Leaders Papplewick & Linby too strong for Worksop in return clash

Lee Edmondson - battled well with the bat.

“We thought we did pretty well again as a unit in the field on a flat pitch, reducing them from we thought was going to be in the high 200s to the low 200s,” said captain Harry Taylor.

“But unfortunately when we went out to bat we lost a couple of early wickets and it was always going to be tough to come back from that, needing just over five an over.

“There was a good ending to our innings by Lee Edmonson and Aaron Armitage to get us up to a somewhat respectable score in the end.

“Maybe we didn't show enough application at the crease, but there was also some good bowling up top from their opening bowlers.

“It was a blow, but if at the start of the season you'd have said we would win one and lose one against Papplewick we'd have snatched your hand off. We can't look at it too negatively.

"The only down side was how we went about it in the second innings.”

The home side won the toss and after early struggles at 10-2 saw a 122-run partnership between Adam Rostance (61) and Daniel Stokes (47) settle things, Jonathan Anson adding 36 and Ross Wicks taking 4-17 as they made 226-9.

Worksop made an awful start, losing star opener Tim Smith Jnr with only four on the board and losing three more quick wickets on 21, slumping then to 27-5.

Armitage (25) and Edmonson (30) dug in but Worksop were bowled out for 110 in 33.2 overs. Richard Hodgkinson (4-20) and Sam Walker (3-26) took seven of the wickets.

Worksop, in fourth, now host a visit from second-placed Milton this Saturday and Taylor said: “It will be tough but if we can do the same with them as against Papplewick and have one win and one loss against them over a season I'd be a very happy man.”

The top four or five could be promoted, depending on different scenarios, with Milton having a game on hand on the other sides in the top four after not playing last weekend.

Whitwell are third and last weekend crushed second bottom Mansfield CC by a massive 143 runs after bowling them out for just 55. Papplewick play at Mansfield CC on Saturday.