At the halfway stage of the season, a gap is starting to open up between the runners, and the riders, in the Owzat-Cricket Nottinghamshire Premier League, with that of Cavaliers & Carrington CC leading the way, just, from defending champions Kimberley Institute CC, eight behind, but having played a game more.

The leaders’ march, it sees them having won ten from their eleven outings to date, continued at the weekend when they saw off the challenge of their fifth-bottom visitors, Clifton Village CC, by seven wickets.

Clifton, batting first, posted 212/5 in forty-five overs with opening batsman, Ross Carnelley hitting 74, alongside five of his teammates reaching double figures at the crease, Kiel Van Vollenhoven with a 33 n/o, however, the title hopefuls made short work of their target, easily making 219/3 in a 31.2 overs response (revised target of 219 in 43).

Cavs’ opening pair of Usman Arshad and Sunny Patel both put on good knocks, the former hitting 105 prior to being ct&b by Don Butchart, and the latter a solid 62 (from 62), again, Butchart with the wicket, he posting 2-49.

Kimberley meanwhile, they saw off hosts Gedling & Sherwood CC by three wickets, bowling their hosts for 209, Oli Soames hitting 85 but were stung on the attack of James Hindson, he posting 4-42, replying, Kimberley made 210/7 thanks to Patrick Delahunty 53, and Tom Rowe 41, Hamzah Ikram taking 3-45.

Cuckney CC have fallen away of late, and are currently ten adrift of the leaders, edging past hosts Plumtree CC by just 69 runs, posting 290/9 in their innings, Andrew Hazeldine smashing 81 (from 66) and Joseph Hayes 66, Connor Limrick trying to quell the attack with bowling figures of 3-37; Plumtree though would find themselves all out for 221 in reply, despite 81 from Kyle Simmonds, and 45 for Zak Bess, a five-wicket haul from Nicholas Keast, 5-44, doing damage.

On the coattails of the front-runners, fourth place Papplewick & Linby CC are twelve off top spot, and picked up a 116 runs success at Notts & Arnold CC, the win also opened the gap on fifth to twenty points.

Papplewick registered 276/7 in their innings with mid-order Curtis Mitchell knocking out 113 before being bowled by Yash Shamra, and Harry Ratcliffe added 77 n/o, before skittling their hosts for 156, in thirty-five overs, Johan Cronje 76 n/o, and Dilhan Cooray 43, in vain, as Ben Bhabra took 4-19 and Dillon Singh 3-38.

Wollaton CC won by twenty runs away to Hucknall CC as both Tarik Stanikzai (55 n/o) and Sam Humphries (51) hit half centuries, and there was also a pair of 49s, they coming via openers Hassan Azad and Nicky Kirkwood when posting 257/9, George Blatherwick taking 5-31; replying, Hucknall’s top-scorers would be Sam Johnson 52, Ammer Kotze 45, and Blatherwick 44, prior to being bowled out for 237.

The reaming Premier Division contest saw Attenborough CC defeat hosts Radcliffe-on-Trent by 55 runs, posting 185/9 and six of their batting order making double figures, Radcliffe’s reply falling short when being bowled out for just 130.

In Division Two, Cavs’ 2nds moved four clear of West Bridgfordians CC after the former won by eight wickets away to Mansfield Hosiery Mills, and the latter lost by twelve runs away to Welbeck CC.

Cavs’ bowled their hosts for 215, albeit Stephen Gooding 93 and Mark Smallwood 77, making their mark, but were the only two to reach double figures, replying, the leaders only lost two wickets as Harrison Tagg posted an unbeaten 109 n/o (from 109) and Ibraheem Khalil 51, to see them home.

West Bridgfordians however suffered a narrow loss at Welbeck, the hosts posting 227 all out as Richard Stroh made 79 before going lbw to Travis Holland, with Taylor Wright and Josh Sanderson both passing thirty, Holland making 5-39 with the ball; West meanwhile found themselves dismissed for 215 in response as Holland hit a half century himself.

In the other games, Balderton CC won by five wickets at home to Thoresby Colliery CC, Caythorpe CC won by six wickets at home to Collingham & District CC, and Clipstone CC picked up a 100 run success away to Cuckney 2nds.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @NottsPrem action from the weekend’s Notts Premier League.