CRICKET: Tickhill CC skipper Alex Rowland accepts missing out on league title to better side

And, says sporting skipper Alex Rowland, they finished second to the better team.

Beaten to top spot in the Yorkshire Southern Premier League by Appleby Frodingham last year, the men from Alderson Drive were in the leading pack again this year before finishing eight points behind Sheffield Collegiate.

“The better side won the league. They beat us home and away and that’s the difference,” said Rowland.

“We had our chance when Collegiate slipped up but then we lost to Cleethorpes (on August Bank Holiday Monday).

“Through a mixture of the weather and under-performing, we only won two games away from home so I’d say that’s obviously not good enough to win any competition.”

Tickhill signed off with a win last weekend, stacking up 238-8 at home to Doncaster Town with the help of an unbeaten 106 from Jim Morgan. The visitors were bowled out 65 runs short, with Josh Court, Imran Khan and Adi Sreedharan taking three wickets apiece.

Collegiate’s comfortable win at Treeton ensured that victory was academic, posting 216-6 and then ending a third-wicket partnership of 62 between Viraj Bhosale and Sam Drury (51) to ultimately bowl their hosts out for 160 and secure the championship.

Tickhill skipper Alex added: “We’ll reflect on what we did well. We played some very good cricket at times and we’ll build over the winter ready for another crack next summer.

“Hopefully it will be third time lucky.”