Cricket: Flixton Fire extinguish Heywood Monkeys’ T20 hopes

Heywood Monkeys’ bid to reach Archway T20 finals day for a second successive year was extinguished by Flixton Fire in a rain-hit quarter-final at Lawrence Road.

The match was reduced to 18-overs-per-side because of the weather and the Monkeys struggled to post a competitive total, eventually reaching 104-6.

That never really looked enough to challenge a strong home batting unit, and the Fire went through at 72-2 from 11 overs on a run rate recalculation when the match was abandoned.

The Monkeys’ hopes of getting up to around the 130 mark suffered two crucial early setbacks when Bobby Cross (14) went caught behind in the fourth over, then skipper Danny Pawson (8) lofted a towering catch to deep mid-on from the last ball of the next over.

Andy Kerr tried to anchor the innings and succeeded to some extent, despite wickets falling at regular intervals.

Travis Townsend went for eight with the total 42, Sean Burrill fell for four 24 runs later, and when Kerr was run out for a contribution of 30 – which contained one big legside six – the Monkeys were 70-5 and in danger of failing to reach three figures.

Yet 16-year-old Jack Morley and Wes Hunt gave cause for hope with a stand of 34, Hunt run out from the last ball of the innings for 21 – which contained a six and a ‘Dilshan-scoop’ for four over his head – and Morley remaining unbeaten on 14.

The Monkeys needed quick wickets when the Fire replied, and Simon Dawson responded with the scalps of Usman Tariq and Luke Perry caught behind to leave the home side 19-2.

Arguably the outstanding bowling performance of the night came from Morley, who opened the attack and displayed such control that he finished with 0-17 from his four overs – which would have been even more impressive but for two ‘fives’ from legside wides in his final over.

He was certainly shown the upmost respect by Alex Heaton and Alton Beckford in a third-wicket stand of 53 before the umpires finally conceded to the weather, Beckford impressing with 32 and Heaton on 15 at the truncated closure.

Heywood Monkeys

R Cross c Heaton b Tariq 14
A Kerr run out 30
D Pawson c Parkinson b Hammond 8
T Townsend b Kamran 6
S Burrill c Tariq b Beckford 4
J Morley not out 14
W Hunt run out 21
Extras 7
Total (for 6 wkts, 18 overs) 104
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-26, 3-42, 4-66, 5-70, 6-104
Bowling: S Hammond 4-0-24-1, J Wessels 1-0-5-0, U Tariq 4-0-22-1, A Beckford 4-0-22-1, Kamran Basharat 3-0-15-1, L Perry 2-0-11-0

Flixton Fire

L Perry c Cross b S Dawson 4
U Tariq c Cross b S Dawson 8
A Heaton not out 15
A Beckford not out 32
Extras 14
Total (for 2 wkts, 11 overs) 72
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-19
Bowling: J Morley 4-1-17-0, S Dawson 3-0-22-2, K Cross 2-0-16-0, D Pawson 2-0-18-0

Match abandoned – Flixton win on run rate.