Rolleston open it up with a win as Dunstall stumble
ROLLESTON ended Dunstall’s 100% start in Derbyshire County League Division One to throw open the battle at the top of the table.
Rolleston’s 24-run home win means that they, Dunstall and Cutthorpe each now have six wins and a defeat but Dunstall stay top by a point from Cutthorpe, with Rolleston one more behind.
Tom Liversage chose to bat when Rolleston won the toss and Gareth Marshall and Louis Burrows put on 67 for the first wicket.
There was a wobble, as both openers were out and the in-form Daryn Smit was bowled by George Martin for only four but Liversage made 30 and then Sam Bates (42) put on 80 with Richard Green.
Green added 61 more with Liam Goode (33) as he powered to an unbeaten 84 from 70 balls, with six fours and four sixes, leading his side to 271-6.
It was a tall order and Dunstall’s reply did not quite have the momentum Rolleston had managed in the second half of their innings.
Ben Whitehouse made 48 from 49 balls and Dan Welsh 42, while George Scrimshaw hit 60 from 51 balls, but Smit’s 4-42 from 12 overs pegged Dunstall back and they finished on 247-9.
In the Premier Division, Alrewas’ winning run was ended at the hands of unbeaten leaders Swarkestone.
James Burton chose to bat at Barrow Turn and he and Gareth Woolley started with 57.
After Burton went for 23, Woolley and Nick Kwant looked in good shape, adding 97 to get to 154-1.
Both completed half-centuries but were out just as Alrewas could have done with one of them going on to a century.
It was a struggle after that and with Ben Halliday, Alex Hughes and Nils Priestley each taking three wickets, Alrewas scrambled to 220-9.
That was always going to be a tall order for the bowlers to defend, especially when Hughes and Andre Bradford put on 101 in good time for the first wicket.
Bradford went for 43 but Derbyshire’s Hughes cruised on to 109 from 110 balls with 15 fours and a six and when he was out at 202-4, the job was as good as done, Swarkestone winning by five wickets with more than 11 overs to spare.
Five Alrewas bowlers took a wicket each but only Matt Frend’s 1-40 from 11 overs gave them the economy they would have needed.
Ticknall are picking up after a tough start to the season and a century from Greg Cork led them to their third win of the season, taking them past the 242-6 set by Alfreton at The Grange.
Jake Simpson top-scored with 61 for Alfreton but Ticknall generally kept their strong batting line-up in check, Oliver Tucker returning 2-26 from 12 overs.
Ticknall’s reply was soon in trouble, with Paul Borrington falling for six and Rahib Ali and Will Hobson soon following, before captain Elliott Lawley was out for two to make it 36-4.
However, Cork and Mehmoon Tariq (46) then added 92 and Cork found even stronger support from Tom Kent-smith, who joined hin in an unbroken stand of 110 to win the match.
Cork closed on 102 not out from 99 balls, with 11 fours and four sixes, while Kent-smith made 51 not out from 66 balls with three fours and three sixes.
In Division Two, Mohammad Ashraful dominated as Lullington Park collected their second win.
The Bangladesh international could only watch as his team stuttered to 66-7 against Quarndon, with him on 49, but he then added 147 for the eighth wicket with Ryan Ware before departing for a brilliant 182 from 136 balls with 32 fours and two sixes.
Ware (47 not out) added 55 more with James Whiteland as Park closed on 268-8.
Quarndon had no answer, skittled for 125, with young spinner Archie Hidderley taking 4-47 and Ashraful 2-10.