Rolleston 1st XI celebrated the halfway point of the 2010 cricket season with an emphatic seventy nine run home victory over Stainsby Hall, pocketing 27 points in the process and moving up to fifth position in Derbyshire County Division One.

A four wicket haul for Stainsby’s former England under-19 international Mark Footitt and three for support bowler Carl Cruz were not enough to hinder the home side’s steady march to a very respectable 228 all out, several batsmen making notable contributions.

Winning a fourth consecutive toss of the coin, skipper Alex Britton showed faith in his batting line-up, Paul Allen (8) and Gareth Marshall (59) immediately confronted by left-arm speedster Footitt and South African David Smyth who both opened up with maidens. Allen soon notched a couple of boundaries but Footitt (4 for 55) struck in the same over when he ripped out middle stump with a superb quick delivery.

Mark James (10) fell caught behind to the same bowler, prompting Matt Ford’s arrival at the crease. He and Marshall shared a forty seven run partnership prior to wicket-keeper Mark Greaves claiming his second catch when Ford (21) nicked Cruz into his gloves. Britton and Marshall combined once again and took the score to 140 before Rolleston’s innings suffered a series of setbacks.

Having crashed Rob Wood for three consecutive boundaries, and passing fifty in seventy one minutes, Marshall was adjudged leg before to Cruz, Cobley meeting the same fate two deliveries later. Britton (18) became the third leg before victim in the very next over, left-arm spinner Matthew Smith taking the credit. The same player dismissed Luke Nelson (22) with a return catch but not before he and Ian Wakefield (34 no) had added thirty five valuable runs to the total.

At 175 for 7 fifteen year old Niall Dawkins walked to the middle to make his senior league debut, six days after impressing with an unbeaten 49 in the Breweries Cup. By this time Wakefield’s unfortunate groin strain had necessitated the use of a runner but, despite the obvious handicap, the pair shared an eighth wicket partnership of fifty runs in just five thrilling overs.

Dawkins (25) gave Greaves his third catch when he was out-smarted by Footitt who, by this time had switched to spin bowling, the same action again successful when Cooper gave Smyth a simple catch at cover without scoring. Thomson soon joined the list of lbw victims leaving Wakefield to limp to the pavilion unbeaten, the score on 228.

Stainsby’s response was initially subdued by a miserly spell of swing bowling by Andy Cooper (1 for 25) whose first five overs yielded just two runs. Britton (3 for 37) was firing away at the other end and quickly dismissed Marsh (10) and Daniel Wood (1), caught behind by Ford and trapped leg before respectively.

The visitors’ third wicket stand was by far their most successful as Smyth (39) and Tom Wood (19) grafted for twelve overs and added sixty four runs before Wood gave Ford a stumping opportunity he rarely spurns, Nelson (4 for 45) the grateful beneficiary. The off-spinner struck again by bowling Cruz for a duck and Thomson invited Smyth (7 fours) forward to one, prompting another Ford stumping. Alan Worth fine edged Nelson to Ford and the bowler went on to secure his fourth wicket by holding on to Footitt’s return drive, the reply reduced to 103 for 7.

The safety first approach adopted by Dan Hardwick (16) and Rob Wood (26) frustrated the home attack for more than eleven overs, but when Hardwick fell to another sharp stumping and then Greaves suffered a needless run out, the visitors’ hopes had faded significantly. Captain Wood held on stubbornly but his time was up when retired ex-first team star Dave Bowering fulfilled his substitute fielder duties by pouncing at long off to take a testing catch off the bowling of Britton.

Stainsby Hall still had more than twelve overs available but their efforts ended on 149 all out, one short of earning a further batting point, Rolleston well satisfied with another maximum reward of 27 points.