Cricket: Heywood Monkeys swing into quarters of T20

Heywood Monkeys qualified for the quarter-finals of the Archway T20 Cup with what was eventually a comfortable 21-run victory over the Roe Green Renegades.

An enterprising batting display saw Heywood rattle up 175-7 from their 20 overs at Roe Green, and the home side did not look likely to get anyway near their victory target when reduced to 25-4 in reply.

Dan Jones (46) and Ben McMahon (38) put on 65 for the fifth wicket and the Renegades needed just over 10 runs per over from last six on a fast-scoring ground to pull the match out of the fire.

The Monkeys kept their nerve, however, to topple the Renegades for 154 with just two balls of the game left and put the club within sight of a second successive T20 finals day.

The Monkey's challenging total was based on an opening stand of 51 between Andy Kerr, first out for 34, and Andy Dawson (11), who both fell within a run of each other.

The momentum was maintained by Travis Townsend (29) and particularly captain Danny Pawson, whose whirlwind contribution of 35 came off just 14 balls and contained four big sixes.

Sean Burrill, 22, and Mikey Witts with an unbeaten 13 made sure that the Monkeys did post a significant score, although they had looked capable of getting closer to the 200 mark after reaching 100-2 in the 10th over.

The real difference between the two teams was in the field, with the Renegades conceding several runs with untidy stops and throws.

Contrast that with the Monkeys, led by a fine display by stand-in wicketkeeper Wes Hunt, who backed up their bowlers well when the pressure was on.

Hunt was crisp and clean with his glovework, and his sharp stumping of Ben McMahon from a legside wide came at a vital team when the Renegades were gaining momentum.

On the bowling front, the Dawson brothers took the plaudits. Simon claimed two of the first four wickets in an opening stint of 2-14, and Andy came back into the attack at the death to claim two wickets in his final over and finish with 4-28.

Heywood Monkeys

A Dawson c B Bowers b Jones 11
A Kerr b Jones 34
T Townsend b Kenyon 29
D Pawson c Williams b B McMahon 35
S Burrill run out 22
W Hunt b J Bowers 8
S Dawson lbw b Kenyon 1
M Witts not out 13
M Grogan not out 8
Extras 14
Total (for 7 wkts, 20 overs) 175
Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-52, 3-100, 4-137, 5-148, 6-149, 7-161
Bowling: G Emmett 3-0-27-0, D Jones 4-0-32-2, B Bowers 4-0-30-0, B McMahon 3-0-43-1, J Bowers 3-0-24-1, J Kenyon 3-0-14-2

Roe Green Renegades

D Jones c Pawson b Townsend 46
L Norris c Witts b S Dawson 0
O McMahon c Townsend b A Dawson 0
L Williams c Grogan b S Dawson 5
J Kenyon b Pawson 6
B McMahon st Hunt b Townsend 38
J Birch lbw b A Dawson 16
J Bowers c Kerr b A Dawson 16
M Shah c Hunt b Pawson 14
B Bowers c S Dawson b A Dawson 0
G Emmett not out 0
Extras 8
Total (19.4 overs) 154
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-4, 3-9, 4-25, 5-90, 6-107, 7-128, 8-149, 9-149, 10-150
Bowling: S Dawson 4-0-14-2, A Dawson 4-0-28-4, D Pawson 3.4-0-30-2, T Townsend 4-0-46-2, K Cross 4-0-33-0