Billy hits out to set target but Alrewas are beaten
ALREWAS battled hard to get into a potential winning position against Spondon in the Derbyshire Premier Division but eventually slipped to a four-wicket defeat.
After the Herons were put in, captain James Burton was out leg before to the third ball but Nick Kwant moved quickly to 59 from 61 balls in a partnership of 75 with Gareth Woolley, who made 21.
Wickets fell fairly regularly after Kwant was out, although Alex Scully battled hard to reach 66 from 112 balls before he was run out.
At 128-5, Alrewas were falling short of a competitive target but Billy Hodgkinson changed the picture by coming in at number eight and smashing 61 not out from 28 balls, with four fours and five sixes.
He was in for only 23 minutes but launched his side up to 240-7.
When Matt Frend got one of Spondon’s danger men, Joe Ashdown, out for four and James Rowland got Alistair Dixon for nine, Alrewas looked in good shape.
However, Mitch Wagstaff and Josh Brear added 99 for the third wicket to put their side back in the driving seat.
Brear went for 43 and when first Isaac Harrison, for 12, then Wagstaff, for 71, were out it was 158-5 and the balance was back with Alrewas.
Justin Watson made 26 from 22 balls to keep Spondon alive and when he was out, home captain Paul Allen settled the match by bashing 40 not out from 15 balls, with six fours and two sixes, the target being reached with six overs to spare.
Sam van Daesdonk finished with 2-46 and there was a wicket each for Frend, Rowland, Hodgkinson and William Smedley.
Alrewas are now fifth in the table with five wins and five defeats.
Ticknall set Eckington a big target of 280-5 at home but were beaten by six wickets.
William Hobson made 51 as he and Greg Cork put on 104 for the third wicket after Ticknall were put in and Cork went on to complete his fourth century of the season, making 132 not out from 102 balls with 14 fours and five sixes.
Mehmoon Tariq weighed in with 42 not out from 36 balls, adding 81 with Cork.
Two early wickets for Ousman Khizer reduced Eckington’s reply to 47-2 and it was 71-3 when Oliver Tucker struck.
However, Josh Andrews and Liam Musselwhite then came together in a stand of 157 for the visitors which turned the tide.
When Musselwhite was out for 77 from 73 balls, with 11 fours, a wicket for Ben Sexton, Eckington could sense victory and Andrews completed it in company with Cameron Gordon.
They put on an unbroken 54 for the fifth wicket and Andrews finished on 114 not out from 103 balls with 17 fours and a six, leaving Ticknall still second bottom in the Premier table.