TUTBURY sank at home to Nutbrook on Saturday after an amazing collapse saw them lose their last six wickets for the addition of just nine runs.
The Mill side and Nutbrook are the two inconsistent sides in Derbyshire County League Division Two, neither of whom are going up or likely to go down this season.
Kevin Flewitt (3-28) struck with his first ball to remove Danny Green and Tutbury from that moment on were playing catchup.
They improved to 60-3 and then Craig Watson (61) and Lee Stanbury (52) combined to the tune of 88 for the fourth wicket.
A competitive total was on the cards but Ben Dawes (3-41) and Mark Witham (3- 47) had other ideas and Tutbury collapsed alarmingly from 179-4 to 188 all out.
It was clearly not enough and an opening stand of 61 between Witham (22) and Ben Eaton (65) set Nutbrook well on their way to a comfortable victory.
Darren Yeomans (2-37) claimed the wickets of Witham and Carl Cruz in quick succession but Nutbrook were not to be denied and good knocks from Adam Lever (28) and Steve Sanderson (24no) sealed the win in the 35th over.
STRUGGLING Lullington Park 2nds lost at home to promotion-chasing Holmewood as they suffered a blow in their relegation battle.
A dreadful start saw Lullington slump to 2-2, with both openers back in the pavilion, leaving new batsmen Tom Chapman (26) and Danny Gough (22) with a repair job on their hands.
They added 43 before Jamie Horton (3- 38) struck once more and both had gone with the score on 59.
Ryan Hetherington (25) and wicketkeeper Steve Rothwell (35) attempted to turn things around but the bowling of Horton and James Taylor (3-32) eventually saw the home side restricted to 166-9 from a reduced allotment of 44 overs.
Holmewood continued their dominance after tea with Taylor (47) and Bradley Walker (82no) adding 92 for the first wicket.
A further 71 was added by Walker and Matt Ryalls (27) and victory was just four runs away when the latter fell to Jake Sharpe.
TRENTSIDE’S clash with leaders Ockbrook & Borrowash 2nds was abandoned due to rain.
The game could have gone either way at the end, with Trentside stranded on 139-6 from 32 overs chasing Ockbrook’s earlier effort of 160 all out.
Ben Liversage (3-32), Karl Hancox (3-41) and Matt Harvey (3-7) all bowled superbly and their combined effort reduced Ockbrook from a healthy 104-2.
Liversage had claimed two early wickets to leave the home side on 22-2 but Chris Ball (61) and Matt Wood (28) recovered the situation with a stand of 82.
After the break, Trentside were soon in trouble against Gareth Young (5-40) and slumped to 44-4 but Tom (42) and Ben Liversage (31no) hit back with a partnership of 79 for the fifth wicket.
Young set up a potentially tight finish by reducing the Trentside reply to 129-6 and there was still all to play for when the match was abandoned.
ALREWAS and Wirksworth & Middleton fought out a reduced overs affair at Daisy Lane and it was visitors who came out on top in a draw.
Wirksworth made a very respectable 197-5 from 36 overs despite the best efforts of Rafe Payne (4-61).
Alrewas lost Ollie Broadway early in their reply and never reached the required rate although neither were they ever in any danger of defeat.
Tom Chapman (45) and Nick Richards (31) safely quelled the threated posed by Steve Lowe (2-32) and James Brierley (2- 27) and Alrewas closed on a distant 134-5.
THE match between relegation-threatened Walton and Brailsford lasted just 50 overs before yet another rain interruption brought a premature end to proceedings.
Walton, after being put in, made a solid start through Andy Wilson (33) and Alex Paget (41) who added 77 for the opening wicket but a mini-collapse, engineered by Duncan Player (4-60), left the home side on 100-3.
Ed Chapman (48) and Jav Oomer (22no) then produced a stand of 66 for the fourth wicket and Walton were able to post 180-6 from their reduced allotment of 38 overs.
Whether it was enough will never be known as Brailsford’s reply was cut short after 12.1 overs by another downpour.
Matt Dowling had hit 20 and Brailsford stood at 31-2.
The result leaves Walton just six points above the relegation places.
