Following last week’s winning draw at Staveley, Rolleston 1st XI entertained recently promoted Sawley & Long Eaton and sailed to an impressive seven wicket victory, earning 22 welcome league points in the process.
The visitors were invited to set a target on a hot and humid afternoon, and took the opportunity to streak to 27 without loss after six overs before their second-top run scorer Gary Birley (8) edged Zac Fried to Gareth Marshall at first slip. The batsman appeared reluctant to leave the crease until umpires Lummis and Hibberd encouraged his move by confirming that the ball had carried.
Aussie left-hander Sean Roberts (27) soon made an impact and the scoreboard quickly clicked to 69 off 15 overs before the introduction of Luke Nelson and Dave Tee applied the brakes. Roberts, with over 400 league runs so far this season, looked tentative when faced with Nelson’s off-spin and, despite hitting his first ball for four, suffered twelve consecutive dot balls prior to being pinned leg before by the jubilant bowler.
A close season recruit from Elvaston, Andy Rhodes (0) soon returned to the pavilion, a second leg-before victim but this time for Tee. Sawley gave opener Neil Fawcett (58) a rare opportunity to shine in 1st team colours and the left-hander rose to the challenge by anchoring his side’s innings and passing fifty within 82 deliveries. But he chanced a single when his partner Pepper hit to cover, unaware that Alex Britton, one of the sharpest fielders in the league, was about to pounce and flash a return to Ford in the blink of an eye – 104 for 4.
Have-a-go Paul Brunton smashed Nelson to the cow-corner and long-on boundaries to maintain his season strike-rate above 100, but was not ‘third time lucky’ and lost his stumps to give the spinner the compensation of a second victim. At 118 for 5 the visitors still had 16 overs in which to secure a few batting points but managed only one. Tom Pepper (15) found himself ground down by Tee and his ploy of defending with his pad rather than his bat only resulted in another lbw judgement.
The middle and low order batsmen showed little application, Matt Rhodes (6) lashing out at Nelson - Britton collecting a comfortable catch - and skipper Jeff Glover (4) falling leg before to the same bowler. Marius Conway-Jones (9) gritted his teeth and offered some resistance but it was to no avail as Ford stumped Lawton (0) off Nelson and Mark Bellm made a late appearance in the firing line to skittle ‘le miserable’ Marius.
The innings closed on 141 all out after 43.3 overs, with both Nelson (5 for 41) and Tee (2 for 39) propelled into the Division One ‘Top Ten’ wicket-takers list. But heading that list is Conway-Jones who was to open the bowling with Roberts in what the visitors hoped would be a fruitful half-hour’s play prior to the tea break.
Despite the odd instance of playing and missing, both Paul Allen (15) and Mark James (77 no) looked secure until the former chased an off-target delivery from C-J and wicketkeeper Birley held on safely. A maiden from veteran Barry White (no relation) signalled the break to a chorus of ‘Can’t Get Enough of Your Baps Babe’.
After the re-start Marshall (3) looked set for the day, a modest total to chase and no need to rush, but his half-hour ended when White brought one back into the left-hander and cramped him into an edge to Birley. James obviously had an early finish in mind as he launched spinner Matt Rhodes to the boundary on no fewer than seven occasions in three overs, and Tom Rutter joined him in a match winning partnership of 78 runs.
Rolleston’s number four faced five different bowlers in his 48 minutes in the middle and guided a smooth six back over Glover’s head to the sightscreen, the home scorer thrilled to advise umpire Hibberd that the rope had been cleared with millimetres to spare. James had, perhaps surprisingly, outscored Rutter through their third wicket stand, the opener reaching his half-century within 69 minutes and passed following two successive fours off Andy Rhodes.
The partnership was curtailed when the returning C-J lured Rutter into a snick which flew to Lawton at first slip but it was all too late for Sawley, James securing victory with a sweet drive for his fourteenth boundary and a reply of 142 for 3 off 30.2 overs.
