It's so close as Chesterfield edge home to seal crucial double triumph

Chesterfield landed a double victory in their battle to avoid Derbyshire County Cricket League relegation but only after shredding their supporters' nerves. 

They faced two vital Premier Division games on successive days at Queen's Park and began with  an emphatic seven-wicket win over second-placed Spondon. 

The following day they looked to be in trouble against bottom-of-the-table Eckington before rallying to edge home by two wickets with three  balls to spare. 

They put Eckington in to bat and reduced them to 147-8 with paceman Matt Stewart bowling really well after a wayward start to claim 4-40. 

But Hamish Gill held together the Eckington innings with 49 not out as the visitors hit back to total 211-9 off 50 overs. 

Chesterfield appeared well on course as Ben Slater (67) and Luke Westwell (26) added 72 for the third wicket. 

But they fell in quick succession to Nathan Musselwhite and Chesterfield collapsed from 130-2 to 158-7. 

Matt Taylor (20) helped Kevin Leatherday add 32 but the required run rate kept climbing and Chesterfield needed 17 off the last two overs. 

Reece Johnson swung a mighty six over mid wicket to bring the equation to seven off the final six balls. 

Leatherday played spinner Kabelo Sekhukhune's first delivery through square leg for two, drove the next to the long off boundary and clinched the win with a single on the leg side, finishing with an invaluable 45 not out. 

The previous day Spondon raced to 59-1 off eight overs but the Chesterfield spinners bowled tightly, skipper Harry Wilmott taking 3-44, and the visitors had to settle for 224-9. 

Slater batted imperiously to lead Chesterfield's run chase, defending when needed and punishing loose deliveries. 

He hit 120 not out as Chesterfield won with six overs to spare, having received good support particularly from Kemira Wijenayake (39) and Westwell (22). 

In his 25 appearances for Chesterfield over the last three seasons Slater has scored eight centuries and six half-centuries. 

The double lifts Chesterfield to 10th in the 12-team table on 154 points, 11 clear of the drop zone. 

The seconds won by six wickets at Stainsby Hall.  Seamer Adam Cahill (5-32) and off-spinners Joe Simpkin (3-26) and Chamath Perera (2-10) bowled out the hosts for 89 and

Chesterfield raced to their target in 16 overs despite losing four early wickets. 

Chesterfield are fourth in Division Four North on 226 points, 16 off a promotion spot.  Phil Stone (79) and Ewan Westwell (74) helped the third team to 250-5 off 40 overs at Belper Amateurs seconds in Division Eight North. 

Opening bowler Tim Imran then took 6-14 to help dismiss Belper for 76. 

The Sunday  side lost by four wickets to Anston in the Mansfield & District League after being bowled out for 106. 

Charlie Robinson took 5-36 as Chesterfield made a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to defend that total.