Borrington tops 1,000 for the season to keep Ticknall in touch
PAUL Borrington reached 1,000 Derbyshire Premier Division runs for the season and scored his 60th century for Ticknall as they kept up their title challenge with an emphatic 88-run win away to Chesterfield.
Borrington’s 102 from 119 balls and a 148-run second-wicket partnership with Alex Hughes, who made 64, pointed Ticknall towards 253-4 and Chesterfield were unable to threaten it.
Captain Tom Wood made 15 of the first 19 runs after winning the toss and choosing to bat at Queen’s Park before getting out.
But Borrington and Hughes, former Derbyshire team-mates, began to take the game away from Chesterfield.
Hughes’ half-century came from 97 balls with five fours and two sixes.
Greg Cork scored only 13 but Rahib Ali added a later flourish with 34 not out from 23 balls after Borrington departed for 102 from 119 balls with 15 fours.
When Chesterfield replied, Cork soon got among them, sending back opener Luke Westwell for a duck with only one on the board.
Three more wickets fell on 26, all to Cork, as Derbyshire’s Matt Critchley departed for 15 and Andrew Parkin-coates and Callum Hiron both recorded ducks.
Harry Wilmott followed for seven, then Spireites captain Alex Hibbert for eight and, at 40-6, Cork had got rid of them all to finish with 6-35 from 12 overs.
There was no way back for Chesterfield and although wicketkeeper David Hunt made 55 not out and Adam Woodhouse 35, Jack Gorbert (3-20) cleaned up the tail and Chesterfield were all out for 165 in 39.3 overs.
They dropped into the relegation places as a result of this defeat, while Ticknall are seven points behind leaders Ockbrook & Borrowash with three games to play.
ALREWAS strengthened their chances of promotion to the Premier Division for the first time with a hard-earned seven-wicket win over Morton Colliery at The Walkfield.
Morton, whose own challenge has dipped in recent weeks, chose to bat first and made solid early progress to reach 95-2 courtesy of Alex Eyre (31) and Ashley Caunt (29).
But the wheels came off thereafter with Sam van Daesdonk (3-23), Will Smedley (3-38) and Billy Hodgkinson (3-37) all bowling well.
Matt Frend took the other wicket and Morton were all out for 151 with one ball of their 50 overs left.
When Alrewas replied it was soon clear they would not have it all their own way as skipper James Burton was bowled by the second ball on the innings by Brad Clarke.
Hodgkinson hit three fours in 13 from as many balls before being caught behind, Frend went the same way for eight and the Herons were in trouble at 29-3.
Gareth Woolley was still there, though and he was joined by Stephen Cole for a crucial stand of 76 for the fourth wicket, before Cole went for 32 from 30 balls with six fours.
Alex Scully made 11, Ben Foley eight and van Daesdonk one but Woolley saw it through with 55 not out and, from 142-7, Smedley hit three fours in eight balls to see Alrewas over the line.
They had more than 20 overs to spare but it had still been too close for comfort in terms of wickets.