Firsts thwarted by rain but third place secured

Apologies for this report being a week late but I have been awaiting match details. We did not have a scorer and the promised scorecard details have not been made available from our opposition. However, we do now have the match result form so I have been able to put the key details on Play Cricket but not a full scorecard.

Going back a week, I arrived at the ground hidden away off the the Mansfield Road (my first time here) a little after 6pm from the game at iPro at Pride Park. The roads were very wet, evidence of some pretty heavy rain that arrived during the team break and causing the loss of about an hour's play or so. Our Firsts had made a sound looking score after some odd goings on at the start - viz: not being able to get onto the ground until 12 noon; the pitch being prepared just before the start and Cavs initially only having 8 players when they went out into the field. John Wakeling scored another 50 and is without question our steadiest batter but the key to this decent score was Simon George's first and long overdue score of any substance for the Firsts this season with 79 - although he does boast 2 scores over 50 for the Second XI in just 2 knocks. The crucial partnership was with Matt Footitt, who scored a season's best 48, after the middle order failed to register.

Tariq Mahmood had already taken two early victims and was on a probing 11 over spell, always asking questions of the batsmen and swinging the ball into them: a well deserved 3-33. In fact when Chris Bellaby took a sharp return catch Cavs were 4 down for not a whole lot (alas I do not have fall of wicket details, nor boundary counts etc) and a win was a possibility. However, there was a long spell where Kamran Afzaal (68) and the tall Choudary held us at bay. Afzaal was particularly aggressive and pounced on anything with width. The pavilion side had a short boundary and one violent cut off Bellars flew passed Kane Wilson on the boundary and just missed me as I was taking a photo.

The light was good for a while but the sun was setting on this rather nice ground surrounded by houses and time was running out. Indeed it got too dark especially for the fielders to pick up the flight of the ball if it stayed on a low trajectory and I am surprised the umpires stretched it out for so long. We did eventually take 3 more wickets but stumps had to be pulled and the game abandoned.However, with the bonus points 3rd in "A" is guaranteed with one game left - the club's highest league position. Well done to all concerned.

Charlie George