Cuckney pushed all the way by in-form Hucknall in Premier League victory
Cuckney were pushed all the way in a two-wicket home win over visiting Hucknall in the Nottinghamshire Premier League on Saturday.
Hucknall, who have started the season well, were asked to bat and were bowled out for 154 in 41.2 overs.
Captain Sam Johnson scored 35 and Joel Jordan 32.
After losing opener Tom Rowe with nine on the board, Cuckney settled and were 64-2 when they suddenly lost their next five wickets for just 17 runs.
But they steadied the ship once more and reached a winning 157-8 with just six balls to spare.
Top scorers were Eliot Callis (35), Will Booth (34 not out) and Nick Keast (32).
Evan Jordan claimed 3-25 from 10 overs.
Cuckney are only in third on run rate while Hucknall are behind them in fourth.
“It was a very tight game,” said Cuckney vice captain Tom Ullyott.
“We were very happy to bowl them out for 154 and thought we had done half the job - and done it pretty well.
“But after a good start we lost six wickets in quick succession and at 120-8 it felt like the game was more in Hucknall's hands.
“Good late knocks by Will Booth and Archie Shannon proved crucial in the context of the game and managed to get us over the line with an over to spare.
“It's nice to see the lower order contributing with the bat, even though their job is with the ball. The batters don't let them down very often but they did on Saturday.”
Neighbours Welbeck managed a much-needed three wicket win away at Attenborough but remain in the bottom two.
Choosing to bat, Attenborough were all out for 142 in 38.4 overs.
A poor start saw them reduced to 31-4 from which they struggled to recover.
Matthew Hill hit 39 and Lucas Stentiford 28, the duo putting on 46 for the fifth wicket, but the innings belonged to Welbeck bowler James Hayes with his 6-51 from 9.4 overs.
Welbeck's reply did not start well as they lost two wickets with 14 runs on the board.
But Mat Roberts (58), including nine fours and a six, and 25 each for Jack Atherton and Josh Sanderson helped them to 143-7 in 27 overs.
Atherton and Roberts made 53 for the fourth wicket and Roberts and Sanderson the same for the fifth wicket.
A late scare saw them go from 121-5 to 122-7 but they were able to get over the line.
Head coach Richard Stroh said: “It was good to get only our second win of the season and hopefully we can now get some momentum to drive us forward.
“It was a very lively wicket and Notts' James Hayes had a decent day with six wickets and other lads chipped in. We restricted them to 142, which was great.
“But we made hard work of our reply, knocking it off with seven down, and it was a good job we had made a decent start or it could have been a very interesting finish.”
Welbeck will host Cuckney in a local derby this Saturday.
Cuckney seconds won by six wickets at Clifton Village in Division Two.
The home side lost the toss and were asked to bat and made 138 all out, Zac Phait with 43, Ayman Karim with 33 and Richard Bostock taking 4-21.
Cuckney reached 142-3 in 31 overs, Adam Burgess scoring 45 not out, including six fours, and James Hawley 26.
In the Bassetlaw & District League Championship, bottom club Clumber Park crumbled to a 185-run defeat away at fellow strugglers Retford.
The home side elected to bat and ran up 283-8 with 89 for Zain Galant, Benjamin Tomlinson 60 not out, Oliver Rossington 40 and Nathan Singleton 28 not out.
Galant and Tomlinson shared a fifth wicket stand of 116 and Michael Edwards ended with figures of 3-34.
In reply, Clumber were all out for 98 in 31.3 overs.
Opener Chris Mather (38) could not find a partner to stick around as wickets tumbled.
From 85-4 the visitors saw a collapse that had the last six wickets fall for only 13 runs with Galant completing a fine day with 5-18 from his 7.3 overs.
Clumber host Thoresby Colliery this Saturday.
In Division One, second-placed Worksop beat visiting Grassmoor Works by 94 runs.
Put into bat, Worksop made 207-8 with tail-ender Saeed Ahmed's 64 not out crucial.
Subhan Khan had earlier hit 29, but Ahmed combined for two 44-run stands with first Oliver Titterington and then Kirkham for the last two wickets to set a bigger target.
It proved a target too big for Grassmoor who were all out for 113.
Ian Bradley hit 30 not out and Thomas Booth 27 while Ashley Langdale claimed 4-13.
This Saturday Worksop are away at fourth-placed Killamarsh Juniors.