2013 thirds season review

7/29/2019 2013 Thirds Season Review

1/6

2013 was a superb season for Duffields 3rd

XI, ending in a first promotion since 2007 and a first ever

league title, as the Thoras swept to victory in Division 9N. The following is a brief(ish) review of the

year, along with a look at the players who made up the championship team. And yes, this has been

stolen from the 1s who have been doing this kind of thing for years!

Season Review

An excellent start

Some new recruits to the club had the Thoras braintrust in an optimistic mood before the season

began, and this seemed justified as new skipper Bingham led his troops to a comprehensive win at

Clowne on the first day of the season. The good early form would continue throughout May and

June, although mostly with ex-skipper Alex Burnham at the helm as Bingham cried off sick after all of

1 game. Maximum points were picked up at Stanton, Mickleover, Ilkeston as well as at home to

Holmewood in a remarkable game where opening bowlers Poyner and Tapping had the opposition

at 9-5 at one point. Only the weather, in two cases, and dogged performances by Codnor and West

Hallam in big winning draws for Duffield could deny the rampant Thoras victories. The formula for

most of the wins was bat first and post a big total, thanks mainly to the runs of Will Clare (2

centuries) and Alex Burnham, then let the bowlers, led by new leg spinner Lewis Reed bowl out the

opposition, and it worked. Duffield were sitting pretty at the top of the table as June came to a close,

with Codnor and West Hallam in hot pursuit. With already a sizable gap between these three and the

other sides, Division 9N was already looking like a three horse race.

A dip in form

Perhaps inevitably, the Thoras form dipped as we headed into July. Runs came in dribs and drabs,rather than in droves, and Reeds excellent performances had seen him been poached by the 2

ndXI

and it was a struggle to replace his wickets. A first loss of the season at home to Clowne was soon

followed by a disappointing defeat at Nutbrook as the Thoras, chasing 220 for a victory, slumped

from 110-1 to 150 all out. Around this game though 54 points had been picked up against league

whipping boys Sawley, so the team continued to pick up points and the league remained very tight

at the top between the three teams already mentioned as well as a hard charging Stanton Elks, who

were having a mid-season surge.

A battling win at rainy Selston kept up the pressure at the top and seemed to bode well for a huge

game at West Hallam as August commenced. Unfortunately the Thoras put up their worstperformance of the season in this fixture, and an 8 wicket loss led to a 24 point swing in the

standings that eroded the hard-earned advantage Duffield had had in the table. Backs against the

walls, the Thoras put up a gritty battling display to see off Stanton Elks at home, chasing down 190 to

win with 2 wickets and 2 overs to spare. Back down to earth we came though as Codnor gave the

team a good hiding in the subsequent fixture. With three games to go Duffield were still top but

maximum points for Codnor and West Hallam from their game in hand would see them drop out of

the promotion places to third.

The final stretch


2/6

A home fixture against Mickleover looked like a banker, although a significant number of regulars

were missing so the game may not have been as straightforward as the reverse fixture. Thankfully

Antill was available and in a remarkable performance took 6-42 including a hat trick to bowl

Mickleover out for 130, then scored 101 in the reply to have the game sown up well before the

drinks break. 27 much needed points and with Codnor and West Hallam playing each other that

week to a draw, Duffield back in the promotion places.

A strange fixture at Holmewood followed. Duffield scored 230-3 and felt confident of a victory;

however a bowling attack led by Poyner and Reed could only take one Holmewood wicket, as the

opposition finished on 180-1. Opposition skipper Ashley explained his reluctance to order his

charges to go for the run chase by stating he had a weakened batting line up, but that it was much

stronger for next week and he would try to do Duffield a favour by defeating West Hallam a

sentiment often echoed throughout 9N. Codnor had beaten Stanton, but West Hallam surprisingly

failed to beat Mickleover, so promotion was still in the 3rds own hands even if the title was not.

Going into the last week of the season, the standings looked like this:

1) Duffield Played: 19 Points: 3492) Codnor Played: 18 Points: 3303) West Hallam Played: 18 Points: 317

A 22 for Duffield and 2 x 27s for West Hallam would lead to a tie, with Hallam winning the tie

breaker, so Duffield would need to go for a 27 point win in their last game at home to mid-table

Ilkeston to guarantee promotion.

Skipper Bingham duly won the toss and batted. A strong batting display by youngsters Luke Clark

and Hugh Kelly, along with pseudo-youngster Alfie Kelly, put 251-5 on the board and allowed a

declaration 3 overs early. Ilkeston looked like they were putting up no resistance as Hugh Kelly and

Simon Tapping ripped through their top and middle order, leaving them in disarray at 31-6 when the

drizzle got heavier and the players were forced from the pitch. Frustration for Duffield as the rain set

in and after some heated discussions and an abortive restart, play finally got underway but many

overs were lost and the game became a timed game that would finish at 7:30pm.

2 wickets fell immediately and the time seemed irrelevant. However the 9th

wicket pair and much

later the 10th

wicket pair really dug in. It wasnt until around 7:27pm with maybe 7 balls to go when

No 11 Hallam edged Kelly to Paish at slip, who somehow held on to set off riotous scenes as

promotion was secured in the most dramatic fashion.

Holmewood had beaten West Hallam just as they said they would, knocking them out of the

promotion race, and when news came through on twitter that Codnor had been held to an 18 point

haul against Selston some quick maths showed the Thoras had a 28 point lead going into Sunday and

the title was theirs! Codnor would go on to crush Mickleover and pick up 27 points on Sunday, so

finishing with 375 points compared to Duffields 376. Ultimately Duffield picking up 8 victories

batting first, compared to Codnors 4, just allowed them to edge out their rivals who were often

content to collect 22 points.


3/6

Player Review

(Please dont be offended if you get teased a little in this review. I really like you honestly! Ive

arbitrarily picked 6 games played as minimum for this section, mainly so I can talk about how

awesome Travis is.)

BATSMEN

Will Clare (16 games; 501 runs @ 38.5, HS 112*; 10-2-42-0)

After cementing his place at the top of the batting order in 2012, the ex-bowler took his game to

new heights in 2013, topping the 500 run mark. One of the highlights of the entire season was Will

going from 87 to 93 to 99 to 105 in three balls at Stanton to bring up a first career ton at Stanton,

and that was soon followed by another at Mickleover. Rarely failed and more often than not

provided the team with a good start. Thoroughly deserves this years batting plate.

Dave Bingham (15 games; 296 runs @ 29.6, HS 69; 3-1-10-1)

The new skipper had a steady campaign with the bat, rarely exciting the scorers but did pass 50 3

times and top scored in the run chase against Stanton. Lost form at the end of the year and ended

up batting 8, thus preparing for a role as Duffields Roy Ling in the near future. Dropped far too many

catches as was too busy thinking about bowling changes and fielding positions but can generally be

satisfied with the season!

Adam Burnham (14 games; 246 runs @ 22.4, HS 59; 2-1-1-0)

A selfless teammate who could find himself keeping and opening one week, batting 7 the next,

Adam got on with whatever his job was and performed very well. Twice passed fifty and was theonly player to perform well in the terrible game at West Hallam with an unbeaten 40. Just missed a

spot in the end of season book, but maybe next year. Personal highlight probably should be the

three stumpings at Selston but is actually no doubt his season economy rate with the ball of 0.5. Still

hasnt hit a 6 for Duffield in 88 innings.

Joe Etherington (9 games; 45 runs @ 9, HS 18*; 1-0-11-0)

Made first-choice wicketkeeper this year, Joe responded with a lot of hard work and turned himself

from a part-timer into a very reliable keeper, so much so he was selected to fill in for Ralph when the

2nd

XI regular went on holiday. A great teammate who always has a chirpy word to say, he led the

team this season with 11 catches. Still prone to one big shot too many with the bat but did hit his

compulsory massive straight six for the season.

Oliver Paish (8 games; 332 runs @ 41.5, HS 70; 4-0-20-0)

After just 2 games in 2 years, the popular veteran was able to appear in 8 3rd

XI fixtures this

campaign and as ever always looked a threat for a big score at this level. His top score of 70 came in

tough conditions at Codnor where the team total was 127 all out. No doubt the most memorable

moment though was the slip catch in the waning moments of the season to secure both promotion

and, ultimately, the title.

Luke Clark (7 games; 180 runs @ 30, HS 72; 5-0-12-1)


4/6

Showed great commitment to the club by skipping GCSE revision in order to play the majority of the

early season fixtures and showed a lot of promise. Then once the pesky exams were over, found

plenty of other things to do on Saturdays until the final game of the year (when school had started!)

and played again, scoring a terrific 72, a career best and taking two catches including a diving effort

at cover. A terrific prospect and one no doubt destined for games at a higher level, this was his best

season at senior level and can hopefully be built on in Division 8 (or 4?) next year.

Alfie Kelly (6 games; 143 runs @ 35.8, HS 59*; 1-0-11-0)

Aging Alfie Kelly has now lost his promising youngster tag and found his body betraying him on

occasions after three years of heavy abuse at York University, something his brother Hugh has to

look forward to no doubt. Still capable of solid play though, as proved by his 49 against Sawley when

Duffield were struggling at 60-4, and again in the final game of the season where his unbeaten 59

alongside Hugh took the game out of Ilkestons reach. Indeed, his average was comfortably a career

high. However, he also loses his tag as ball magnet after a solitary catch.

ALL-ROUNDERS

Luke Turnbull (17 games; 207 runs @ 20.7, Highest score 55; 89.4-18-311-13, Avg 23.9, Best 4-19)

Has the potential to be a dominant all-rounder, but this year tended to be in form with only one

discipline at a time. Batted very well for the first half of the year but suffered a loss of form after

Etherington gave him out second ball at Sawley, an incident that will still be hotly debated at the

2063 Third Team 50th

Anniversary Reunion no doubt. Extremely erratic with the ball, often producing

brilliance surrounded by a glut of bowling extras. If he can find a reliable line and length, watch out

Div 8. Was on to play every game this year, then overslept and missed the 2nd

Codnor fixture. What,

you thought I wouldnt mention it! Fielded quite well overall so look out for the Luke Turnbull

Fielding DVD hitting the stores in time for Christmas.

Alex Burnham (16 games; 291 runs @ 22.4, HS 83*; 67.4-13-181-16, Avg 11.3, Best 4-22)

Long-time skipper AB finally handed over the reinsonly to be handed them back after 1 game due

to Biggins visit to hospital. Was unbeaten in his 5 games as skipper, and batted beautifully whilst he

had the captains armband, and looked set for a return to form after a disappointing 2012. Sadly lost

form and confidence in the second half but at least showed the class is still there so no reason why

he cannot have a good year in 2014. After Reeds promotion, converted himself into a left arm

spinner and with excellent results, becoming the second highest wicket taker at an excellent strike

rate and average. Unlucky to miss the end of year book by 2.5 runs, 4 wickets and 1 catch, he did at

least have a higher batting average than his brother by 0.02.

Lewis Reed (9 games; 50 runs @ 8.33, HS 20; 91.2-20-265-21, Avg 12.6, Best 5-39)

Lewis converted himself from an average medium pacer into a leg spinner over the winter and what

a campaign he had. Looked a threat to bowl out any team as he took 20 wickets in the first 7 games,

a figure never to be overtaken by any other 3rd

XI bowler. Had success with the 2s in the second half

of the year, before returning to the 3s in the last 2 games to help with the title push. Single-handedly

proved what a high level Division 9 cricket is by only taking 1 wicket in 23 overs bowled in those two

games, before moving up to the firsts for the Sunday game and ripping through some Division 1

neer-do-wells, with 5-33 in 7. Didnt do himself justice with the bat this year but some good knocks

for the 2s suggest runs will come. A terrific lad, we wish him all the best in Div 4, and maybe 1, next

year.


5/6

Hugh Kelly (8 games; 132 runs @ 26.4, HS 44*; 53.1-16-118-12, Avg 9.8, Best 6-30)

The Reverse Luke Clark, Hugh concentrated on studies (successfully) for the first half of the year

before making himself available for nearly every game down the stretch, including playing at Selston

when his plane landed at Liverpool at 10am that morning. Didn t bat as he can this year, with some

ordinary scores sandwiched with unbeaten 40s, Hughs greatest contribution came with the ball, ashis nagging line and length was in contrast to most of the more erratic bowlers available to the

skipper. His 6 wicket haul to seal promotion and the title was brilliant and deserving of heavy praise,

although a personal highlight may be bowling Mickleovers young opener with the 1st

ball of the

match.

Travis Birtwistle (6 games; 334 runs @ 83.5, HS 119; 38-5-123-11, Avg 11.2, Best 5-35)

A newcomer to Duffield, Travis was playing for the first time in 5 years after a shoulder injury but

was soon in his stride, class being permanent and all that. A couple of effortless straight sixes at

Clowne on opening day suggested a strong performer, but Travis s signature shot became his leg

side flick that just rocketed over fielders, trees, etc. Sawley wont want to see him again after he

scored 195 runs and took 7-48 in the two fixtures, which were within a fortnight of each other. His

brilliant century in the home fixture against Sawley contained no less than 9 sixes. More of a

batsman than a bowler, his off spin was at least tidy, good enough for plenty of Div 9 batsmen. If

King has any sense, we wont see him next year!

BOWLERS

Mike Dent (14 games; 66 runs @ 11, HS 19*; 79-9-305-13, Avg 23.5, Best 4-20)

After dipping his toe in the cricketing pool in 2012, Mike became a regular this year having worked

hard all winter to get his bowling more consistent. The result was a good season from the popularbig man, including terrific spells at Nutbrook and especially Ilkeston Rutland where he took 4-20

including a triple wicket maiden, clean bowling batsmen number 3, 4 and 5. Was not the same after

a late season golfing holiday (probably Alfies fault) but will no doubt winter hard again and lead the

bowling line next year. Still prone to inconsistency and nearly forced the skipper to a disciplinary

meeting after a couple of beamers at Mickleover when league umpires were standing. Had his

moment with the bat in the run chase against Stanton, coming in at 10 and scoring an unbeaten 12

including hitting the winning runs.

Simon Tapping (13 games; 42 runs @ 21, HS 23*; 90-14-309-13, Avg 23.8, Best 3-8)

The left armer had his best season for Duffield as he finally managed to stay injury free for themajority of the campaign, just missing a couple of weeks due to his troublesome ankle. Had his best

performances in the first and last games of the year, picking up 3 wicket hauls in each. A pleasure to

have on the field due to his energy and enthusiasm, Simons only problem this year was a no-ball

habit that hopefully he can work on during the off-season. Capable of bowling balls that are far too

good for Div 9 players to edge, Simon could have a big year in 2014. Sadly had a good innings at

Ilkeston when he top-scored with 23* at number 11, meaning he now has to get through 3 stories

when droning on about his batting prowess. Had an infinite average batting at 11, utterly hopeless

with the willow at any other spot.

Mat Deegan (7 games; 22 runs @ 22, HS 12; 47-11-136-5, Avg 27.2, Best 2-31)


6/6

Another newcomer, Mat started his season in the opener by forgetting his whites, but things soon

picked up with a wicket in just his second over. Unfortunately things took a serious turn when he

pulled a muscle at the end of that over and it looked like his season would be over with figures of 2-

2-0-1. However Mat worked hard to get back into playing shape and ended the season as a regular.

Mat was unlucky not to get more wickets with his tricky medium pacers (wasnt he Mr Turnbull?)

and will be hopeful for more games in 2014. Nagged his way up to 4 in the batting order in the routagainst Mickleover and played his one shot (smack through square leg) quite effectively!

THE REST

A total of 33 players represented the 3rds at least once and, in a campaign in which a single point

won us the league, the contributions of each and every one of them was crucial and much

appreciated, so thanks to everyone who has played, as well as those on the sidelines who have

supported us throughout.

I think these statistics show that the team did not have any massive stars who could be relied on to

single handedly win games - at least when Travis wasnt playing! Only two batsmen and 1 bowler will

end up in the end-of-season book, surely unusual for a championship winning team. Instead a lot of

games were won by different people chipping in we had 11 different people score at least one fifty

this season, and 9 people took 9 wickets or more. A real team effort his year and the titel was well

deserved.

Heres hoping to a successful 2014 in the dizzy heights of Division 8!

Dave Bingham

2013 thirds season review

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