Treble-winners Cuckney Cricket Club reflect on best ever season

Last week they clinched the Nottinghamshire Premier League title to add to the prestigious ECB National Clubs Championship trophy and Derbyshire County League Premier Cup to make it three titles won in as many weekends.

“It has been a an extremely successful season and one we won't forget in a hurry,” he said.

“But it is thoroughly deserved for the team and club. It is easily the most successful season in the club's history.

“It has been unbelievable. You set out at the start of a season to make sure you are competing on all fronts and at a club like Cuckney we have always have done for the last 10 years since we got into the Premier League after cementing our spot for the first couple of years.

“We have always wanted to run deep into the national knockout as well as compete on all fronts – and we have managed to come out of it with three trophies which is a phenomenal achievement from the lads.

“A lot of time and effort has gone into it. It has been a really good, fun season with a good bunch of players. Hopefully we can repeat it next year.”

He continued: “I think the lads are a bit exhausted. It's been a long old season to have a game on 23rd September still, having started in early April. That is a long old year for club cricketers.

“But we wouldn't change it for the world. We are delighted in what we have achieved and I am letting the lads revel in those achievements.

“Hopefully they will now rest and relax and go at it again next year.”

The national win at Lord's was certainly the highlight.

“We have never won a national knockout competition,” said Ullyott.

“We got to a semi-final at Edgbaston in the T20 in 2012 and we go to the final of the national T20 in 2009 at Derbyshire's County Ground.

“But the pinnacle of any club cricketer's season would be winning the national knockout.

“At the start you are pitting your wits against 500-odd teams, so to be crowned the best club in the country for that year is no mean feat.

“A lot of our side are still young so have a chance to repeat this or perhaps emulate it.

“We hadn't won the league since 2017. So that is six years without the league title, despite having been in pole position come the final day a couple of times. So it was great to get over the line this time.

“I know we lost the game. But when we batted first we only ever had our eyes on the two points for 85 per cent of whatever score Cavaliers got.

“We ended up nine runs short but we were never really in it in terms of winning the game. But we set our sights on 181 and we got there by hook or by crook in a very tense game.

“To pair that with the national knockout and then to also win the Derbyshire Cup against the Premier Derby teams, we have played some really good cricket against a lot of different clubs from different leagues. We have proven ourselves on quite a few levels in quite a few formats.”

Despite a nine run home defeat by Carrington & Cavaliers in the final game, the two points earned in that game was enough to pip Kimberley Institute to the Notts Premier title.

Put into bat, Rehan Ahmed hit 56 and Shaharyar Aslam 47 as Cavaliers made 212 all out in 45.1 overs; Nick Keast claiming 5-56

Cuckney laboured with the bat and were 16-2 and 97-5, William Butler adding 35, and then Ewan Laughton (55 not out) and Josh Porter (19 not out) not quite able to get them over the line as they fell short at 203-7.