Cricket: Heywood bowl Royton out after youth sets up big target

Good runs for Dom Fawcett

The wily skills of Rick Purser and Lee Grogan were too much for a disheartened Royton at Crimble on Saturday 15 June.

Faced with a target of 217, Royton tried their best to score early doors in the chase, and indeed, somehow, got to 47 before Purser started to make inroads.

He took four quick wickets to destroy the Royton top order, and with the heart ripped out of them, Grogan struck mercilessly at the other end.

He picked up the next five wickets to fall, four of them for ducks, to finish with 5-29 off 15 and bowl what was considered a strong Royton side out for a paltry 112 on what Heywood had earlier made to look a good wicket.

That Heywood managed to post such a good total was down to disciplined batting all the way through, and some good stroke play late on.

Leading the way was Wes Hunt, who continues to impress.

He was in excellent form and never looked in trouble on a wicket that at times was difficult to play on.

After captain Roger Smethurst went, Hunt was joined by Dom Fawcett who had been struggling for runs up to the weekend.

Hunt took the senior role while Fawcett found it difficult initially, and it was a surprise when Hunt went for an excellent 46 with the score on 85.

Sean Burrill showed glimpses of his talent but went for eight, before the key partnership came when Dom Fawcett was joined by brother Adam.

Adam was the aggressor and Dom started to find his rhythm. The pair hit over the top when they had to, and Adam in particular improvised a bit more. But Dom was the solid batsman, hitting all round the ground as he started to look the quality player we know he is.

Adam was out for 30 with the score on 162 after sharing in a 57-run partnership with his brother, but Mikey Grogan played a lovely cameo, at one stage hitting three surprisingly cultured shots for four in one over to help Heywood to a score that was just too much for a Royton side shorn of veteran John Punchard.

Team captain Smethurst was delighted this win over one of the more experienced outfits in the league, as well as the following day’s impressive run chase at Middleton.

He said: “This was a very pleasing weekend given that we were missing Matt Hood and with Simon Dawson having moved up into the first team.

“It was a great return to form for Dom Fawcett with the bat, Wes Hunt continued his rich vein of form with two good innings and Mikey Grogan had a good weekend, batting well on the Saturday and then bowling the key spell on the Sunday.

“Adam Fawcett also played two key innings for us both days. These were two fantastic wins in contrasting fashions but it was good to see us put scores on the board both days after our batting woes of a few weeks ago.

“Royton were close behind us in the league so Saturday’s win has enabled us to put a bit of light between the two of us and obviously after the disappointment of losing in the cup final to Middleton last year it is great that we are now through to what I think will be a home semi final.”

Heywood
R Smethurst c B Woodward b Jewell 14
W Hunt b Ingham 46
D Fawcett c Hussain b Punchard 54
S Burrill c Hussain b Ingham 8
A Fawcett c Tesz b M Woodward 30
M Grogan c A Tesz b M Woodward 22
C Booth not out 5
L Grogan not out 3
Extras 33
Total (for 6 wickets, 50 overs) 217
FOW:47, 85, 105, 162, 204, 214
Bowling: Tesz 9-2-27-0; Punchard 7-0-40-1; Jewell 6-1-20-1; M Woodward 10-3-43-2; Porteous 10-3-32-0; Ingham 8-0-47-2.

Royton
A Morris c M Grogan b Purser 23
K Hussain lbw Purser 27
C Porteous c L Grogan b Purser 0
M Woodward c M Grogan b Purser 10
C Jewell lbw L Grogan 0
B Woodward b L Grogan 4
J Cassells lbw L Grogan 0
B Ingham not out 29
R Pertoldi c Purser b L Grogan 0
A Punchard c Burrill b L Grogan 0
A Tesz st Jones b Byrne 8
Extras 11
Total (all out, 33.4 overs) 112
FOW: 47, 49, 58, 59, 65, 73,74, 82, 82, 112
Bowling: Purser 15-4-36-4; L Grogan 15-2-29-5; M Grogan 2-0-10-0; S Byrne 1.4-0-20-1.