CHAMPIONSHIP
Bridon 152
Cutthorpe 120

AT Bridon the first team batted first on a dry wicket and with the warm conditions, the feeling was that runs would be plentiful throughout the game.

However, both Rob McLeod and Roger Wells fell to the swing bowling of Andy Knowles with just 25 runs on the board.

Wayne Spooner and Tim Muir began to rebuild the innings until both fell within the space of nine runs.

Muir again looked very comfortable, stroking six fours in his 25 before he was bowled by the impressive left-arm swing of Chris Pemberton.

The same bowler also had Spooner caught for a fighting 20 but wickets now began to fall regularly.

Will Lee and Stuart Parkin halted Pemberton's destruction of the middle order by putting on 31 invaluable runs for the sixth wicket, until the former fell for a solid 23.

Parkin remained firm as Pemberton blew away the lower order. The right hander buckled down to finish unbeaten with a vital 38, which included five fours.

Pemberton finished his 11-over spell with the impressive figures of 7 for 39 whilst Knowles grabbed the remaining three wickets.

The Cutthorpe reply began in solid fashion with R. Plested and Nigel Kingham putting on 28 before the former fell to a marvellous one-handed catch by Lee at mid off, from the bowling of Matt Makings.

The talented Matt Cluer joined Kingham and the pair took the total to 47 before the latter fell to a Simon Fenwick catch off Colin Hurst.

From this point the innings faltered with the introduction of Wayne Spooner into the attack.

With Hurst bowling Cluer, leaving the score at 73 for 5, the remaining batsmen struggled.

Spooner hit the stumps five times in a fine spell which was only spoilt by a number of leg-side wides.

Simon Davison chipped in with the important wicket of Pemberton via a Nigel Turner catch and the innings closed on 120.

Spooner finished with 5 for 14 off 94 whilst Hurst in particular gave him excellent support.

Retford 165 for 9
Farnsfield 167 for 3

RETFORD lost for the third game in succession on Saturday, at home to early pace-setters Farnsfield, who top the Championship after four games.

Pascal Broadley top scored for the hosts with 45 with Lewis Saxby (3-49) and Michael Bell (3-14) the pick of the Farnsfield bowlers.
Damion Crowley's 61 and Paul Franks' 55 not out were influential in giving Farnsfield the victory.

DIVISION TWO

Bridon II 259 for 9
Worksop II 120 for 5

THE Bridon second team visited Worksop at Central Avenue last Saturday and were greeted by very small boundaries.

After being asked to bat first the Bridon side began with Ashley Corrie and Marc Brewer giving a solid start of 47. Brewer was playing his first game of the season but after a watchful start, began to find his timing and played some fine shots.

The partnership realised 47 runs before Corrie was bowled by the swing bowling of David Wheat for 18.

Stuart Goodall and Brewer then settled into a fine stand to put their side in a solid position. The pair put on 62 before Brewer fell to the youngester J. McVill for a fine 64, including eight fours and two sixes.
Alistair Skinner shook off his sudden illness to blast 16 before he was caught behind by John Morris off the very promising left arm spin of Richard Snowden.

With James Crookes falling cheaply, James Tomlinson joined Goodall and the pair hammered their side over the 200 mark.

Goodall became Snowden's third victim when he was caught for a fine 59 which was highlighted by two sixes and six fours, leaving the total on 202 for 5 wickets, with seven overs remaining.

Tomlinson now took centre stage, hammering some typically blistering shots – four of them sixes and seven of them fours in a top-scoring 74, but he fell to skipper Andy Barthorpe.

The remainder of the batting fell cheaply, attempting to plunder late runs, but the visitors declared after 45 overs with the score on 259 for the loss of nine.

Worksop's reply began in positive fashion with father and son John and Lee Morris putting on 27 runs off just three overs before Crookes produced a beauty, yorking the latter for 19.

Wheat and John Morris then found run scoring difficult as Jeff Saxby and Crookes bowled with great effort on the benign wicket.

Saxby eventually had some luck when he had Wheat caught by Nick Legg and next ball had Craig Spink playing on.

The same bowler got E. Gunn without runs and the home side slumped to 54 for the loss of four wickets.

Barthorpe and Morris dug in for 10 overs to deny any further breakthrough until the latter was trapped leg before to the first ball from Goodall for a solid 21.

With 12 overs remaining the vastly experienced Ray Black joined Barthorpe and the pair were intent on no further loss of wicket.
Despite numerous bowling changes, the Bridon side failed to take any further wickets and the game petered out with the home side finishing on 120 for the loss of five wickets.

Retford II 150 for 8
Farnsfield II 154 for 3

RETFORD IIs lost by seven wickets for Farnsfield's second string at Station Lane on Saturday and lie sixth in Division Two.