Tense 1st XI Win vs Harthill

We won the toss and batted first. In the early overs, the Harthill bowlers moved the ball everywhere. We lost Matt Wheatley (6) early, but Dave Taylor and Ben Tomlinson built an innings defining partnership. Dave played some beautiful shots to produce his best innings of the season as he cruised past 50. He received brilliant support from Ben, who did a sterling job at number three to help put on 99 before he fell for 38. Dave was then joined by Ben Perkins (20), and together they added a quick 43 before a flurry of wickets brought Harthill back into the game. We went from 160-2 to 174-6, and Dave was one of the wickets to fall. He succumbed agonisingly short of a deserved ton for a marvellous (and what proved to be match-winning) 89. Brilliant DT! Luke Bircumshaw (17*) and Mark Dean (15*) finished with a flourish as we closed on a very decent 209-6.

In the field, we got off to the perfect start when Luke Bircumshaw (8 overs, 1-34) broke through in his first over! The wicket we wanted though was the Harthill overseas Dom Cumming, who came into the game averaging 99 with a strike rate over 100 - gulp! Harthill battled back before Hayden Cox struck with his first ball to leave them 57-2. Zak Berridge (7 overs, 1-35) picked one up next (well held Simon Dean), and then came the biggie... Ben Tomlinson (5 overs, 1-27) came on and got their star man Cumming out for 30! Harthill was now 79-4. Jasper Dennison (2 overs, 1-14) then got one but Harthill kept coming at us hard, and with the score on 158-5 with 6.5 per over required, the game was well and truly anyone's. That was until the veteran Simon Dean stepped up, who saw us home with an inspired little spell of 3-19 from 4.5 overs. Brilliant Simon! He was supported by Hayden who was outstanding today, finishing with figures of 2-18 from his 7 overs. Harthill was bowled all out for 181 from 37.5 overs.

Special mentions to James Davies, who kept really well (conceding only 1 bye), and all who worked hard fielding on the boundary, keeping the runs down. It was tense at times, but a great effort to see it home by 28 runs.
7 players in the side today were 22 or younger and it's brilliant to see these players developing & in a team that can win games in division one.

There is no 1st XI fixture next weekend, but the 2nd XI will host Blidworth Colliery Welfare CC's 2nd XI.