AS the sides below them keep taking points off each other, Ockbrook & Borrowash are gratefully extending their lead in the Beechwood Derbyshire Premier League.

With the season entering its second half on Saturday, Ockbrook turned in a crushing performance at home to Elvaston which has seen them open a 50-point cushion.

Matt Lineker's brilliant first season at Ockbrook continues almost unbroken, as the former Alfreton captain hit 130 and Matt Cassar was not far behind with 111.

When those two were finally out, Charlie Ault (56 not out) and Ben McGonigal (30 not out) carried Ockbrook on to a mammoth 342-2 from their 50 overs.

If they had then failed to bowl Elvaston out, they might have wondered if a declaration and some extra overs would have been a good option but they did not need them this time.

The wickets were spread around, Trevor Smith taking 3-44, as Elvaston succumbed in 42 overs for 191, despite a defiant 93 from Paul Birch and 33 from Ian Hall.

Spondon's defence of their league title continues to falter. They remain in second place but were also second-best against Sandiacre Town, who posted 212-8, with 40 from James Chapman, 34 from John Trueman and 33 from Ryan McFadyean.

McFadyean then took 3-48 and Chapman 3-42 as Spondon were left with a losing draw on 166-9.

Chesterfield are the new name in third place – and only two points off second – after their fifth win of the season, all achieved batting second.

They were able to overcome an early assault from Alfreton's big-hitting opener Will Challoner, who scored 76 from 67 balls. Once he was gone with the score on 117, Jon Aspinall's 35 was the only real delay as the innings fell away for 156, Simon Lacey taking 3-29 from nine overs and Ross Whiteley returning to polish off the innings, finishing with 4-45.

Alan Gofton was an early casualty in the reply but young opener Ben Slater and captain Alex Hibbert then put together a decisive stand of 109.

Hibbert went for 57 but Slater was still there with 55 not out when they completed a seven-wicket win in the 40th over.

Dunstall again had the services of Derbyshire's John Sadler, who scored 76 as they rattled up 249-5 against Ticknall, Matt Gouldstone topping Sadler with 85.

With 160-6, Ticknall were never in the hunt in reply, Paul Borrington making 77, and they and Elvaston are now starting to get cut adrift at the bottom of the table.

Quarndon found batting hard work at home to Alvaston & Boulton but they ended up with a winning draw when their opponents found it even harder.

Significant knocks on both sides came from the openers, with Quarndon's South African Ben de Vos making 75 from 127 balls as his side was bowled out in the last over for 175.

Matt Dowman and James Ede proved especially difficult to score off when A&B replied and, at 56-5 when Anthony Woolley was fifth man out, a Quarndon win looked likely.

Opener Chris McIlroy found partners to stay with him in David Tittershill and Steve Ottewell, however, adding 42 with Tittershill.

When McIlroy was seventh out for 74 at 127, A&B were not too far from securing the draw and skipper Ottewell stood firm as they closed on 141-8.