LUKE WOOD SHINES FOR CUCKNEY AS ACADEMY ARE BEATEN

Nottinghamshire Cricket Board Academy lost their Premier League against top of the table Cuckney by five wickets on Saturday.

The home side, who have now won eight of their 15 games and hold an 18-point lead above second-place West Indian Cavaliers, won the toss and elected to field first.

Chris Gibson and Tim Wyatt opened the batting for the Academy but wickets fell early to the opening attack of Luke Wood and Trent Lawford, Gibson (1) going lbw to Wood in the second over and Wyatt (4) also lbw to Wood in the eighth, the Academy falling to 18-2.

Riecko Parker-Cole was joined by Tom Keast at the crease in a third-wicket stand but, in the 11^th over, Parker-Cole (9) was bowled by Lawford (29-3) and Alex Aldred (2) was Wood’s third victim in the 14^th, the score 30-4.

Lyndon James joined Keast and the visitors made their 50 in the 19^th over; but the latter was caught behind by Gareth Purshouse off an Ian Parkin delivery in the 24^th, his replacement coming in the form of Anuj Dal.

The pair of James and Dal held firm and notched their way to a 76 partnership, reaching the Academy’s 100 in the 33^rd over – and James his half-century off 84 balls in the 39^th – before Dal was bowled by Lawford with the Academy 145-6.

Liam Patterson-White was next in line and the Academy, who sit mid-table on 158 points, made 159 – before they lost the wickets of Patterson-White (8) and James (56) in the 42^nd over in quick succession, the former caught and the latter run out with the score 159-8.

James Hawley proceeded to take the wickets of Ben Kitt (4) in the 45^th and Jack Blatherwick (1), rendering the Academy all out for 165 and Anis Raza scoreless.

Luke Wood finished with 3-20 and James Hawley 3-27.

Requiring 166 to win off 53 overs, Cuckney replied with openers James Hawley and Luke Thomas and, by the 14^th over, they reached 45 before Anis Raza bowled Hawley for four, bringing Adam Burgess to the crease.

Thomas reached his 50 (78 balls, six fours) in the 28th over, the home side 88-1, and Burgess added 15 to the cause, exiting after being caught by Jack Blatherwick off the bowling of Liam Patterson-White (97-2).

Thomas matched the Academy’s James by finishing on 56 as he was caught at mid-wicket by Anuj Dal off Raza.

Cuckney skipper Nick Langford was joined by Gareth Purshouse, the hundred reached in the 33rd over, but the latter was dismissed in the 39^th when he was caught by Raza off Patterson-White, with the score 124-4.

Luke Wood joined Langford and the duo bypassed 150 in the 41st over but Wood (24) was then bowled by Raza in the 42nd (155-5) and Trent Lawford came in – with 11 runs required for the win.

The winning runs came in the 46th over; Lawford hit a boundary to finish unbeaten on four and captain Langford not out on 30, Cuckney ending 169-5.

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