Swarkie take a grip as chasers are both well beaten
SWARKESTONE have a tighter grip on the leadership of the Derbyshire County League Premier Division after slips by both of their main chasers, Sandiacre Town and Ockbrook & Borrowash on Saturday.
The Barrow Lane side took care of business in emphatic style away to bottom club Langley Mill on Saturday, piling up a massive 375-7 on their way to a 182-run win.
They opened with 74, of which Tom Hamilton got a quick 42, then Andre Bradford, on 25 when the wicket fell, was joined by captain Harvey Hosein for a partnership of 210.
Hosein had reached exactly 100 when Bradford was out for 131 from 130 balls, with 16 fours and two sixes.
The former Derbyshire wicketkeeper then charged on to 162 from 122 balls, with 20 fours and five sixes.
Faced with such a target, there was scant chance of a Millers win and they were bowled out for 193, with Wade Veitch and Nila Priestley taking three wickets each.
Ticknall upset Ockbrook with an away win.
They chose to bat and the decision was vindicated when Paul Borrington (107 from 139 balls) and Rahib Ali (71 from 98 balls) put on 160 for the first wicket.
Borrington added another 66 with Greg Cork, who motored to 67 from 42 balls, with five fours and four sixes.
Luke Baddeley took all the Ticknall wickets to fall as they closed on 284-4.
A slump to 83-5 put Ockbrook on the back foot and although Josh Lacey (60) and Jacob Conners (63) added 63 and Conners added 54 more with Baddeley (44 not out), Ockbrook were all out for 247.
Meanwhile, Denby put Sandiacre in at the Copper Yard and bowled them out for 156, in which James Chapman’s 30 was the top score.
Joe Wilson took 4-20 from 11 overs for Denby and James Parkin 3-44 from 12 overs.
When Denby batted, it was not plain sailing as they slipped to 28-3 and 63-4 but Shanuka Vithanawasam stood firm to make 79 not out from 81 balls and it really only needed one substantial contribution as long as one or two could stay with him for a while.
That they did and Denby won by five wickets in 39.2 overs, leaving Swarkestone 38 points clear at the top with six games to play.
Billy Hodgkinson followed a breezy knock of 28 with a superb spell of 4-23 from 12 overs as Alrewas ended their eight-game losing streak with a win over Eckington.
It was a victory which lifted them back above the North Derbyshire
side in the table and, significantly, 28 points above the drop zone.
With New Zealand star Nick Kwant out for a duck, Alrewas slipped to 107-5 after being put in but Stephen Cole was accumulating the top score in the match, 76 from 105 balls.
Hodgkinson’s 14-ball cameo included two sixes and two fours and they closed on 187-9 from 50 overs, with the visitors’ Cameron Gordon taking 5-45.
Eckington slipped quickly into trouble at 19-4 but their hopes rose when Liam Musselwhite (48) and Gordon (43) rebuilt with a patient stand of 87 for the fifth wicket.
However, Hodgkinson got both of them and Eckington were bowled out for 126.
Marehay remain in the second relegation place after being well beaten by Alvaston & Boulton.
Marehay chose to bat but lost openers Ryan and Ben Buckley for ducks, then only Lewis Palmer (56),
Rob Peat (35) and Caleb Jasmat (31) held up A&B for long in an innings of 170, Chris McIlroy taking 4-22.
McIlroy then contributed 51 to an opening partnership of 164 with Chris Durham for A&B.
Durham finished on 113 not out from 91 balls as A&B charged to a nine-wicket win in 31.3 overs.
They have fallen narrowly short in a number of run chases this season but Spondon made no mistake after being set 248-8 away to Alfreton.
Tom New (78) and Jake Simpson (54 not out) were the main contributors to the Alfreton total, with Paul Allen, Chris Windmill and Jack Gorbert taking two wickets each.
In the reply, Joe Ashdown made 40, Alistair Dixon 60 and Josh Brear 51, the latter two adding 106 for the third wicket, but Spondon might have faltered at 207-6 before Justin Watson hit out, smashing 61 not out from 23 balls, with five fours and six sixes, to carry them home.