Kibworth have Craven for a return to the big time
KIBWORTH may be a major force in Leicestershire, but captain Matt Craven says now is the time to restore the club to its former glories on the national stage.
Craven’s men and Loughborough Town have slugged it out for domination of Leicestershire over the past six years – and it is now three titles apiece after Kibworth wrapped up the title last month.
However, Craven cannot help but reflect on an opportunity missed after coming up short in the national club competitions – and insists it is a final frontier that the current side must try and scale.
“We have won nine trophies in the last five seasons but we have our sights on getting Kibworth back to where they were in the national competitions a decade or so ago,” said the batsman.
“We lost to Swardeston in a tight game we should have won in the nationals so we really want to improve on that front from now.
“Leicestershire is our home and we love winning in those competitions but on the flip side we all have our sights on national finals now.
“We have had a good few years but we now need to make the step up, otherwise we can’t move forward as a club. It’s a very exciting time for us.”
Kibworth have a decorated history on a national level, after winning the old Cockspur Cup in both 2004 and 2008 before it was replaced by the ECB National Club Championship.
But Craven is nonetheless pleased with his side’s efforts.
“It was very hard to get the motivation and drive to repeat what we had last year,” he added. “The first third of the season was tough and we lost to Loughborough early on which knocked our confidence because we were unbeaten last season.
“We had a few tight games early doors and we got through them and just kicked on after that.”
The weather put paid to a number of potentially exciting finishes in final rounds of games last weekend.
In Derbyshire, Christopher Durham’s 62 steered Swarkestone to a tense two-wicket win over Ockbrook & Borrowash in a thrilling match while all the other games were rained off.
Champions Roffey finished the Sussex season in style with victory over Brighton & Hove by three wickets. Elsewhere, Sam Roberts fell one run short of a century as Bexhill drew with local rivals Hastings & St Leonards Priory.
Tunbridge Wells survived in Kent at the expense of Bromley after beating Blackheath by seven wickets, while Hartley Country Club took the title for the fourth time in five years.
Sutton and East Molesey both won but it was the latter that survived the drop in Surrey – and at the top. Sunbury lifted the title after their first versus second clash with Reigate Priory was abandoned.
Cornwood’s hopes of making up the five-point gap on Plymouth at the bottom of the Devon were washed away as their contest with Torquay was abandoned. They have been relegated alongside Brixham, with Sidmouth crowned champions.
No matches were completed in West of England – Bath were crowned champions and Taunton St Andrews have been relegated along with Taunton.
Abandonments for Pudsey St Lawrence and Hanging Heaton ensured Bradford will go down to the final week, with Pudsey four points ahead prior to hosting Bradford & Bingley.
In East Anglia, Horsford secured a vital win in the battle to avoid relegation, bowling out Sudbury for 114 to move 23 points clear of Woolpit in the drop zone.
Just 15.4 overs were possible in the entire Lincolnshire league, Bracebridge Heath crowned champions with an unassailable 23-point lead.
Rain curtailed action in the North East, but it didn’t prevent Chester Le Street from reaching their first title since 2010 with one round of fixtures remaining.