Chesterfield snatch title from rivals

There were wild celebrations at Chesterfield on Sunday when an oasis of rainless skies over Ticknall provided the backdrop for a dramatic finale to the Beechwood Motor Group Derbyshire Premier Cricket League 2008.

Chesterfield went into the weekend with an outside chance of taking the title ahead of Ockbrook & Borrowash and Sandiacre who have dominated in 2008.

Two matches were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday but after a wash out on Saturday and 90 minutes delay for rain on Sunday, play finally got underway with a 37 over a side match.

Chesterfield made 161 all out before they learned that both Ockbrook and Sandiacre, who were four points apart at the top of the table, had had their games cancelled due to the weather which meant that Chesterfield just had to beat Ticknall and pocket the maximum 27 points to steal the show.

Ticknall's response was to lie down and roll over and they mustered just 90 runs in the process, with three wickets falling on 68.

Victory handed Chesterfield their first ever championship title and this was in spite of no player taking 50 wickets or making 1,000 runs or even reaching 100 throughout the season.

But they won 10 matches and drew fewer than Ockbrook who finished three points behind (342 points) in second place and Sandiacre who were third (338 points).

By contrast Ticknall's defeat proved the final nail in the relegation coffin with a drop down to Division 1 alongside Elvaston confirmed for 2009.