Excellent all-round display sees Clifton well beaten by Chesterfield

A fine all-round team performance earned Chesterfield a convincing Derbyshire County League win at Clifton on Saturday.
David Hunt top-scored with 73 for Chesterfield.David Hunt top-scored with 73 for Chesterfield.
David Hunt top-scored with 73 for Chesterfield.

All of the top five batters made more than 30 in the high-scoring Division One clash. Spinner Yannick Leonard then claimed his second haul of five or more wickets in three games to help seal a 96-run success.

After winning the toss, skipper Harry Wilmott (31) got the Chesterfield innings off to a flying start with four boundaries in the first two overs.

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He shared an opening stand of 68 with David Hunt before Luke Westwell (43) and Leonard, with a quickfire 39, pressed home the advantage.

Hunt, enjoying the move up to opener, mixed cover drives, shots down the ground and sweeps on his way to a chanceless 73, his highest League score of the season.

Chesterfield were 199-4 after 37 overs and Alex Hibbert led the way as they plundered another 120 off the final 13 overs. Hibbert hit three sixes in an unbeaten 67 off 56 balls and received good support from Reece Johnson (20) and Ahmad Zazai (14) as Chesterfield raced to 319-8 off their 50 overs.

Michael Deane gave them a strong start in the field, taking a wicket with the first ball of the second over.

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The hosts were going well at 91-2 after 18 overs but slow left-armer Leonard then bowled a double-wicket maiden, struck twice more in his tenth over and finished with 5-67 as Clifton slipped to 152-7.

Hopes were lifted by a stand of 45 between Mehran Ibrahim and Atta Ur Rehman. However, a direct hit on the stumps by Tom Keenan from mid-wicket ran out Ibrahim for 74 and Wilmott's off-spin sealed victory when he bowled Rehman (51) as Clifton were all out for 223.

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