Bassetlaw Championship: Papplewick weather draw helps Mansfield Hosiery Mills return to Notts Premier after win over relegated Kiveton

NMAC-Welbeck v Mansfield Hosiery Mills
Mill's Tom New — NMAC-Welbeck v Mansfield Hosiery Mills Mill's Tom New

The weather had its say in the Bassetlaw Championship promotion race on Saturday, as Mansfield Hosiery Mills overhauled Papplewick to secure a return to the Notts Premier.

The title race was decided through games played, but one of the hopefuls had to endure a weather affected draw.

Papplewick’s game with Clipstone started, with Papplewick making 211-5 and declaring after 28 overs.

Their tactic was clear - use more overs to bowl at Clipstone in an attempt to get them all out.

The match between Papplewick & Linby V Clipstone was not being played when I left due to waterlogged ground..
I waited around for about 45 minutes whilst they tried to clear rainwater from the Cricket pitch, They were hoping to play a shortened game later, but I had to leave to get to Rugby & Football.

NMAC 11-9-15 Papplewick, Players & Club Members trying to clear rainwater from the Papplewick Cricket pitch ( 1 to 3) — The match between Papplewick & Linby V Clipstone was not being played when I left due to waterlogged ground.. I waited around for about 45 minutes whilst they tried to clear rainwater from the Cricket pitch, They were hoping to play a shortened game later, but I had to leave to get to Rugby & Football. NMAC 11-9-15 Papplewick, Players & Club Members trying to clear rainwater from the Papplewick Cricket pitch ( 1 to 3)

The strategy looked to be working as they had the opposition at 40-4 and later 70-6.

At 94-9 the desired win looked to be likely.

But the final Clipstone wicket eluded Papplewick and Clipstone ended on 98-9 which meant that the result was a weather affected draw with Papplewick taking six points rather than the 10 that would have been available from a winning draw.

Added to the four bonus batting points and four bowling points this meant the result in the Mansfield Hosiery Mills game was vital in securing the outcome for promotion.

The hold Papplewick had on the top spot was no longer unassailable.

Mansfield Hosiery Mills were successful in taking a full 20 points from their fixture with Kiveton Park.

This meant that they finished three points ahead of Papplewick and return to the Premier League after only one season away, joining Hucknall as the two newly promoted teams for the 2016 season.

Tom New made an unbeaten 135 in the home team’s 272-2.

Matt Wright’s 4-14 had a destructive impact on Kiveton Park’s reply with them making 99 before being bowled out.

Kiveton Park finished bottom and will play in Division One next season.

Edwinstowe took 13 points from their weather affected draw home at Forest Corner, hosting Notts and Arnold Amateurs.

Edwinstowe made a strong 228-7 as they battled to retain Championship status.

Adam Dutton contributed a sterling 111.

Notts and Arnold made 147-8 taking 10 points.

Edwinstowe may join Kiveton in the lower division, but Caythorpe II – who are set to leave the league – sit in a promotion spot in Division One. Should they clinch promotion then only Kiveton will be relegated from the Championship.

Retford’s ground and fine facilities were not enough to prevent their fixture with Glapwell from falling foul of the weather with a weather affected draw being declared after the hosts had reached 46 without loss.

Glapwell were left third from bottom.

Thoresby beat North Wheatley by 29 runs at Wheatley, while Anston had a winning draw at Worksop.