BATSMEN are dominating the Derby Mortgage Advisors Premier League Player of the Year award.

When the award scheme was suggested by Ockbrook & Borrowash player Matt Cassar last season, it was envisaged that all-rounders might stand the best chance of winning, as they potentially had two chances to shine in a match.

However, of the leading 10 players in the standings with six matches still to play, seven are principally batsmen and, of the other three, only Spondon's Joe Ashdown would perhaps not list batting as his leading contribution to the side.

When current leader Matt Lineker finished as a runner-up in the award's first season, he was very much playing as an all-rounder at Alfreton.

But this season, at Ockbrook, he has almost always only batted.

Kevin Leatherday, who scored three points on Saturday to move back into second place, is an out-and-out batsman, as is third-placed Johnny Owen.

James Chapman, at Sandiacre, and Matt Dowman, at Quarndon, have both bowled plenty of overs this season but their main trade remains batting, while Alvaston & Boulton's Anthony Woolley bowls a lot less these days than he used to.

Lineker's lead in the standings looks a little shakier than it did, as he went another week without adding to his total.

LEADING STANDINGS: 21 Matt Lineker (Ockbrook).

15 Kevin Leatherday (Ilkeston).

14 Johnny Owen (Ockbrook).

12 Joe Ashdown (Spondon), Will Challoner (Alfreton).

11 Anthony Woolley (A&B), Matt Dowman (Quarndon).

10 James Chapman (Sandiacre), Ahmed Amla (Lullington), Alex Hibbert (Chesterfield).

AFTER scoring in excess of 900 runs in 2005 and 2006, Heanor Town's Andy Brear did not have a particularly productive 2007 – but he looks like he is getting into his stride again this season.

Brear wins the Owzat Cricket County League Batsman of the Week award – and a £15 cricket equipment voucher – this week, after hitting a mammoth 178 not out in Heanor's 300-3, hitting 14 fours and 10 sixes.

Before this week, Tom Stevenson had not taken more than four wickets in an innings for Castle Donington Town and his best this season was 2-32. On Saturday, however, he took 7-16 as Alvaston & Boulton were bowled out for 147 in Division 5S.

The performance fired his team to a 36-run win and earns him this week's Bowler of the Week award and a £15 voucher.