DUNSTALL could have done no more in the final weekend of the season in their bid for a top-half Derbyshire Premier League finish — but in the end a win and an abandonment were not quite enough to propel them into the top six.
In a bizarre game against Quarndon at Deer Park on Saturday — a combination of a slow wicket, excellent bowling and below-par batting meant 17 wickets fell for 104 runs in the afternoon.
The hosts skittled their opponents for just 51, Kashif Raza’s (5-23) luck finally changing as he picked up a deserved fivewicket haul, with Craig Jennings (4-15) also superb.
Then, the Stags found it equally hard going and were four down in quick time, but eventually stumbled to victory in the best part of 30 overs with three wickets to spare, securing 22 points.
On Sunday, Dunstall’s trip to the Grange turned into the Paul Borrington show, the Derbyshire youngster clocking up yet another unbeaten hundred in the hosts’ 288-2, and setting a new record for the most Premier Division runs in a single season.
He was presented with a trophy in recognition of his efforts during the tea interval by league chairman Clive Harris and secretary Alan Crooks.
After the turnaround, as Tom Mandleberg took his guard and Aussie Sam Jubber marked his run-up, the heavens opened, forcing the players to run from the field.
The downpour lasted around 30 minutes and, by the time the skies had cleared, there was standing water all around the square and on the bowlers’ run-ups.
With significant time taken out of the game and the conditions considered unfit by umpires Gary Jarvis and Ian Peberday, captains Martin Clewley and Luke Harvey shook hands to end the 2011 season on a rather damp note.
It all meant that Dunstall ended in eighth spot, just 20 points behind Alvaston & Boulton in fifth, while Ticknall can be more than satisfied with their return to the top level of amateur cricket as they finished fourth, just five behind Spondon in third.
On Saturday, having won the toss and with three former Derbyshire batsmen in their ranks, Quarndon elected to bat with a big total no doubt in mind.
Raza, though, began the tumble of wickets when he had James Ede caught behind.
Thanks to Jennings, two more of the visitors’ main men were soon back in the hutch. First, he swung one back through left-hander Mat Dowman’s defences, trapping him dead in front, and then hit Ben Spendlove on the move first ball, umpire Adam Hitchcock again raising the finger.
Raza again got in on the act when Muhammad Sultan swiped across the line and was lbw without troubling the scorer, and it was the Pakistani quickie who removed dangerman Nathan Dumelow for a 17-ball duck with a beauty that jagged back at him off the seam and removed his middle stump.
Quarndon were really struggling as Dunstall’s new ball pair gave them no respite, impeccable with their line and length.
Jennings struck twice more, there was a smart run out by John Jennings and Raza wrapped things up and completed his first five-wicket haul for Dunstall.
There was little point in taking tea but, after play resumed, the wickets continued to fall.
Sultan swung one back at Tom Mandleberg and knocked back his leg stump, before Matt Benstead was well caught by Sam Van Daesdonk off Dowman at midwicket, having clipped a ball sweetly off his pads.
Sultan did for Andy Malkin with a jaffer, a delivery seaming down the hill and taking the off stump, and James Benstead’s resistance was ended when he shuffled across his stumps to work Dowman into the leg side but was leg-before.
Ben McLeod did not last long and John Jennings finished the day’s top scorer with 11 before falling lbw to Van Daesdonk’s left-arm spin.
There were a few late scares, particularly when Raza was carelessly run out at the non-striker’s end, but Paddy Howley smashed Ede through the covers to secure a hard-earned win.
Sunday’s match at Ticknall had a distinct end-of-season feel, with the home side choosing to bat having won the toss.
Though Raza bowled skipper Luke Harvey early on after he had left one alone, there were few demons on a flat wicket on which Borrington (116no) and Zain Abbas (66) cashed in.
With Craig Jennings and Raza unable to return for second spells due to injury, John Jennings was the unfortunate victim of Jubber, who smashed six sixes in a 25- ball unbeaten 59.
That was the last action of the game, though, and of the season as Ticknall collected 10 points and Dunstall six.
