Cricket: Comfortable in the end for Sandiacre as they keep rivals in sight

WHEN the balance tipped towards Sandiacre Town in their Beechdale Derbyshire Premier League match at Ilkeston, it did so swiftly and conclusively.

But up to that point, 22 overs into the Ilkeston Rutland reply, it really was hard to pick a winner.

Sandiacre took the 27 points they wanted to keep up the pressure on Ockbrook & Borrowash at the top of the table after a 118-run victory but as the home side approached the midway stage of their innings at 91-3, that success was far from assured.

Nick Dawson and Andy Flindall put together a stand of 73 in 18 overs for the fourth wicket as Ilkeston recovered from 18-3.

An elusive first win of the season for the bottom side was still an outside bet but was not out of the question and it seemed they at least had a strong chance of the draw.

However, a John Jordison-inspired tumble of wickets left them with only four points to show for their afternoon's efforts.

John Trueman's spin broke the fourth-wicket partnership when he had Flindall caught at slip for 32 but then Jordison's pace tore through the next five.

Ilkeston lost their last seven wickets for 15 runs in less than eight overs and they will have to muster a great deal more resolve than that as they get ready for important matches against Aston and Alvaston & Boulton in the next two weekends.

Sandiacre set a good target at 224-9 on a muggy day that gave plenty of help to the seamers and Ilkeston were in trouble by the fifth over of their reply.

Skipper David Smit, who showed his intentions by driving the first ball from Dan Wheeldon to the long off boundary, was bowled by the last ball of Wheeldon's second over for 11 to make it 14-1.

Ryan McFadyean followed that with two wickets in four balls as Martin Brandrick was caught behind and Ian Banks at gully and, with three experienced batsmen back in the pavilion, Ilkeston's prospects appeared bleak.

But opener Dawson found good company in Flindall and, as Trueman stuck with an attacking field, the home side began to mount a challenge.

Sandiacre were approaching the stage where they could feel rightly concerned and the breakthrough was greeted with relief. Flindall felt there had been no contact with the bat as the catch looped gently to David Jordison to make it a frustrating end to a determined contribution but that was no excuse for what followed for Ilkeston.

John Jordison, wicketless through his first seven overs, beat the defensive push of Andy Hislop and knocked back his off stump, then he did the same to Carl Pengelly in his next over.

The killer blow for Ilkeston came when Dawson fell for 46 at the beginning of the 31st over as Jordison found the outside edge and wicketkeeper Dan Green took the catch.

Jordison struck twice more in the same over to complete excellent figures of 5-35 and Trueman had the final word with the first ball of the next. It was a demoralising collapse.

Sandiacre had a tough start of their own after winning the toss and deciding to bat.

James Chapman sliced a drive straight to cover point off the second ball of the second over at 4-1 and Pengelly almost added another wicket from the final ball of that over as an edge from Ant Woolley shot between first and second slips.

Consolation soon came for Pengelly, in his first Premier Division season with Ilkeston, as Woolley was caught behind for nine at 30-2 but he was a little fortunate to add a third victim as Trueman clipped a leg stump full toss to midwicket to make it 37-3.

Trueman, who tucked away three boundaries off his legs on his way to 18, was furious but his team's precarious position was rescued by Rob Attwood and David Jordison.

Jordison survived a big shout for lbw on three as he offered no shot to Smit and gave a sharp caught and bowled chance to Josh Buckley on nine but went on to add a useful 32 in a stand of 81 for the fourth wicket.

It was Pengelly who ended his stay and the youngster then completed his first five-wicket haul for his new club by adding the scalp of Attwood.

Attwood was comfortably the pick of the batsmen on the day and struck seven fours in his 56, timing the ball crisply as so many others struggled in the conditions.

It needed a very good catch to end his innings, with wicketkeeper Hislop anticipating smartly and claiming a good, low one-handed catch as Attwood turned the ball off his legs.

But at 141-5 in the 40th over, Sandiacre then had the opportunity to push on and an aggressive 25 from Wheeldon, followed in similar vein with 27 not out from McFadyean, took them to a total that had appeared well beyond them at one stage.

It proved far too many for Ilkeston but the home side was guilty of making life a little too easy for Sandiacre in the end.