For every sportsman, sportswoman and sports team there is always one ground or venue where it just does not happen for them. For Clumber Park CC 1st XI that place is Whitwell. We’re now in our 12th consecutive season in Division 1. We’ve won everywhere - at Cavaliers, Central Avenue, Blid, Kivo. But have we ever won at Whitwell? No! Let’s take a look back at our recent games there: 107 all out. 118 all out. 135 all out. 106 all out. In two of those games we lost by 10 wickets and were done after 13 overs.

So, onto today’s game: disappointingly, we didn't break out of this losing pattern on what became a chastening day for us at Whitwell.
As a collective, our bowling unit was below par, and we were brutalised in the first 6 overs as Whitwell pummelled their way to 60-0. This set the tone as the hosts racked up a ludicrous 281-3 after their 40 overs. Ben Tomlinson bowled absolutely superbly (7 overs, 0-22) - outstanding! I was the only wicket taker with 3-52.

We said the right things at the interval, but the first few overs of our reply made the opening 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan look like an episode of Emmerdale as we lost Ed, Davo and DT all for ducks. Tim (33) played some lovely shots and was the bright spot in a capitulation as we subsided to 77, all out.

It’s a cliche but days like today are character building. All of us will look in the mirror and say "I hate playing at Whitwell", but if there’s any good going to come out of today it’s if we also say "I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure I’m never beaten that badly again."
And one day, we will beat them there.

Let’s take today on the chin and put it behind us and let’s look forward to next weekend with determination to do better and a smile on our faces. UTP x

- Mark Dean, 1st XI Captain