South Notts League: Belvoir edged by title-chasing Collingham

Having been inserted by Collingham, Belvoir lost wickets in each of Lee Fazackerley’s (3 for 46) first, third and fifth overs.

Sam Nightingale (26) and Joe Bottomley set about a recovery before David Pipes (2 for 41) had the latter caught behind and the former was run out.

Captain Ryan Lewis (53) and Danny Gibson (28) produced an innings-defining stand of 87, with Lewis’ fifty coming off 71 balls, a mixture of caution and urgency.

Gibson’s knock was typically busy and the ideal foil to his captain’s innings, but both finally fell to seamer Oli Dyson.

Liam Parker (25) made important runs at number nine, adding 35 with the redoubtable Jamie Gilbertson for the eighth wicket as Belvoir closed on 189-9.

Jack Copley (60) dominated the early Collingham reply as Belvoir made immediate inroads into their batting, while Dyson (87 not out) put on a captain’s innings.

Coming in at 27-2 he secured his end while Copley kept the scoreboard ticking in a 98-run stand until Nightingale’s awkward off-breaks finally did for the opener.

Gibson (4 for 55) returned to the attack and snaffled another three wickets in a 20-ball spell for 13 runs.

When the eighth wicket fell to Bottomley (2 for 39), Collingham still needed 10, albeit off eight overs, but Dyson was still there and fittingly hit the winning four.