RAIN SCUPPERS NELSON'S VICTORY CRUISE

Heavy showers failed to dampen the enthusiasm of Rolleston and promotion chasing Swarkestone in their Derbyshire County Division One fixture played at the Willows last Saturday. The rain delayed start initially reduced the match to one of a re-scheduled seventy four overs, with the visitors invited to bat following skipper Jamie Guthrie’s incorrect call of the coin.

The hosts made an excellent start when, in the fourth over, Guthrie received an unplayable out-swinger from Andy Cooper which he edged to the safe grasp of Paul Allen at second slip. Young Tom Hamilton joined left-hander Luke Thomas who quickly took his seasonal league runs tally passed nine hundred, the pair easing the score to 49 before torrential rainfall halted proceedings after only thirteen overs.

With dark clouds above and little promise of a resumption in play, an early tea was taken before players from both sides joined forces to remove the covers, and mopped up wet patches on the periphery of the square. Their efforts were rewarded when, at 4.30pm, the umpires informed both captains that the match had become a ‘time game’ and play was to continue.

Thomas (52) continued to bat superbly but his partner Hamilton (57) was first to reach fifty after just seventy five balls which included six boundaries. Two overs later, the opener passed the same milestone off seventy deliveries, leaving the visitors well set on 132 for 1 after twenty seven overs.

But the balance was to shift alarmingly in the next over when Luke Nelson (5 for 32) claimed two victims, and a third fell to a familiar run out by Tom Rutter. Thomas played a rare rash shot across the line and lost his stumps, and Jonny Owen sensibly refused a second run as Rutter retrieved from deep backward point, the ball whistling into keeper Matt Ford’s gloves to leave Hamilton in no-man’s land. Hard-hitting Gary Smith blocked one ball from the off-spinner before attempting to launch him out of the ground. He failed and his wickets fell behind him.

Owen suffered a similar fate in the next over when Alex Britton’s pace proved too much, and Rolleston’s skipper secured Nelson another wicket when he dived forward to catch Chris Fulton at cover. The spinner’s next over enticed both Harry White and Anthony Giles out of the crease, enabling Ford to claim two lightening fast stumpings to round off an incredible three over spell from Nelson in which he conceded just six runs whilst removing five batsmen.

Swarkestone had slumped to 145 for 8, but soon earned a bonus point by passing 150 prior to returning shell-shocked to the pavilion as the heavens opened yet again. Rejecting the opportunity to score a further twenty two runs from their last three overs in order to gain an extra bonus point, Guthrie declared on 153 for 8, allowing an hour and a quarter to claim as many Rolleston wickets as possible.

Just three overs were completed before 7pm and the final hour of play in which a minimum of seventeen overs had to be bowled. The time and over constraints seemed to offer Rolleston little chance of gaining many bonus points but a wayward over from Giles and some lusty blows by Allen (32) off Derbyshire Academy’s Harry White saw the score rocket to 47 off six overs. The in-form Allen included a six and four fours in his twenty six ball innings which ended when he missed a straight one from Fulton that sent him packing. Ford added six quick runs but danced down the track to the experienced Bruce Dilks (2 for 37) and found himself on the wrong end of an Eric Lummis leg before decision.

Rutter (18) immediately showed his intent by driving his first delivery to the cover boundary and, whilst he remained, a bonus batting point looked a distinct possibility, with some home supporters even daring to dream of victory. It was not to be as the batsman took one liberty too many and Dilks sent his stumps tumbling after just twelve balls.

Britton joined opener Gareth Marshall (25 no) and the match fizzled out to what is technically termed a ‘no result’. Rolleston closed on 94 for 3 after twenty overs and earned ten points whilst their high-flying opponents were reasonably satisfied with their nine point haul on a day that could so easily have been completely lost to the elements.