Clifton Are 2010 Champions

Last year’s champions Clifton today retained the Nottinghamshire Premier League title after securing 17 points from a drawn game away at Wollaton; the home side also managed to collect 7 points which effectively ensures their Premier League status for 2011.

Batting first, the Clifton run-machine yet again demonstrated their strength with 305 for the loss of just three wickets. Dan Birch’s outstanding season with the bat continued with 143 from 140 balls and he was superbly supported by Liam Andrews with an unbeaten 96. In reply, Wollaton loss seven wickets in scoring 202 thanks to 85 not out from Philip Wells and 41 from skipper Ed Savill, with Dan Footitt returning figures of 3-23 for the champions.

West Indian Cavaliers are assured of second place in the table after a 6 wicket victory over already relegated Attenborough at The Strand. The home side were dismissed for 205 in the 48th over with Dominic Harvey scoring 57 not out, Craig Heiden (44) and Shaun Fitzgibbon (36) providing valuable support. Cavaliers managed to overcame this total with just four balls to spare and for the loss of 4 wickets thanks to an unbeaten 111 from Bilal Shafayat and skipper Aaron Thomas’ 46 not out.

With Attenborough’s fate already sealed and Wollaton’s draw with Clifton, Radcliffe needed to secure at least 10 points to take the relegation battle to the final weekend. They earned a hard-fought draw at home with Kimberley but could only bag 9 points effectively ensuring their relegation. The visitors batted first and amassed 285 for 5 lead by Jarred Sewell with 90 aided by Nick Langford (47) and Mike Blatherwick (56). Chris Holden returned Radcliffe’s best figures with 4-58. Radcliffe started well with Luc Durandt (83) and Daniel Mason (84) putting on 173 for the first wicket but they couldn’t maintain that pace and ended on 247 for 7. For Kimberley, Richard Adams took 4-48.

Mansfield Hosiery Mills secured the biggest winning margin of the day as they overcame Welbeck Colliery by 8 wickets at Sookholme. The home side batted first and were skittled for just 91 in 30 overs with only Chris Murphy making any impression with the bat in making 35 not out. Mansfield’s bowlers had an outstanding day, lead by Kyle Garside with 4-22 and Keshara Jayasinghe 3-29. The visitors were able to knock off the meagre total in just 18 overs with Paul Burdett leading the charge with 37.

Papplewick’s visit to Caythorpe was another low-scoring match with the visitors walking away with the points with a 10 run win. The visitors batted first but were dismissed for 162 in the 44th over with Caythorpe’s Steve Randall spinning his way to season-best figures of 5-38. The home side progressed to 56 before losing their first wicket but then lost six for the addition of just 23 runs with Jim Rhodes doing the damage with 6-45. They were eventually bowled out for 152 but not before some lusty lower ordering hitting from Billy Wright (30) and James Mann (26).

Cuckney skipper Richard Stroh has been making an impression recently in a stint with Nottinghamshire’s 2nd XI and his good form continued as his side drew with the Notts Academy. A weakened Academy side, missing Akhil Patel, Scott Elstone and Jake Ball, all with the senior side at Edgbaston, struggled to contain the home side’s batsmen who racked up 311 for 4 with Tom Ullyott undefeated on 100 exactly, Stroh scoring 68 and Adam Burgess 66. The best bowling for the Academy came from coach Chris Tolley who rolled back the years to take 2-38 from eleven overs. The Academy side were never really in the chase with Cuckney’s Will Butler securing figures of 3-13 as they closed on 144 for 9 with Tolley and Bobby Gamble hanging on for the final six overs to avoid defeat.