Cricket: Bizarre Pawson hat-trick sets up Shaw victory

Heywood Monkeys went out of the Marstons T20 Cup despite a victory in their fourth Group game against Shaw Spartans.

The visitors to the inimitable Holebottom Clough ground made a far from convincing 127-8 from their 20 overs then contained the home team to 106-9.

The opening over of the Shaw innings proved decisive and dramatic, featuring a hat-trick for Danny Pawson.

Pawson saw his first two balls go straight back over his head for boundaries from home professional Marques Ackerman, who let the third delivery go by outside the off stump.

Ackerman then tried another big hit to the same long-on area as his first two successful attempts yet only succeeded in being caught on the boundary edge by Mikey Witts, who had been posted there for the very shot!

Justin Watson perished the next ball from a mishit and a second catch for Witts, who had been brought back into the fielding circle. And the players and spectators could hardly believe it when Richard Keaveny went to another swing from the last ball of the over, allowing Wes Hunt to get under a further miscued skyer.

Pawson and the rest of his team-mates celebrated his feat as Shaw lurched from 8-0 to 8-3. And it was 8-4 in the next over when Callum Jones went to a catch by Pawson off Tom McQuinn.

That was the game virtually done and dusted despite brave resistance by Ethan Chiappe (33), Richard Doherty (20) and Joe Whitehead (17), with Riley Paterson’s off-spin mopping up the tail to end with figures of 4-19 from his four overs.

Earlier, Heywood’s batting display was largely undistinguished, with only Bobby Cross (32), Andy Dawson (42) and Hunt (13) reaching double figures.

Dawson’s contribution was the most rapid and crucial as his runs came off just 22 balls and contained three sixes and four boundaries in mid-innings just when his side needed it.

Heywood Monkeys

• R Cross b Jones 32
• S Burrill c Fraser b Doherty 2
• D Pawson c Chiappe b Doherty 0
• T Townsend c Pilling b Doherty 8
• A Dawson c Keaveny b Ackerman 42
• R Paterson c Ackerman b Jones 0
• W Hunt c Watson b Chiappe 13
• M Witts b Chiappe 7
• M Grogan not out 11
• T McQuinn not out 3
• Extras 9
• Total (for 8 wkts, 20 overs) 127
• Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-15, 3-31, 4-71, 5-71, 6-92, 7-104, 8-112
• Bowling: J Watson 4-1-18-0, R Doherty 4-0-10-3, E Chiappe 4-0-30-2, M Ackerman 4-0-43-1, C Jones 4-0-19-2

Shaw Spartans

• M Ackerman c Witts b Pawson 8
• J Watson c Witts b Pawson 0
• R Keaveny c Hunt b Pawson 0
• J Whitehead b Dawson 17
• C Jones c Pawson b McQuinn 0
• E Chiappe st Hunt b Paterson 33
• R Doherty c Grogan b Paterson 20
• G Russell st Hunt b Paterson 1
• L Fraser c and b Paterson 9
• B Pilling not out 2
• B Swann not out 1
• Extras 15
• Total (for 9 wkts, 20 overs) 106
• Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-8, 3-8, 4-8, 5-50, 6-86, 7-86, 8-101, 9-101
• Bowling: D Pawson 4-0-23-3, T McQuinn 4-1-20-1, T Townsend 4-0-7-0, A Dawson 4-0-29-1, R Paterson 4-0-19-4