DUNSTALL suffered a major blow to their Derbyshire Premier League survival hopes on Saturday as Matlock Town picked up a crucial five-wicket victory over their fellow strugglers up in north Derbyshire.
Having been inserted on a green and damp wicket with plenty to keep the pacemen interested early on, the visitors did brilliantly to post 232-5 in their 50 overs, James Benstead’s first century of the season and Aussie import Jeremy Polich (52 from 24 balls) contributing 89 runs in the final seven overs of the innings.
However, the hosts who included former Dunstall and England star Derek Randall in their side then got off to a flier, racing to 50 in the first 10 overs as the seamers struggled to exert any control.
Martin Clewley’s men stuck to their task, though, showing determination and fight to slow the opposition’s progress as the gloom descended.
Ultimately, though, it was not enough as, on a drier and flatter track than the one on which the game began, Matlock reached their victory target with 11 balls to spare, skipper Mark Doyle (55) making the most telling of some useful contributions.
After opting to take to the field, the hosts’ opening attack of Peter Camm and Adam Burton were exemplary, hitting good areas and letting the conditions do the rest.
Camm picked up an early reward, Tom Mandleberg who got off the mark with a six over mid-wicket pushing too hard at a length ball which found its way through the gate.
Two rain breaks followed to make batting conditions even more tricky, Benstead who survived a huge caught behind appeal when he was on just six and Eyden finding it slow going in the first 20 overs, when just 39 runs were scored.
Eyden finally went in the 23rd, Matlock skipper Doyle finding a gap in his defences, with a little help from a pad on the way through.
Scott Chilman and Benstead tried to push things on after the halfway point, but the former had to go when off-spinner Nick Rosling got one to go straight on and take the outside edge of the bat.
John Jennings showed good attacking intent, hitting the shot of the day an on drive down the ground off the returning Burton in a bright and breezy cameo, but perished to a stunning diving catch by Camm at extra cover, Rosling again the bowler.
Benstead and Craig Jennings picked up the pace, both enjoying a bit of luck before the latter’s ran out, skying a top edge off Camm down to Kevin Leatherday at third man.
The score was 139 in the 43rd when Polich arrived at the crease, the Perth all-rounder immediately finding his timing to despatch Rosling for a series of boundaries.
Benstead got in on the act, taking a particular liking to Aussie Doyle, hitting him for consecutive boundaries and then a single to reach a hard-earned ton.
It was left to Polich to take apart Rosling in the final over, six boundaries coming from it as the visitors went from 204 to 232.
Leatherday and Caleb Mierkalns wasted
no time in going on the attack in what was a must-win game for Matlock, both playing and missing with some regularity as the runs came quickly.
The latter was caught at slip by Eyden off Polich in only the second over, only for umpire Dave Connor to call no ball.
Dunstall got the tonic they desperately needed with the score on 59, Mierkalns square-cutting Steve Scrimshaw hard but straight into the hands of Benstead at point.
Leatherday and Randall were more circumspect, picking up their singles as the scoring rate slowed. It was 93-2 just before the 25-over drinks break, Polich returning to find a thin edge, before he accounted for Randall with a tricky bouncer.
Though Matthew Cluer came and went, Doyle played nicely, thumping several stylish boundaries in reaching a half century.
He eventually fell to Craig Jennings, Mandleberg snaring a terrific catch in the gloom at backward point above his head from a well-hit square cut.
Camm (27no) and Rosling (23no), though, were not to be denied, both playing sensibly and securing 22 points with a 40-run partnership at the death.
Dunstall are now 18 points from safety but, with two weekends and three fixtures to go, still have a game in hand on both Matlock and Alfreton Town, so it is all to play for.
