Hucknall Cricket Club do the double over local rivals Papplewick with impressive seven wicket win

Hucknall Cricket Club secured a historic double over local rivals Papplewick and Linby by beating them in the league for the second time this season last Saturday (30 July).

The visitors carried good recent form into the fixture and duly made it five wins in a row, a club Premier League record, by notching a seven wicket win.

Speaking to Hucknall Nub News about the victory, captain Sam Johnson said: "It was a strange one. I felt like we'd given ourselves too much to do, I felt like we were behind the game, but then we just kept plugging away, kept persevering and all of a sudden we were miles ahead of the game.

"But credit to the lads we showed that fighting spirit that we showed all year and in the end were the better side and deserved to win.

"Winning's a habit, both individuals and teams learn how to win games. Good teams find a way to win, teams that are struggling a bit more find a way to lose. We've been a team that have found ways to lose in the past whereas on Saturday it was a good depiction of actually right we know what's needed of us here let's go out and do the job and we did. I thought we were good and showed that bit of steel and determination and did the business."

Hucknall won the toss and elected to field. Papplewick managed 246-6 from their 50 overs with Callum Mckenzie (75) and Ben Trevor-Jones (69) impressing with the bat. Their 135 run third wicket partnership was absolutely crucial in laying the foundations for the hosts to post such a competitive score.

Mathew Roberts, Connor Ramm and Harry Finch took two wickets apiece for Hucknall.

The visitors' response got off to a rocky start and they were soon reduced to 18-2. However, a 70 run partnership between Roberts and Hassan Chaudry steadied the ship.

Johnson came to the crease with the game still in the balance at 88-3 but him and Chaudry put on an unbeaten 161 run partnership to give Hucknall the victory with just under five overs to spare.

Chaudry (113*) was undoubtedly the star of the show, ably supported by Johnson (75*).

The win was an emotional one as it was the birthday of the late Josh Downie a former Hucknall player who suffered a cardiac arrest and died during a nets session in Birkenhead in May last year.

Johnson added: "It was Josh Downie's birthday on Saturday so it was a very poignant day, the day meant a lot to a lot of people for a lot of reasons; hitting those winning runs was a really, really sweet feeling I must admit."

Concluding how he felt about the win Johnson said: "I'm 100% proud of the lads of what we managed to do on Saturday and what we managed to do earlier in the season. I thought we were good value for our wins, I thought we played better than them on both days.

"I think it's a win more for the people who were there and have been there for a long, long time and have experienced the pain of losing a lot to our local rivals, I'm under no illusions as to how much that meant to those people."

Hucknall's next game, where they will be looking for a sixth straight victory, is at home to second placed Cuckney today (Saturday 6 August).