Rain takes toll as the leaders fall only three runs short
SWARKESTONE remain at the top of the Beechwood Mazda Premier Division despite losing their first match of the season away against Denby.
Rain had the final say, with Swarkestone only three runs short of their revised target of 111 from 29 overs after Denby had earlier posted 224.
Malik Haleem (66) and Shanuka Vitanawasam (65) combined well for Denby early on, Joe Wilson (30) also contributing well, before Ben Hutchinson (6-39) hit back strongly for the visitors.
James Parkin (2-35) reduced Swarkestone in reply to 41-2 before Harvey Hosein (45 not out) and Tom Hamilton (26) got the innings back on track.
But it wasn’t to be and Swarkestone were agonisingly short when play was called off.
Sandiacre Town moved to within a point of Swarkestone at the top after a comfortable seven-wicket Duckworth-Lewis win over Eckington.
Matt Newbold (3-25) and Ryan McFadyean (4-13) reduced Eckington to 42-5 during the opening exchanges but Lewis Staniforth (48) and Chris Bullimore (36) finally put some much-needed runs on the board.
A final tally of 179 was not going to be enough, however, and Luke Thomas (56 not out) and Scott McNeill (46) responded accordingly and Sandiacre closed well ahead of the required target on 126-3 after 29.4 overs.
Ockbrook & Borrowash stayed in touch at the business end of the table after an easy 137-run (DL Method) victory over Langley Mill Utd.
Ockbrook lost Luke Harvey early on but Mykylo Bird (64) and Josh Lacey (51) picked things up with a second-wicket partnership of 120.
Further runs from Ethan Berlusconi (36), Jacob Conners (32), Charlie Birch-Mann (32) and Gareth Young (36) maintained the momentum and Ockbrook closed on 310.
George Brandrick (38) and Rafay Ahmed (44) batted well in reply but a revised target of 296 from 46 overs proved a bridge too far, with Lacey (4-53) and Luke Baddeley (4-34) dominating for the visitors.
It all ended in the 38th over with the scoreboard showing a distant 158.
Marehay claimed only their second win of 2022 at the expense of fourth-placed Alrewas, who were left with too much to do in reply.
Ryan Buckley (38) and Lewis Palmer (44) were quickly out of the blocks for Marehay but Will Smedley hit back for Alrewas and the home side slipped from 89-0 to a shaky 116-4.
There was still improvement required at 144-6 but Hasnain Nasir (48), Tom Burke (71 not out) and Dave Buckley (30) were up to the task and Marehay closed on a formidable 281-8.
Rain gave Alrewas a revised target
of 158 from 28 overs but they reached only 130-4, despite another good innings from Nick Kwant (64).
There was yet another close encounter for Spondon but this time they managed to share the spoils with visitors Ticknall.
Needing 122 from 25 overs, Ticknall ended their innings on 121-3, Rahib Ali (63) not quite able to see his side across the line.
Earlier in the afternoon, Spondon dipped to 39-2 but rallied through Mitchell Wagstaff (68) and Josh Brear (85), who added 99 for the third wicket.
Mehmoon Tariq (3-35) engineered a slip to 193-6 but good late runs from Jack Gorbert (25 not out) enabled the home side to post a challenging 262-8.
Alfreton made a valiant effort to overcome Alvaston & Boulton’s formidable 271-6, falling agonisingly short on 268-8.
Joe New collected 5-43 for Alfreton but Garry Park (121 not out) was in dominant form for the visitors.
He was well supported by Chris Durham (74) and Tom Knight (39) and A&B were well-placed at the interval.
Tom New (44) and Jake Simpson (27) batted well after tea but at 117-5 all seemed lost.
Joe New (65) and Muhammad Asim (76) breathed new life into the reply but it wasn’t to be Alfreton’s day.