No happy return for beaten Clifton
CLIFTON’S hope of a winning return to Division One in the Derbyshire County League ended in a humbling first day defeat.
They were beaten by 109 runs away to Rolleston, bowled out for 116 after their decision to put the home side in to bat first fell flat.
Son and father combination Harry Moore (4-57) and Simon Moore (3-27) proved to be the pick of the bowlers for Clifton but Rolleston were led by a fine century from Richard Green, whose 109 included 10 fours and two sixes.
Good support from Tom Liversage (41) and Usman Muzaffar (33) took Rolleston to 225 and that proved more than enough.
Clifton’s reply never really got out of the blocks, with Graham Dent (3-21) quickly sending openers Aqib Afzaal and Mohsin Ali packing at 3-2.
Only Alex Blake (24) made any notable impression for the visitors after that as Muzaffar (2-16) and Alex Britton (2-18) kept up the pressure and Clifton were bowled out at the end of the 47th over.
Connor Houlihan took a five-for to start the season but still finished on the losing side in Brailsford & Ednaston’s Division Three South match away to Quarndon.
He claimed 5-32 as Brailsford, having lost the toss, sent the home side packing for 123, Ben Walker weighing in with 2-25.
But they could not establish a partnership in reply and Quarndon gradually chipped away until Brailsford were bowled out for 94.
Houlihan was one of only two players to reach 20, with Alex Reid (22) the other.
There was also an unsuccessful run chase for Ashbourne, in Division Five South.
Having put Derby Congs in to bat, Charith De Silva (3-29) and Uthum De Silva (1-35) both had early successes but they could not find a way past opener Anjum Butt, who went on to score 54.
Usman Siddiqi (45) held Ashbourne up down the order and the home side set a target at 208 all out. Sasanka Appuhamilage finished with 2-29.
Ashbourne’s batting fell away after a solid start from Richard Hill (21) and Uthum De Silva (21) and they were in danger of falling well short until Shahbaz Gill raised their hopes from number eight.
He made 45 not out but ran out of partners and his side were dismissed for 172.
In Division Six South, Paul Allen (3-42) and Stuart Apanasewicz (3-34) saw Clifton seconds to victory when they bowled Sandiacre Town out for 188 in pursuit of the home side’s 200-8.
Tom Hilton was the main contributor to that total with 59 and there was a good lateorder knock from Robert Mccurrach (28) as well as 26 from opener Phil Marsh.
Ashbourne seconds came through by four wickets to beat Sawley in Division Nine South/west.
They held the away side to 177-6 after winning the toss, with Vinnie Pegg taking 3-30 and Gavin Ratcliffe 2-28.
The top three paved the way to the win for Ashbourne, with Nick Pearson (38), Shane Wibberley (28) and Colin Terry (23) solid as the target was reached with 4.4 overs to spare.