Clifton stay top in wet round

Rain continued to ravage the fixture list in the Nottinghamshire Premier Cricket League with two key matches abandoned, the soggy grounds unfit to start.

The matches between Papplewick and Caythorpe and West Indian Cavaliers and Welbeck were both scratched while the start was delayed at Clifton Village and the match reduced to 45 overs a side.

Visitors Kimberley won the toss and asked the home side to bat first. Clifton made 187 for seven with Liam Andrews and Richard Harris both scoring 38 in a third wicket stand of 84. Nigel Porter took 3-46 for the visitors who then made 143 for nine in 45 overs for a losing draw which maintained the top spot for Clifton.

Carl Blake hit 42 and Jon Shaw made 38. Clifton’s Liam Andrews took 3-41 and Peter Scott 3-29.

Plumtree’s fortunes did not improve at home to Cuckney where the visitors won the toss and asked Plumtree to bat, a delayed start reducing the overs to 40 per side.

Plumtree were dismissed for 80 in 26 overs thanks to Cuckney’s skipper Will Butler who took 4-34 and Dan Brown 3-21. The visitors then hit 81 off 29 overs for the loss of just three wickets, Adam Burgess finishing unbeaten on 37.

Plumtree’s Jurgen Charlesworth took all three wickets for 23 runs but it was small consolation for the home side who stay rooted to the bottom of the table.

At Farnsfield the match started on time and visitors Wollaton were asked to bat first and then bowled out for 141 in 47 overs with Tim Young scoring 39.

Farnsfield’s Neil Sharp took 6-42 off 15 overs backed up by David Loveridge’s 3-13 off seven overs.

The home side replied and lost just three wickets in making the required 142 in 37 overs, Dave Willcock making 55 in a first wicket stand of 85 with James Bennett (35) to secure a useful win.

Fellow strugglers Attenborough were away to Mansfield Hosiery Mills where the game also started on time. The home side won the toss, batted first and made 212 for sixoff their 50 overs, Sudesh Fernando making a half century and sharing a stand of 98 for the second wicket with Matt New (33).

Skipper Keshera Jayasinghe scored 39 and Hassan Adnan 38. Best bowling figures for Attenborough came from Tom Murray (2-69) who also top scored with 49 in their reply but they could not match the required total and finished on 184 for five in 50 overs, keeper Shaun Fitzgibbon also scoring 36. Jayasinghe returned the best bowling figures with 2-18 as Hosiery Mills secured a winning draw