​Lethal La Brooy helps Chesterfield to victory

Australian fast bowler James La Brooy took 6-16 as hosts Morton Colliery were crushed by eight wickets in the Division One clash.

Rain threatened to ruin the game but Chesterfield's ultra-smart performance in the field meant they were able to make up for lost time.

Put in, Morton reached 26 in the seventh over before Luke Westwell dived to his right to take a stunning catch in the gully to dismiss Alex Eyre off the bowling of Ahmad Zazai.

The left-arm opening bowler struck again when lightning-fast glovework by Ben Lodge stumped Matt Haw.

La Brooy was introduced for the 17th over and his third delivery crashed into Ash Caunt's off-stump. Later in the same over Paul Holmes was caught in the covers for 39 but his dismissal was followed by a three-hour rain break with Morton 55-4. On the resumption the match was reduced to 32 overs a side but the rest of the Morton innings was swept away in 40 minutes.

La Brooy, bowling at a pace that can be uncomfortable for club batsmen, claimed four more wickets from 25 balls.

His 6-16 was the most economical six-wicket haul by a Chesterfield bowler since they joined the League in 1999.

Captain Harry Wilmott took one wicket with his off-spin and, running to his left from mid-off, threw down the stumps at the bowler's end to run out Keiron Marsh.

Morton were all out for 87 and, because they had not used five of their overs, Chesterfield were given a rounded-down target of 84 off their 32 overs.

With clouds building again, Westwell and Muhammad Zaroob raced to 25-0 off only 17 balls before the rain set in. This was only a brief hold-up and, with four overs lost, Chesterfield had a new target of 77.

Westwell went for 10 but Zaroob made 38 off 31 deliveries before he was out with only five needed. Wilmott (19 not out) made the winning hit in the 12th over with the 22 points lifting his side to joint second on 50 points, four behind leaders Belper Meadows.

*Chesterfield's Sunday XI lost by five wickets at Hucknall in the Mansfield & District League.

Opener Alistair Dixon hit 101 not out in Chesterfield's 199-8 but the hosts reached their target with three balls to spare.