The hosts had posted 187, with Doug Howie thwacking 13 fours and four sixes on his way to 95, while David Hadfield picked up 4-49.

Hadfield then hit an unbeaten 42 to support Mick Clark’s 64 not out as Stanton batted solidly to victory, none of their five playing batsmen scoring less than 20.

Ashford, however, will be hoping for their fortunes to change – and quickly.

They suffered their third straight defeat against Hundall, who were 92-5 before a sixth wicket partnership of 90 between Martin Dawson (38) and Neil Vaughan (55 not out).

Skipper Julian Henson’s 23 was the best Ashford could offer as they collapsed to 60 all out and a 131-run defeat.

In Division Two, Hathersage posted 191-5 against Chesterfield Barbarians, with Joe Ovenden top-scoring on 55.

Another of the Hathersage Joes – Woolway – took 4-29 as even Julian Wall’s 94 couldn’t get Barbarians any closer than 148 all out to give the Peak District side a 43-run win.

Grindleford were out for just 110 in pursuit of Ridgeway’s 232-4. Tom Skelton scored 39 for Grindleford.

Dan Greengrass’s 7-36 deserved better than the 54-run defeat he and his Youlgrave Lodge team mates suffered at the hands of Stocksbridge.

Baslow bounced back from their hammering by Bakewell to beat Millhouses seconds by one wicket, thanks mainly to Jim Ferguson, who scored 68 not out after having taken 4-29 with the ball.

It’s early days, but Bakewell’s Mission Promotion From Division Three is on course and they savoured a ten-wicket demolition of Sheffield Collegiate. Tom Hickley took 5-15 for Bakewell, while openers James Wallace (46 not out) and Jeremy Done (41 not out) eased them past the target of 103.

In Division Four, Hathersage seconds racked up 162-8, boosted by an unbeaten 38 from Eugene Henderson, and secured an incomplete win – or a winning draw as the rest of the world calls it – by restricting Whittington Wanderers firsts to 137-7, Andrew Morton taking 3-32 for Hathersage.

Simon Davies hit 59 in Division Five Ashford seconds’ total of 145 all out, but Chesterfield Barbarians’ Alan Slack bettered that with 71 to help his side to a four-wicket win.

Joe Rooke knocked 66 for Baslow seconds in their 184-8. Paul Henstock then took 3-27 and the frighteningly similar-sounding Matthew Cork and Matthew Kirk picked up two wickets each to bowl out Weston Park Hospital seconds for 171. Finally, Youlgrave Lodge seconds’ Nick Smith may have already scored the lowest high score in one innings for the season. His eight runs were the highlight of Lodge’s 49 all out as they lost by 99 runs to Dronfield Sports Contact seconds, who lost four wickets to the bowling of Ron Endersby.