LULLINGTON Park just fell short of pulling off another remarkable victory at Longmoor Lane on Saturday as rising Sandiacre star Dan Wheeldon, fresh from four days in Kent with Yorkshire’s 2nd XI, saw his team home with 42 not out at a run a ball.
Richard Green lost his third toss in a row and Lullington produced another below par batting display as has been the norm this season.
Only Rudi Hillermann scored more than 20 as wickets fell regularly from the moment that Sam Eaton was bowled by Sandiacre captain James Chapman with the score on seven.
Andy Goodwin again looked in good form before chipping one back to Chapman for 15 and Ben Bridgen, seeking to regain some form grafted for 71 balls before being snapped up at short leg off South African spinner Lloyd Hobson.
He was fifth out at 88 which actually represented an improvement on recent weeks.
Richard Green and Danny Gough set about a recovery but two wickets fell at 115 and another at 120 as they fell for 14 and 12 respectively and Alan Gough bagged a golden duck.
Left arm spinners George Chapman and Paul Dawson showed some batting prowess to nudge the score upwards but 137 was well short of a competitive target, especially given the strength of Sandiacre’s batting line-up.
Park have defended such totals successfully a number of times this season and will never throw in the towel but no-one seriously expected the bowlers to do it this time.
Bowling honours went to Sandiacre’s veteran seamer Kev Newbold, whose 6-44 from a 15-over spell was the third best bowling ever against Lullington Park in the Premier League.
At 19-3, the home supporters were looking very nervous as Graham Dent and Hillermann sent back the top three.
Ally Leak played sensibly but Ryan McFadyen failed to score and John Trueman, struggling with a sore back, made only two in 43 balls before Green took a fine catch standing up to seamer Alan Gough.
This typified Lullington’s magnificent fielding and Hillermann soon took a tremendous catch running back at midon with the ball coming over his shoulder to dismiss Hobson, his teammate in South Africa.
He then came back to clean bowl Leak for a crucial 37.
Danny Gough took an even better leaping catch at square leg to despatch Gareth Goodall and give Alan Gough his 100th wicket for Lullington in the Premier League.
Sam Eaton dived forward to catch Kev Newbold and at 127-9 it was anyone’s game but Wheeldon mixed caution and aggression and Danny Green showed no nerves as Park’s luck ran out.
This defeat drops Lullington to fourth in the table and leaves Sandiacre only four points behind League leaders Ockbrook & Borrowash.
Mid-table Ilkeston Rutland are next week’s visitors to the Park, with the prospect of Derbyshire’s new Anguillan batting star Chesney Hughes in their lineup.