THE league win Ilkeston Rutland have been threatening all season is finally in the bag – but only after they made every attempt to squander their latest winning position.

Winning the toss and getting the best of the conditions after Saturday morning's rain, Ilkeston dominated for most of their Beechwood Derbyshire Premier League game against Lullington Park.

But the nerves kicked in with the winning post in sight and, instead of cruising home with nine runs needed from three overs and five wickets in hand, they put themselves through the mill again.

Finally, wicketkeeper Andy Hislop cracked the second ball of the last over through point for four to end the agony and it would not be a surprise to see Dave Smit's team build on this now they have the monkey off their backs.

They are a solid team, perhaps stronger on paper than when they finished third three years ago, and certainly while they continue to have the services of Derbyshire's Wayne White.

White and Rob Green set the tone for Ilkeston when they opened the bowling on a slow Rutland Sports Ground pitch.

Lullington, starting their month without South African star Ahmed Amla, who is leading his country's under-25s in Australia, could never quite get their innings going.

Awkward as the pitch was, it demanded that the bowlers put the ball in the right places and White and Green did just that, so well that the score had reached only 10 after 11 overs.

By then, Ben Bridgen's frustration had got the better of him and an ugly swipe at Green had looped up to Kevin Leatherday at mid off.

It was the 14th over before Lullington found the boundary, through Steve Dixon's sweet cover drive off Green and when he did the same to White in the next over, the rate was heading towards two an over.

Andy Goodwin had battled to 19 but, instead of capitalising on his survival, he hit George Moulds low to midwicket, where Ian Banks took a good catch.

Moulds had started with five no balls in his first over but he kept it tight after that and so did Banks when he replaced White.

Neither Tom Poynton, back from Repton School for the rest of the summer, nor Richard Green could get going, Poynton hauling Jay Adendorff's spin straight down deep square leg's throat and Green picking out mid off.

It was captain Jonny Shales' turn to try to get an acceleration going and he did a better job, although not until he had lost Dixon, who had played sensibly to get within four of a half-century before Rob Green returned to have him caught behind.

Danny Green followed next ball, comprehensively leg before wicket, and Lullington could have fallen apart at 108-6.

Shales went on the attack, with one remarkable four swatted from in front of his nose off White.

Alan Gough briefly threatened with a couple of boundaries but, sent back by Shales, failed to beat Adendorff's direct hit from point.

Adam Poynton swung hard but soon ran out of luck when Ben Moulds clung on to a swirling chance at deep cover.

Danny Gough did better, swiping Rob Green for two sixes in the 49th over, which cost the bowler 18, but White finished things off by bowling Gough and Shales, just reward for two hard-working spells.

Lullington felt they may just have scraped enough runs together to be competitive, especially since Smit, having dislocated a finger last week, was not going to be opening Ilkeston's batting.

The feeling was strengthened when Leatherday, who is enjoying a productive season, touched the first ball of the second over, from Shales, to wicketkeeper Richard Green.

White, opening in place of Smit, soon followed, chipping Alan Gough to mid on and Lullington were in the driving seat at 16-2.

However, George Moulds and Adendorff then played thoroughly sensibly to turn the game round in a stand of 65.

Moulds can sometimes get himself out rashly but this was a mature and determined innings, tailored perfectly for the situation.

He picked the right moments to be aggressive, such as when he launched the fourth ball of George Chapman's spell over midwicket for six, and the pair calmly picked gaps to keep the scoreboard moving.

Adendorff, a little South African who looks like he could score more than he has, unleashed some textbook drives, bringing up the 50 with one of them, and if the pair had arrived at the halfway stage on 81-2, as they should have, they might have cruised to victory.

Instead, Adendorff slapped at a ball from Danny Gough outside off stump and was well held by Danny Green in the gulley for 34.

Andy Flindall added 20 with Moulds before departing leg before, sweeping at Goodwin's spin, and Banks followed a run later, annoyed to be given caught behind off Chapman.

At 102-5, Ilkeston were wobbling in familiar fashion but Smit's decision to risk his strapped-up finger proved well-timed.

The Ilkeston captain started with a four through mid on and, going after Chapman in the 36th over, got the target down to 65 from 14 overs. His early hitting spread the field and now the pair were able to pick up singles at will.

When Moulds edged Shales for four to take Ilkeston past 150, they might have concluded that, this time, it was their day and when Smit reduced a target of 24 from five overs by pulling Alan Gough for six, the game looked to be over.

And yet, the memories of a few slip-ups this season started to force their way back to the front of Ilkeston minds and, with nine needed from three overs and five wickets still in hand, Smit edged Shales behind for 42 after a partnership of 73.

Moulds, having spread an outstanding effort across 48 overs, was run out in the next over trying to run two to a wide, a wholly unnecessary attempt, when he really deserved to be striding off with a not out to his name.

Lullington had a huge shout for caught behind off the first ball Matt Sisson faced but he was then bowled by the last ball of the 49th over and Ilkeston still needed three from the last over, now with only two wickets standing.

However, Hislop, the Scottish keeper who has proved such a solid addition, kept his nerve to make the winning hit and condemn Lullington to a second successive loss.