Double weekend glory for Worksop with wins over Mansfield Hosiery Mills and Harthill

Worksop have now won more games in 2023 so far than in the whole of the 2022 season.

It was a welcome relief for captains, Ross Wicks and Nick Mathews after a disappointing week of results the week prior.

At Mansfield, Worksop lost the toss and were asked to field – restricting the hosts to 221 from their 50 overs on a flat, hard, sloping surface in 27 degree heat with one wicket for each of the six bowlers.

An impressive direct hit run-out from the skipper capped off a convincing fielding performance.

With the bat, Worksop were clinical; a third consecutive opening stand of 50-plus between Jake Hogan and Chris Taylor and half-centuries for Taylor (53), Ross Wicks (52 not out) and Sajith Dhambagolla (78 not out) broke the back of the total and sealed a seven wickets win with 16.3 overs remaining.

On Sunday at Harthill Worksop were asked to bat and produced 182-8 in their 20 overs led from the front as ever by Hogan and Taylor with a 40 run stand from the opening overs – both batters striking comfortably above a run a ball and Hogan reaching 66 before being removed.

Dhambagolla provided little respite for Harthill’s bowlers – striking 33 from 18 balls before his innings came to an end.

After a shaky start, Worksop recovered in the field with 3-21 from four overs for Ben Swales and 2-22 from four overs for Saeed Ahmed – supported by tight overs from Arron Armitage – and limited Harthill to just 156-7 – sealing a 26 run victory and securing their place in the next round.

At Anston’s Greenlands Park in Division Six, Worksop's thirds set a mammoth total of 267-9 aided by a 124 from 93 balls by 17-year-old Oliver Mathews.

Eight other double figure scores by the side made up the remaining 143 and Anston’s fourth XI were out of the game.

In reply, the hosts managed to assemble 184-7 to secure themselves eight points from the match.

Three wickets for Amit Bhandaal, and two for Dylan Mendis broke through Anston’s top order and put an already huge total further out of reach.

Worksop Cricket Academy’s U15 players continue to perform well at the senior level, contributing with bat, ball and in the field to continue Worksop’s great run of form.

Sunday also brought the return of Kwik Cricket with Worksop’s Wanderer and Wizard teams representing at U10 level with the soft ball and producing spirited performances against experienced opposition – many of the Worksop players playing competitively for the first time.

The Kwiks are back in action this Sunday at Central Avenue.

This weekend – with a similarly excellent weather outlook, Worksop host Anston at Central Avenue in a second v fifth clash in the championship.

The second XI travel to Waleswood and the third XI host Killamarsh at Costhorpe.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​