Cork ton as Ticknall land their first win of the season
GREG Cork hit a century as Ticknall secured their first Beechwood Mazda Derbyshire County League Premier Division win of the season at the third attempt.
Cork’s unbeaten 116, from 106 balls, with five sixes and seven fours, was by some way the main contribution to as useful 250-6 posted at home to Marehay, who were never in the hunt in reply.
William Hobson and Rahib Ali started steadily with 44 for the first wicket after Elliott Lawley won the toss and chose to bat and when Ali was first to go, for 29, Lawley scored a sprightly 31.
Cork got into his stride and his main partnership was 67 for the sixth wicket with Will Orpin (22).
A total such as 250 always looks potentially chaseable at The Grange but two wickets in two balls for Ben Sexton, sending back the dangerous Dani Birch for 11 and Mathew Bailey for a duck, set Marehay’s reply back and their captain, Rob Peat, followed for five, also to Sexton, to make them 36-3.
Opener Ryan Buckley stuck around to reach 53 and Caleb Jasmat hit 32 from 29 balls but wickets continued to fall as the visitors fell behind the clock.
Sexton’s excellent opening spell brought him 3-22 from seven overs and there were two wickets each for Max Tolley and Mehmoon Tariq before Oliver Tucker polished the innings off with 3-22 from 3.1 overs, Marehay succumbing for 185 in 38.1 overs.
Alrewas are only a point better off than Ticknall, also with one win from three, after going down to a comfortable defeat away to Sandiacre Town.
They were put in and James Burton was an early casualty to evergreen opening bowler Ryan Mcfadyean, who also accounted for Gareth Woolley and then ran out Alex Scully for a duck.
Stephen Cole was caught behind for a duck off Dan Wheeldon and Mcfadyean had a third when Matt Frend went for one to leave Alrewas labouring at 33-5.
It was a marginal recovery when Nick Kwant, battling to 42 from 77 balls, and Ben Foley (19) doubled the score but Foley went at 75 and Kwant at 94-7.
Billy Hodkinson chipped in 22 but with Derbyshire prospect Connor Marshall taking 3-24, the innings was done for 121 in 43 overs.
It was too little for the bowlers to work with and although Sandiacre took their time, James Chapman (63 not out) and Luke Thomas (30) put on 85 for the first wicket to put the result beyond doubt.
William Smedley and Foley picked up a wicket each but Sandiacre were home by eight wickets in the 37th over, leaving Alrewas with only two points from the game.
Dunstall and Rolleston both continued their 100% starts to the season with comfortable wins batting first in Learn UK Ltd Division One.
The local teams are the only ones left unbeaten in the division and have established a 16-point gap at the top.
Dunstall were put in by Cutthorpe at Deer Park and turned in a workmanlike rather than spectacular effort with the bat, being bowled out for 190 with eight balls of their 50 overs left.
In-form captain Callum Brodrick led the way with 69 from 80 balls, including 11 fours, while Ben Whitehouse and Tom Hill both passed 20, but they were held up by Hashen Ramanayake’s 5-32 from 12 overs.
Dunstall included Derbyshire’s George Scrimshaw but he was not able to bowl as he recovers from a side strain.
It did not matter as Jamie Benstead took 4-33, Tom Hill 2-29 and
veteran spinner Martin Clewley needed only seven balls to polish the tail off with two wickets, Cutthorpe being bowled out for 142.
Rolleston’s 203-7 was 71 too many for Wirksworth & Middleton after the visitors put Tom Liversage’s side in.
Although Gareth Marshall battled to a typically hard-earned 46, it was again Daryn Smit who dominated, hitting 95 from 114 balls, adding exactly 100 with Marshall for the third wicket.
Smit was the last man out, from the last ball, as he just missed out on a second successive century.
Two quick wickets for Alex Brown and one for Graham Dent soon had Wirksworth’s reply on the back foot at 6-3 and while captain Michael Jefferiss battled to 36 from 92 balls, Brown, Liversage and Smit finished with three wickets each as they were bowled out for 132.
Lullington Park continue to find life hard in Division Two, going down to a third straight defeat.
Visitors Holmesfield made 211-7 in 45 overs and the Lullington reply slipped away to 138 all out.
At least former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful was able to make his debut for the club, topscoring with 31 and taking two wickets.
Tutbury had a comfortable win away to West Hallam, bowling them out for 74.
Miles Hayhurst took 2-20 from 10 overs, George Morgan 4-10 from four overs and Sam Stuart 2-10 from 3.3 overs.
Morgan hit a swift 38 not out as they completed an eight-wicket win in 17 overs.