Porthill lift title again some 67 years later

IT MAY have been his second North Staffs and South Cheshire League title, but Porthill Park skipper Dan Hancock admits Saturday’s success tasted sweetest.

The 30-year-old’s unconventional shot down to fine leg sealed a five-wicket win over secondplaced J G Meakin, but more importantly wrapped up the title in a winner-takes-all ending to the season.

Hancock had already clinched the title back in 2010 with Little Stoke, but insisted that this victory – the club’s first top-flight title since 1949 – was even more significant.

“It probably means more than the Little Stoke win because I'm captain,” he said.“That makes it a bit more special and doing it at home in front of all the members was unbelievable.

“It’s my proudest moment in cricket. It’s hard to describe without going over the top because we’re so close as a team.

“Seeing everyone together at the end, it doesn’t get any better than that as an amateur cricketer.”

Hancock may have stolen the headlines but it was Derbyshire's Ben Cotton who did the damage, helping to restrict Meakin to just 135 all out with 5-33 – with the skipper’s younger brother John also finishing with figures of 3-18.

But with the title on the line, the run chase was far from straightforward as spinner Adnan Rasool (5-68) dismissed both Ryan Hassett and Louis Allison for ducks to see Porthill Park on 0-2.

However, Cotton steadied the ship with the game’s only halfcentury – putting on 72 for the fourth wicket with Simon Wood – leaving Hancock (28no) to provide the winning shot that will go down in the club’s folklore.

“It was bit twitchy and you could sense the nerves in the dressing room before we went out to bat,” added Hancock.“Those two early wickets, in a way, made us focus.

“I managed to fudge the ball down to fine leg. I got an inside edge and just tried to stay as composed as I could, but the emotion just got the better of me at the end.”