A FIRST defeat of the season for Ockbrook & Borrowash has unexpectedly thrown open the Beechwood Derbyshire Premier League title race.

A few short weeks ago, Ockbrook were cruising with a 50-point lead, while watching their rivals cut each other's throats below them.

But a six-match unbeaten run and two maximum points wins in their last four matches means Sandiacre Town have closed the gap to only 21 points with four matches to play.

One of those is at home to Ockbrook, on Saturday, August 30.

Ockbrook found themselves turned over at home on Saturday by resurgent Ilkeston Rutland.

On a difficult day for batting, they were able to scrape together only 175-8 in their 50 overs, with Ilkeston's South African all-rounder Jay Adendorff's spin returning 5-45 from 13 overs.

On many occasions, Ockbrook would have expected Lian Wharton to match those figures but it was not his day, as he took only 2-51 in the reply.

Kevin Leatherday scored 40 and Adendorff 45 as Ilkeston got home by four wickets with five overs to spare.

Ockbrook's consolation was to beat Ilkeston by 17 runs on the same ground the next day in their Derbyshire Premier Cup semi-final, despite Leatherday hitting a century.

At Sandiacre, South African bowler Ryan McFadyean went in at number nine and blasted a rapid 63 not out to carry his side to 232-7 against Dunstall.

Despite 68 from Derbyshire's John Sadler, Dunstall could not match that and were bowled out for 175.

Tom Poynton top-scored with 72 and Richard Green hit 68 as Lullington Park took a useful winning draw at Alvaston & Boulton, who were 176-7 at the close.

The rain spoiled what might have been a good finish at Quarndon, where Ben Slater's 92 led Chesterfield to 248-8, while Matt Dowman's 91 saw Quarndon at 142-4 when it was called off after 35 overs.