Rain forces Hucknall to wait to bounce back after defeat

But skipper Sam Johnson stayed philosophical and has now targeted this Saturday's home clash with Wollaton as a delayed chance to bounce back from their defeat the weekend before.

“On Saturday it was a case of waiting for it to stop raining – and whenever it did stop raining we got the covers off and as players were coming into the pitch it started raining,” said Johnson.

“We did that four or five times and then just shook hands at about 2.30 and that was that unfortunately.

“It was a shame but it's halfway through the season and we're doing okay.

“Now we look to Wollaton and a massive chance to bounce back on our home ground and hope we do the business.”

He added: “The game after losing is always a really important as game obviously you don't want consecutive losses so the defeat becomes a blip rather than anything more sustained.

“Now that attention goes into this Saturday.

“Last weekend wasn't ideal but you can only play the hand you are dealt, so I can't make too many complaints.

“Over the course of a season we will get on at home when other teams can't as our ground drains so well.

"It's swings and roundabout and these things tend to even themselves out over the course of a season.

“At the end of a year you are generally in a position you deserve to be in.

“It is on us now to put in a good performance on Saturday and kickstart the second half of the year with the same gusto we started the first half of the year with.”

On their opponents, Johnson warned: “Wollaton will be really tricky and I think in the second half of the season especially they're going to be really tricky opposition.

“Their overseas player has been here for a few months now so he is well acclimatised to the rigours of Premier League cricket here.

“They also have their pro, Hassan Azad, who I will would imagine will now be available for the majority of the rest of the season.

“Zain Latif is a really good bowler and Nicky Kirkwood is a really dangerous batter when he gets going.

“But we have some really good batters and bowlers in our line-up when we get going so we will take them on and see how we go.”

Hucknall now sit sixth in the table, but Saturday’s opponents, Wollaton, are in the bottom two drop zone.

Last weekend’ Wollaton’s home clash with Gedling & Sherwood was abandoned due to the rain after Gedling had reached 112-8 in 35 overs and the points were shared.

The Clifton Village v Notts & Arnold Amateur match was also wiped out by the weather after Notts had made 155-3 in 29 overs.

But title-chasers Cavaliers & Carrington and Kimberley Institute both managed maximum points wins in rain-affected matches with Cavaliers beating rivals Cuckney away by four wickets and Kimberley eight-wicket winners over Radcliffe-on-Trent, both games settled under the Duckworth-Lewis method.