Hucknall Cricket Club continue unbeaten start to the season with thrilling Radcliffe tie

Hucknall Cricket Club maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a thrilling tie against Radcliffe-on-Trent at the New Gatehouse Ground on Saturday (30 April).

The visitors won the toss and elected to bat, a decision that was quickly vindicated as they made 291-7 from their 50 overs. The runs were split quite evenly among the top order batters and such a competitive score was reached due to a number of successful partnerships rather than big knocks. However, William Masojada did impress by top scoring with 57.

Hucknall's bowling attack again shared the wickets out with four of the six bowlers used taking at least one wicket. Waseem Fazal (3-42) and Connor Ramm (2-55) were the standout performers.

Chasing 292 to win, Hucknall's response got off to a very shaky start. George Buckthorpe, Mathew Roberts and Hassan Chaudry were all dismissed for single digit scores which left the hosts 46-3.

With the game threatening to get away from them, Sam Johnson the captain joined opener Sam King, who is contracted to Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, at the crease. The pair then put on an exceptional 178 run partnership to steer Hucknall back into the match.

This stand was ended when King was clean bowled for 115 by the pick of the Radcliffe bowlers Hishaam Khan who ended the match with figures of 5-44.

King's dismissal triggered a collapse in the middle order as wickets tumbled and Hucknall slid from 224-3 to 239-8 in seemingly no time at all. Johnson and Harry Finch steadied the ship by putting on 43 before Johnson was dismissed for 118.

Ramm came in at 11 and along with Finch managed to add nine runs to Hucknall's total to leave them 291-9 from their 50 overs. This meant that after 100 overs of cricket the sides could not be separated and they finished completely level, meaning a share of the spoils as the sides were awarded four points each.

Speaking exclusively to Hucknall Nub News, top run scorer Johnson said: "Any time you get within one run you think where could I have saved a run here or there or whatever it might be? If someone had offered me that before the start of the day I'd have taken it. I'd have taken it when they got 291, I don't think you can be disappointed to take four points off a team that are going to be trying to win the league this year.

"I was really happy with a lot of aspects of our game on what was a really good wicket to bat on. The overriding emotion is happy. (I'm) disappointed that we couldn't quite get over the line, in certain instances it looked like we were really struggling and in certain others we looked really good it was a pretty topsy-turvy game to be honest."

Speaking about his time at the crease with King, Johnson added: "It was a really good partnership in the scheme of the game, so I was really happy with that. We both batted well, we'll both be disappointed the way we got out but we gave us a chance really.

"I guess the only thing we were disappointed in looking at our batting line-up was that nobody other than extras and Harry Finch at number ten got double figures, it just needed maybe one lad in the middle order to get 20 or 30 and we win the game but after such a long partnership it's inevitable then that there'll be a flurry of wickets that's just the way the game goes."

Asked about the benefits of having Nottinghamshire's academy graduates, such as King, playing for Hucknall, Johnson said: "That's a big reason we want to work with these lads to be honest. I'm in a position where I want us to be a really attractive place for talented young cricketers to come and play. It's a case of him and with Ben Martindale and others that's kind of where I want us to be. Us giving people like him the chance to go and score runs and really put himself in the shop window for Notts is only going to benefit us and benefit them as well."

Johnson continued: "(My) overriding emotion is I try to look at it from a broader perspective than an isolated fixture and we've played the two best teams from last year we've not lost to either of them, we've looked good against them, so I'm happy."

Hucknall continue their Nottinghamshire Premier League campaign with their first away match of the season against Cavaliers and Carrington CC on Saturday (7 May).