A FINE run chase by Matlock eased their relegation worries as they pushed Dunstall into more trouble in the Beechwood Derbyshire Premier League.

In football parlance, it was a six-pointer – a clash between two sides near the bottom of the table with the result worth more than just the available points.

And it was an especially big game for Matlock, since they have played one more than Dunstall and now have only two left in which to secure a second season in the top division.

Batting first, Dunstall lost an early wicket when Tom Mandleberg was bowled by Pete Camm.

After that, Carl Eyden, Scott Chilman and the Jennings brothers, Craig and John, made little impression but Matlock could not shift James Benstead, who had reached 66 not out when the fifth wicket went at 139.

And then it got better for Dunstall, as Australian Jeremy Polich joined Benstead to hit his first 50 of the season.

Polich reached 52 not out and Benstead completed exactly 100 not out, with Dunstall closing on a useful 232-5, the pair having added 93.

Caleb Mierkalns got off to a typically aggressive start for Matlock, hitting 39 of the first 59 before Steve Scrimshaw had him caught by Benstead.

In came 59-year-old Derek Randall for his first appearance of the season and the former England veteran was there while 80 were added, losing Kevin Leatherday for 36 before adding 46 with captain Mark Doyle.

Randall went for 25 at 139-3 and Matt Cluer could manage only six but Doyle was by now going well and moved on to 55 before he was caught by Mandleberg off Craig Jennings.

That was 194-5 and the game could have gone either way but Camm and Nick Rosling saw things through from that point, each finishing not out, on 27 and 23 respectively, as Matlock reached the target with 11 balls to spare.

At the other end of the table, while Ockbrook & Borrowash were re-igniting their title challenge by beating leaders Sandiacre Town, Lullington Park could not take full advantage by winning against Alvaston & Boulton.

Lullington's 16 points from the draw at Raynesway puts them level with Ockbrook in second, 15 points behind Sandiacre, who they are at home to on Saturday.

Lullington's batting effort was better than many they have managed this season, as Andy Goodwin and Sam Eaton got them off to a sound start with 73 for the first wicket.

Although Jonny Shales fell cheaply, Eaton and Ben Bridgen added 48, before Eaton was out for 71 at 153, quickly followed by Rudi Hillerman for a three-ball duck.

Richard Green, Paul Dawson and Alan Gough all chipped in quick runs, however, and Lullington reached 247-8.

A&B lost both their openers, Andy Gray and Chris McIlroy, with the score on 36 but, while former Derbyshire team-mates Steve Stubbings and Hassan Adnan were together in a third-wicket partnership of 121, the odds were tilting A&B's way.

However, Stubbings was bowled by Dawson for 50 and Dawson took a hand again to have Adnan caught by Hillerman for 76.

Eaton then had both Ben Perry-Taylor and David Lewis stumped in a spell of 3-28, which saw the A&B innings falling short of the required rate. They closed on 222-7 to take 13 points in their relegation fight.

Chesterfield's Matt Higginbottom took an excellent 7-49 to bowl Quarndon out for 201 before Alex Hibbert (92 not out) and Joe Cooper (50 not out) put on an unbroken 124 in the successful run chase.