NOTTS PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND-UP: convincing Cuckney propel themselves into title race

The Bank Holiday weekend in the Notts Premier League belonged to Cuckney, who propelled themselves into the title race with a couple of convincing victories.
KING KUNAL -- Mansfield Hosiery Mills bowler Kunal Manek on his way to a five-wicket haul against local rivals, Welbeck, on Bank Holiday Monday.KING KUNAL -- Mansfield Hosiery Mills bowler Kunal Manek on his way to a five-wicket haul against local rivals, Welbeck, on Bank Holiday Monday.
KING KUNAL -- Mansfield Hosiery Mills bowler Kunal Manek on his way to a five-wicket haul against local rivals, Welbeck, on Bank Holiday Monday.

On Saturday, Cuckney demolished former champions West Indian Cavaliers by seven wickets after rushing out the home side for just 90. And on Bank Holiday Monday, they made it five wins from seven starts so far this term when defeating struggling Clifton Village by 54 runs.

The hosts amassed 257-5 in their allotted 50 overs, with James Hawley (84) and Luke Thomas (67) putting together an opening stand worth 132. Clifton’s reply was going well on 106-2, but after Martin Weightman had departed for 53, they slid to 141-6 and although Luke Gunn hit a breezy 42, Cuckney bagged the winning wicket in the 42nd over.

Star all-rounder Thomas (3-41) led the Cuckney attack, and he had also taken three wickets (3-11) in the rout of Cavaliers, whose 100% home record was smashed. Lewis Bramley bagged 4-30 too before the visitors cruised to their target inside 24 overs.

Cuckney’s double lifted them to third in the table, and only 14 points behind the early-season leaders Plumtree, who surrendered the league’s last unbeaten record in a narrow defeat by just one wicket at home to defending champions Kimberley on Saturday.

Plumtree recovered 48 hours later to pummel Ordsall Bridon by 147 runs, but Kimberley won again, routing Radcliffe-on-Trent by seven wickets to go a clear second in the 12-team table. Ordsall’s defeat, in which they were rolled over for just 98, was in stark contrast to their performance on Saturday when they posted a huge total of 301 in a winning draw against Caythorpe.

A local derby on Monday saw Mansfield Hosiery Mills ease to an eight-wicket win over Welbeck, courtesy of fine performances by Tom New (54no) and Kunal Manek (5-20). Two days earlier, the roles had been reversed with Hosiery Mills losing by four wickets to Notts CCC Academy but Welbeck hammering Hucknall by eight wickets. Despite big runs for star men Robin Maxwell and Dale Campbell, newly-promoted Hucknall also suffered a heavy reverse on Monday, at home to Cavaliers, and now sit bottom of the table.

BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY RESULTS (home teams named first) -- Caythorpe 206 (James Oldham 41) beat Notts CCC Academy 175 (Connor Marshall 43, Tim Wyatt 40) by 31 runs; Cuckney 257-5 (James Hawley 84, Luke Thomas 67) beat Clifton Village 203 (Martin Weightman 53, Luke Gunn 42) by 54 runs; Hucknall 243-4 (Robin Maxwell 83no, Dale Campbell 67) lost to West Indian Cavaliers 244-2 (Paldip Sidhu 125no, Shaun Levy 65) by eight wickets; Mansfield Hosiery Mills 128-2 (Tom New 54no) beat Welbeck 124 (Kunal Manek 5-20) by eight wickets; Ordsall Bridon 98 (Bobby Gamble 5-38) lost to Plumtree (145, Hassan Azad 87, Saad Ashraf 47) by 147 runs; Radcliffe-on-Trent 88 (Tom Rowe 5-5) lost to Kimberley 89-3 by seven wickets.

SATURDAY RESULTS (home teams named first) -- Clifton 96 (Ben Savage 6-34) lost to Radcliffe-on-Trent 97-1 (Graeme White 50no) by nine wickets; Notts CCC Academy 200-6 (Paul Franks 78no, Connor Marshall 47no) beat Mansfield Hosiery Mills 198 (Joe New 44, Ben Kitt 5-65) by four wickets; Ordsall Bridon 301 (Aqab Ahmed 83) winning draw against Caythorpe 234-7 (Matthew Dowman 52); Plumtree 215 (Hassan Azad 54, Sam Wood 45) lost to Kimberley 216-9 (George Bacon 44); Welbeck 131-2 (Andrew Parkin-Coates 62no) beat Hucknall 128 by eight wickets; West Indian Cavaliers 90 lost to Cuckney 94-3 by seven wickets.