Keeping it in family in Clifton thirds win
FIVE members of the same family made up half the team for Clifton thirds as they maintained their promtion challenge with victory in Derbyshire County League Division Nine South West on Sunday.
After winning the toss away to Tutbury thirds, captain Steve Walwyn took to the field with his sons Kian and Declan, nephew Billy Higton and brother-in-law Dean Higton among those behind him.
But proud as he was of that, Steve Walwyn is prouder still of the progress being made by what started out as a development side for the club four seasons ago.
Initially, they only played friendlies before joining the league at its bottom tier.
“The five-year plan was to develop this team and we are now in the fourth season, so fingers crossed,” said Walwyn.
The team are 14 points behind leaders Dunstall thirds with five games to play.
“We have a huge game away to third-placed Rolleston on Saturday,” added Walwyn.
Tutbury made 150-6 from their 40 overs, with Billy Higton and Steve Walwyn taking two wickets each, while Declan Walwyn bowled a key spell in the middle of the innings, his five overs going for only 13 runs at a time when Tutbury needed to accelerate.
When Clifton batted, they lost Michael Gerrard for one but Charlie Robsom, with 56 from 67 balls, and Charlie Mansfield, with 48 from 53 balls, forged a second-wicket partnership of 96.
When Mansfield was out, Robson and Dean Higton added 38 more, then Higton and Kian Walwyn saw the team home by seven wickets, Higton finishing on 22 not out.
CLIFTON are right back in the relegation battle in Derbyshire County League Division One after their sixth straight defeat.
And Saturday’s thrashing by Morton Colliery was arguably the most worrying of the lot, as they were shot out for only 58 in 30 overs.
It was the smallest of consolations that Morton lost four wickets in passing their target, which they did in fewer than 10 overs.
After Morton won the toss and put Clifton in, Mohsin Ali was out for nought with only one run on the board and Usman Afzaal followed him back for one.
Only Harry Moore, top-scoring with 17, and Josh Hewitt, with 10, reached double figures and the last three wickets all went with the score stuck on 58, Tom Coxhead taking 6-21 from 11 overs for Morton.
The home side were in no mood to hang around and though Adam Leigh removed both openers, taking 2-25, and Harry Moore took 2-17 in three overs, Bilal Hussain’s two overs cost him 18 and Clifton’s six-wicket defeat was sealed after 9.3 overs.
Clifton seconds did not play, opponents Mickleover seconds having isolation issues over Covid.
ASHBOURNE’S first team also went down to a big defeat, their fifth in six matches, in Division Five South.
Their batting let them down after being put in at home to Stanton by Dale.
Opener Marcus Bateman stuck around for 33 from 67 balls but wickets fell around him and he was fourth man out with the score on 65.
Muhammad Jawwad Haque made 23 in the middle order and debutant Fernando Sampath added a late flourish with 22 from 17 balls but Ashbourne were bowled out for 127 in 41.2 overs.
The early wicket of Stanton stalwart Sid Sharma, for one, bowled by Charith De Silva, gave Ashbourne a little hope and they rued a not out decision for number three batsman Adam Gilbert when they thought they had him caught behind but, generally, Stanton could afford to take their time.
Gilbert made 38 and a stand of 53 with Raj Mohankumar for the third wicket took the home side a long way towards their target.
Mohankumar was out for 43 from 45 balls with the score on 106 but there was no further success for Ashbourne as Stanton won by six wickets in the 32nd over.
Ashbourne’s seconds faired better, taking the points 15-11 in a winning draw away to Kirk Langley seconds in Division Nine South West.
Captain Andrew Hill chose to bat and saw former first team captain Liam Duffy hit 90 and Nick Pearson 57 not out as they made 216-4 declared from 38 overs, Ambalavanan Sivagurunathan adding 21.
In many Division Nine level games that would have been plenty and the declaration was intended to give Ashbourne a couple more overs to try to bowl Kirk Langley out but, despite losing an early wicket, the home side put up a spirited chase.
They put on 92 for the second wicket then, after two quick wickets, added 96 more for the fourth wicket, Andrew Croft making 67 before Paul Duke trapped him lbw and Daayaal Fraz falling for 49.
Robert Foster was still there on 30 not out when the innings closed on 205-4.
Duffy, Ewan Busfield and Shane Wibberley also took a wicket each.
BRAILSFORD were beaten at home by Melbourne Town in Division Three despite a decent batting performance.
They were put in and Adam Randall made 56 and Matt Dowling a sparking 57 from 49 balls, including five fours and four sixes.
With Dan Bould making 34 and Stewart Edge chipping in 24, they reached 226-7 in their 45 overs.
For a good deal of Melbourne’s innings, Brailsford looked set fair for victory, as, despite 50 from opener Tom Shearsby, wickets fell steadily and at 157-6, Brailsford were favourites.
Two more wickets fell at 176 but then Melbourne’s Matt Briers won the game for his side with a savage assault, hitting seven sixes in 61 not out from only 29 balls.
Ben Walker took 3-46 for Brailsford.
Brailsford seconds were bowled out for 200 in pursuit of Quarndon thirds’ 289-6 in Division Six South, despite a defiant 50 from last man Steve Bembridge and 58 from Taj Shazad.