Nutbrook (seven points) 235-7 lost to Matlock (22 points) 238-4 by six wickets

NUTBROOK, sitting snugly between West Hallam and Ilkeston, has over the few years that Matlock have been up with the big boys in DCCL1 never been a happy hunting ground.

Indeed, the best that Matlock have achieved against them was a tied cup match, and even that Matlock lost for having more wickets down.

If you fastened a fox in a chicken coop there was more chance of a turn up than of Matlock winning at Nutbrook.

Now Nutbrook may have had an indifferent start to the season, but they never lack belief and attitude, and that has often been enough to defeat Matlock, so with a few regulars missing for various reasons ( some better than others, it has to be said) Matlock asked Nutbrook to bat first.

Openers Chambers and Pengelly, who appears to have had more name changes than Elizabeth Taylor has had husbands, took on the bowling from the start, with Pengelly especially severe on anything pitched up to him.

It is true that he hit the ball well, but whether that was down to bowling that was a little naive towards the length which was bowled to him, or whether it was down to Captain Pell not being quite as adept as usual in defensive field placings does depend upon who you ask.

With runs leaking all over, Martin Leatherday was called into action, and together with Luke Pressland began to bring a little order to proceedings and keep the game just within reach of the visitors.

With a mixture of good length, deceptions of pace and a little movement both bowled well above expectations, supporting Mandla Mashimbyi in restricting Nutbrook to 235-9.

In reply, Mark Burton soon bit the dust, and when Leatherday had an attack of the heebie jeebies and had to retire "hurt" soon afterwards things didn’t look great.

Even less so when Mashimbyi’s unenthusiatic response to Josh Mierkalns’ call for a single resulted in the run out of Mierkalns, and when Pressland joined the ranks of the departed soon afterwards Matlock were struggling big time – not only losing too many early wickets, but already after twenty overs, some 80 runs behind.

What happened in the final 30 overs almost defied belief.

Dead, buried and pushing up daisies in terms of possible victory, Mashimbyi and Pell began to cautiously build the score.

With every single, with every boundary came firstly relief and then belief as from a fence back in the Grand National, with Nutbrook approaching ‘The Elbow’, Matlock somehow somehow stole up on the blindside to win by a short head.

With dusk approaching and streetlights glowing Matlock had won a game that had been dominated by Nutbrook until the final hour.

Mashimbyi’s hundred stands out of course, but Pell has never batted better.



Maazi man-of-the-match: Shared equally between Mandla Mashimbyi and Steve Pell, but a "highly commended" too to Martin Leatherday.