Collingham Cricket Club beat Clifton Village in the Nottinghamshire Premier League
Collingham's perfect start to the Nottinghamshire Premier League campaign continued on Saturday with an eighth successive victory.
The league leaders defeated Clifton Village by nine runs in a close Division Two contest to maintain their 20-point advantage at the top.
Collingham had elected to bat first after winning the toss but struggled for runs against the visitors' opening attack of Ben Fraser and Paul MacMillan.
Fraser bowled Joe Saxelby for 12 and then repeated the feat with his next delivery to dismiss Umer Waheed first ball.
He then trapped Jack Copley leg before to leave Collingham struggling on 33-3 before MacMillan started to make his mark.
Ben Jones was dismissed by Macmillan leg before and then Chris Morris was bowled which left Collingham on 47-5.
Ashton Fell came out to join skipper Burhan Alam at the crease and they started to rebuild the home innings.
Fell had reached 18 when he was stumped by Kirsten Cowlishaw off the bowling of Daniel Footitt to end the 49-run partnership.
Suman Shrestha then struck twice in quick succession to dismiss Charlie Dixon and John Miller which reduced Collingham to 114-8.
Alam continued to patiently add the runs at the other end and he had reached 58 when he was caught by Ross Carnelley off the bowling of Shrestha.
Max Shenton and Adam Mendham then added a vital 22 runs for the final wicket which would prove crucial in the eventual outcome of the contest.
Collingham's bowling has been the backbone of their success so far this season and their attack again delivered when it mattered.
Miller made an early breakthrough when he had Charlie Morris caught for two by Dixon who then ran out Shrestha for 10.
The change to bring Waheed into the attack then paid dividends as he quickly collected the wickets of Robbie Clarke and Matthew Lamb to leave the visitors on 44-4.
Cowlishaw then joined opener Carnelley and they brought Clifton back into the game with a 41-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Mendham made the vital breakthrough when he trapped Cowlishaw leg before for 17 and then clung onto a catch to dismiss Carnelley for 46 off the bowling of Alam.
Zehn Rana and MacMillan kept Clifton's hopes alive by adding 21 runs for the seventh wicket until the latter was caught by Morris off Shenton for 19.
Fraser then fell for 11 after being bowled by Alam before Rana was caught by Mendham off Miller to leave Clifton on 136-9 and needing a similar last wicket stand to their hosts to secure the win.
However, fittingly Alam had the final say as he bowled Arshad Sher to finish with 3-36 and leave the visitors nine runs shy of their target.
Collingham now face a table-topping clash at second-placed Caythorpe on Saturday.
Sam Derry and Lee Fazackerley picked up three wickets each as Collingham 2nds secured a comfortable win in the South Nottinghamshire League.
Derry delivered 3-20 from his nine overs while Fazackerley finished his eight-over spell with 3-13 as East Leake were bowled out for 81 in the Division C clash.
Wilf Wright also bowled six maidens in an economical 10-over spell of 1-12 while Will Hillman took 2-16 and Louis Carver 1-14.
A 63-run stand for the first wicket between Ross Taylor and David Pipes laid the foundations for a successful run chase.
Although Pipes' dismissal for 31 was followed by another two wickets falling in quick succession, Taylor's 35 not out steered Collingham home.
The third team completed a treble-winning weekend after beating Hoveringham by seven wickets in Division L.
A fantastic 5-13 from Andrew Shaw was backed up by Jon Spencer's 3-18 as Hoveringham were bowled out for 88.
Richard Biggin then blasted 41 not out while Tom Mason made 25 as Collingham secured the win inside 23 overs.