Nick Keast fireworks as Cuckney coast home to seven wicket win over Plumtree

Cuckney now go into a busy Bank Holiday weekend second in the table to Cavaliers & Carrington on run rate only.

Chasing 137, Cuckney reached 138-3 in 25.4 overs and captain Tom Ullyott said: “We won the toss and decided to bowl on a new wicket - but they got off to a flyer and were on 30-0 after just two overs.

“We managed to get a couple out and then got the next four or five in quick time before a couple of them built up a bit of a partnership.

“But, with no particular demons in the pitch, we were always confident chasing down 140 at home.

“Thanks to some fireworks from Nick Keast we did it in quick time.

“He took us from 3-0 off three overs to 30, adding 27 in the fourth over.

“I think he hit three sixes, two fours and a one in that over and he ended up 93 not out in not many balls faced. He hit eight fours and seven sixes.

“Nick always tends to bat in a hurry and when it comes off, which the hope is more often than not, it allows us to get off to a bit of a flier – and we have plenty of stroke-makers in the middle order as well.

“It was to have an early finish and eight points in the bag.”

He added: “Archie (Shannon) and Bailey (Richards) took three wickets apiece. But Tilley (Adam Tillcock), Keasty and Joe (Worrall) bowled very well in terms of economy rates.

“The whole bowling unit bowled really well as a collective after we got off to a bit of a slow start. Archie mopped up the tail really nicely. But Tilly, NK and Joe bowled with really nice control and Bailey took the wickets.

“When you have control at one end and a wicket-taker at the other end that is perfect at the end of the day.”

Put into bat, Fabian Taylor hit 33 and Saad Ashraf 26 for Plumtree while Richards took 3-43 off seven overs and Shannon 3-10 off six.

Along with Keast's unbeaten 93, Joseph Hayes made 21 not out and James Plant took 2-18 off five.

Cuckney now face trips to Hucknall on Saturday and Kimberley on Monday and Ullyott added: “It is too early to look at the league table yet. I know we lost the week before with rain and lost that close early season game with Cavs. But it's still May and we've been playing cricket barely a month yet.

“So we will be where we are and we know we have a big weekend coming up.

“Hucknall and Kimberley are always among the better sides in the league and we have already played Kimberley and won this season so this second game has come quite quickly.

“Both games are away which could pose problems for us.

“Hucknall are always very difficult to play against and were on the wrong end of a close one with Cavaliers last weekend. They have some match-winners throughout their team with bat and ball. So we will be conscious of that and make sure we're doing the right things.

“Kimberley are always a top four rival. In recent years it feels like we've come out the right side of them having been on the wrong side of them before that.

“With tough games on Saturday and Monday it is helpful that our ECB National Club Championship knockout cup game on Sunday has been moved to the following weekend as that was a lot to ask for a lot of players.”