Cricket: Successful weekend for Heywood

Heywood Cricket Club

It was a successful weekend all around for Heywood Cricket Club. Heywood first team maintained their accomplished start to the new Greater Manchester League. The second team took maximum points from an eight-wicket defeat of South West Manchester on Saturday, and the third team saw off Ashton Ladysmith by 66 runs in their Cup clash the following day.

Heywood first team maintained their accomplished start to the new Greater Manchester League season as a maximum six-point win at Winton took them to join top of Division One.

It turned out to be a facile eight-wicket victory for a Heywood side already weakened by player unavailability, then suffering a further blow when key all-rounder Jack Morley was forced to rest a groin strain.

But two players in particular – Andy Dawson and Bobby Cross – stepped up to the plate to ensure that the substantial away support went away from the Alder Forest Avenue ground in good spirits.

Dawson was the pick of the Heywood attack after the home side batted first yet looked likely to subside for a modest total as they tottered on 111-7.

Then Curtis Hayes and Darren Fletcher put together a 54-run stand before Dawson came back into the attack to clean up the tail.

Dawson, who had claimed the first two Winton wickets after opening the bowling in partnership with brother Simon, claimed the final three victims to finish with the creditable figures of 5-36 from 9.5 overs as Winton reached a total of 174 that did not look remotely possible earlier in the piece.

Heywood sent in Simon Dawson to open with Andy Kerr and he did not last long before edging a catch behind.

That, however, brought Cross to the wicket and he reproduced the form that has brought him a mountain of runs in his senior Heywood career.

Kerr went for 22 after spooning a catch to mid-on and, at 60-2, there was a glimmer of hope for Winton. But Travis Townsend came in to forge an impressive partnership with Cross as they snuffed out the home side’s aspirations.

Cross pounced on anything loose and was continually proactive in his authoritative 87, while Townsend gave him excellent support in his contribution of 49 as both galloped along at an impressive rate.

So much so that they put together an unbroken stand of 116 to ensure that Heywood reached 176-2 in just 31.2 overs, and left the bang-in-form Danny Pawson not required for batting action!

Other plus points for the visitors were a telling spell of 2-13 in seven overs from Humza Naeem, one wicket courtesy of a stunning slip catch by Pawson, and a first Heywood wicket for James Seddon.

Winton

T Derbyshire c Pawson b Naeem 21
K Humphrys c Cross b A Dawson 8
R Brown lbw b A Dawson 4
M Seenan b Pawson 24
B Cox c Cross b Naeem 6
D Holden b Pawson 16
C Hayes b A Dawson 30
M Talbot c Naeem b Seddon 11
D Carter c Pawson b A Dawson 25
D Marchment b A Dawson 7
S Brittain not out 1
Extras 21
Total (48.5 overs) 174
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-14, 3-66, 4-75, 5-77, 6-96, 7-111, 8-165, 9-173, 10-174
Bowling: S Dawson 14-3-47-0, A Dawson 9.5-0-36-5, C Hilton 4-0-10-0, H Naeem 7-2-13-2, D Pawson 5-1-26-2, J Seddon 3-0-17-1, T Townsend 6-0-20-0

Heywood

A Kerr c Hayes b Humphrys 22
S Dawson c Cox b Marchment 0
R Cross not out 87
T Townsend not out 49
Extras 18
Total (for 2 wkts, 31.2 overs) 176
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-60
Bowling: D Marchment 7-0-34-1, S Brittain 4-0-16-0, M Seenan 6-0-36-0, K Humphrys 10-0-48-1,
D Carter 2-0-21-0, D Holden 1.2-0-16-0, T Derbyshire 1-0-3-0