETT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I HALFPENNY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B MARSON

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D EVANS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C FLINTON

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

G KEEBLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S WILLIS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXTRAS

8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

97

1

WKTS

 

 

 

 

 

Other results from Division 1

At Ordsall: BRIDON (20) 158 all out (Simon Bingham 47, Simon Fenwick 41, Charlie Walker 6 for 76, Steve Wooley 3 for 14) beat BOLSOVER (5) 152 all out (Steve Wooley 46, Andy Rodgers 42, Rob. Smart 6 for 48) by 6 runs

At Langwith Road: NOTTS. & ARNOLD AMATEUR (2) 146 all out (Julian Thornhill 31, Don Leiper 30, Paul Gurnell 3 for 47, Dave Newman 5 for 38) lost to CUCKNEY (20) 148 for 4 (Will Montgomery 60, Dave Newman 51) by six wickets.

At Recreation Ground: EDWINSTOWE (20) 161 for 7 (Garth Brown 39, Asadullah Butt 4 for 43) beat CUTTHORPE (3) 83 all out by 78 runs.

At Station Lane: FARNSFIELD (6) 222 for 6 (James Bennett 93, Paul Franks 58, Matt. Milnes 4 for 40) lost to MANSFIELD HOSIERY MILLS (18) 226 for 5 (Jason Gorman 110 n.o., Asela Jayasinghe 46) by five wickets

At Central Avenue: KIVETON PARK (17) 269 for 6 (Adam Burgess 106, Ryan Snape 75 ret. Hurt, Glen Pym 3 for 60) drew with WORKSOP (4) 105 for 8 (Richard Spurr 3 for 27, Dean Walker 3 for 13)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wthr

 

 

 

 

 

Division 1

 

 

 

Tie

Draw

 

 

Bonus

Pts.

Total

 

P

12

10

6

6

2

0

Bat

Bowl

Points

Kiveton Park

10

5

3

0

1

1

0

32

34

164

Mansfield Hos. Mills

10

4

5

0

1

0

0

29

28

161

Notts & Arnold Am.

9

7

0

0

1

0

1

29

29

148

Cutthorpe

10

6

0

0

1

0

3

20

28

126

Bridon

10

6

0

0

1

1

2

23

23

126

Cuckney

10

4

1

0

1

0

4

17

26

107

Thoresby Colliery

11

2

2

0

0

0

7

27

22

93

Glapwell

10

2

2

0

1

2

3

14

24

92

Worksop

10

2

1

0

1

3

3

19

26

91

Farnsfield

10

2

1

0

1

2

4

23

23

90

Edwinstowe

11

2

0

0

1

3

5

12

33

81

Bolsover

11

1

1

0

0

3

6

17

23

68

Blidworth

10

2

0

0

0

1

7

15

19

60