​Acting skipper leads the way in crucial win

Acting skipper Luke Westwell led from the front as his side edged home by 17 runs in the Division One showdown.

Leaders Belper won the toss and put joint second-placed Chesterfield in to bat.Westwell, taking charge with club captain Harry Wilmott sidelined by a knee injury, gave his side a fine start by sharing an opening stand of 60 with Jordan Lemon (31). This was to remain the highest partnership of the match.

Westwell, who is in a rich vein of form, battled on to make 70 before he was fifth out with the score 149.

That sparked a collapse as Chesterfield were bowled out for 167 with spinners Chris Stevenson and Bahrain Hotak taking 4-26 and 3-36 respectively.

The Belper innings followed a similar course to Chesterfield's. They had an opening stand of 43 but then began to lose wickets.

Left-arm opening bowler Ahmad Zazai conceded only 18 runs in his 10 overs and combined with fellow seamer Muhammad Zaroob (3-40) to put the home side behind the clock.

Left-arm spinner Sam Fawcett (2-23) maintained the pressure and the game was in the balance with Belper on 109-6.

Paceman James La Brooy, who had claimed one-wicket in an expensive four-over burst at the start of the innings, returned to bowl Hotak and make it 132-7.

Six runs later a direct hit on the bowler's stumps by Lemon at mid-on ran out Harry Tonks.

Fawcett, back for a second spell, trapped Stevenson lbw with Belper 18 short of their target.

In the next over James Chollerton, who had held the innings together with a fine 39, drove La Brooy (3-47) in the air.

Zaroob took the catch near the long-on boundary to seal the win and spark joyous scenes among his team-mates.

Belper still lead the table on 193 points and Chesterfield stay joint second with Morton Colliery on 166. But Chesterfield have a game in hand over both of those rivals.

Chesterfield made it a double over Belper with an eight-wicket victory in the second-team clash in Division Four North at Queen's Park.

The visitors looked handily placed on 125-4 but slid to 169 all out as seamer Barney Kirk took 3-25 and wrist-spinner Joel Hiron 2-20.

The bowlers were backed up by a smart display from wicket-keeper Callum Hiron, who had two catches and two stumpings.

Callum then shared a second-wicket stand of 103 with Alex Fowkes (54) to put Chesterfield in charge.

Driving powerfully through the off-side, Hiron was unbeaten on 68 when skipper Adam Woodhouse (32 not out) hit the winning boundary with 12 overs to spare.

Chesterfield are fourth in the table on 133 points, 33 behind leaders Riddings.

Matt Grant (119 not out) and James Taylor (90) shared a second-wicket partnership of 167 in the third team's winning draw against Whittington Wanderers in Division 10 North.

They guided Chesterfield to 242-2 and the visitors replied with 99-8, Taylor taking 4-10 and Daniel Briddon 3-18.

On Saturday there are two matches between Chesterfield and Ilkeston Rutland.

The firsts meet at Queen's Park and the seconds at Ilkeston. The third team host Matlock and Cromford Meadows at Holmewood.

On Sunday Chesterfield travel to Ilkeston in the quarter-finals of the Marston's 61 Deep Trophy and the Mansfield & District League team play Mansfield Hosiery Mills at Queen's Park.