JUBILANT Chesterfield stole the Beechwood Derbyshire Premier League title from under the noses of the favourites on a dramatic afternoon at Ticknall.

Long-time leaders Ockbrook & Borrowash and Sandiacre Town, who went into the weekend only four points apart at the top, were left utterly frustrated as their two scheduled matches were both washed out on Saturday and Sunday.

Then they could only watch as Chesterfield found virtually the only patch of decent weather in the county at Ticknall yesterday – and successfully pursued the maximum 27-point win they needed to slip into the top spot.

For their hugely impressive young captain Alex Hibbert, the title completed a dream first season at the helm.

"I could never have imagined the experience it has been out there – it was just brilliant," said Hibbert.

"Obviously, things have swung our way a little bit with the weather in the end but I'm just delighted for everyone at the club.

"The credit goes to the whole group – this has been a team win."

All the more remarkable is the fact that Chesterfield lost the first captain they appointed this year, former Debryshire opening batsman Andrew Gait-Golding, early in the campaign, owing to his business commitments, and then played most of the rest of it without injured opening bowler Michael Deane.

Another regular bowler, Paul Goodwin, has also spent a fair time out injured – but was back for yesterday's crucial victory.

"We had a good team on paper at the start of the season but then we lost two or three players, so we've gone through the season with a nucleus of eight or nine players," said Hibbert.

"We've not had one person take 50 wickets or one score 1,000 runs – but, at some point, every single person in the team has chipped in."

Indeed, Chesterfield completed the season without a single batsman reaching a century – young opener Ben Slater's 92 was the top score.

But they won 10 matches and drew less than their nearest rivals, so, weather apart, theirs was a more than worthy season.

Yesterday, play began at 2pm with a reduction to 37 overs a side after the rain held off long enough for the Ticknall ground staff to make their wicket playable.

With the outfield lengthened by a week's rain, it was soon apparent that batsmen would not get full value for their shots – nor could they take any liberties as the ball darted around.

Hibbert's 45, in which two sixes were the only boundaries, was to prove the top score of the day, although the diligent 38 not out compiled by regular opener Alan Gofton after he went in at number seven was a crucial innings.

Wickets tumbled at regular intervals but Chesterfield eventually got themselves to a total, 161, which was both competitive but which Ticknall could not feel was out of reach.

In truth, however, Chesterfield's pursuit of the title when they took the field was helped by some careless batting.

In the first over of the innings, Luke Harvey turned Peter Camm straight to Hibbert at square leg; in the second, Woody Bridgeman was leg before to Goodwin aiming a big heave over midwicket before he had given himself the chance to judge the pace or bounce.

The dismissal of Johnny Thompstone, in the sixth over, was the daftest of all.

Goodwin went round the wicket and bowled a big wide, which beat keeper Drage Thompson. The batsmen ran it and Thompstone quite unnecessarily turned for a second, only to be beaten by Simon Lacey's unerring throw from third man.

That was 17-3 and to say that Chesterfield were up for it at that point would have been a huge understatement.

Chesterfield's spin twins, Lacey and Brian Gladwin, were on for the 12th and 13th overs – and with immediate effect.

Rupert Scott-Jones edged behind in Gladwin's second over and danger man Tanveer Ahmed was bowled in Lacey's next over, aiming the ball somewhere over Calke Abbey.

Ryan Cowley launched both spinners for sixes but, at 63-5 from 19 overs, there could only be one winner.

Ticknall captain Graham Chamberlain holed out tamely to long off and Jack Lamb was caught close in two balls later.

When Gladwin bowled Cowley in the next over, three wickets had gone on 68 and there was only the faint hint that Ticknall might bat out a draw before Julian Hornsey was leg before to Lacey and Ray McGuinness gave the former Derbyshire all-rounder a return catch to spark wild celebrations.