Cricket: A day to forget for Heywood In heavy Crimble defeat

Wickets for Dexter Fitton

From a day to remember, Heywood’s clash at Crimble with Norden soon turned into a day to forget. Heywood were cruising along to a big total on 113-2 with plenty of overs to go and the visitors a quiet and disconsolate bunch in the field.

In no time, Michael Price (5-30) and veteran Dexter Fitton (3-37) tore the Heywood innings apart and they faded alarmingly to 160 all out.

To add insult to injury, Greg Tattersall blazed away in his role as a pinch hitter in Norden’s reply to get them off to a flying start, and a fine innings from pro Price (86) saw Norden ease to a six-wicket victory, despite the loss of three quick wickets with less than 20 needed for victory.

It was a poor performance from Heywood - three batsmen who were all well set, Ross Zelem, Travis Townsend and Danny Pawson, all failed to capitalise on good starts and left the middle order exposed. 

The innings got off to an interesting start with Andy Dawson smashing Simon North for two big sixes before he fell.

Townsend and Zelem carried on the good work to set Heywood up for the total they needed on a good wicket.

But Townsend found an outside edge to cover when trying to hit Harvey Fitton to midwicket and fell for 26.

After Pawson and Zelem looked settled, the latter slapped a catch straight to Lord when on 31.

Pawson looked the class act in the league as he played all bowlers with ease and it was a shock and surprise when he missed a straight one from Fitton on 34 to leave Heywood on 123-4, meaning two new batsmen were at the crease.

Captain Bobby Cross played a couple of nice shots, but wickets fell around him and when he went for 18, Heywood were in real trouble and the wickets continued to fall apace as the home side ended on a below-par 160.

Tattersall and Price capitalised on some poor bowling from Heywood and Norden got off to a great start.

They hit 75 in quick time before Tattersall fell to Townsend.

The runs continued to flow, though, and despite a wicket for Simon Dawson and two for the returning Humza Naeem, Norden cruised to a five point win with a massive 19 overs remaining.

The match was reduced to 45 overs per side for no apparent reason. The ground volunteers at Heywood spent all morning on the ground and they were convinced it was fit for play from 1pm. Procrastination from the umpires meant the game started late.

Heywood

R Zelem c Lord b Price 31
A Dawson c Price b Humphreys 16
T Townsend c Buckley b H Fitton 26
D Pawson b D Fitton 34
R Cross c Hazlehurst b D Fitton 18
D Latham b D Fitton 1
S Dawson c Pimm b Price 2
R Paterson st Hazlehurst b Price 8
H Naeem c Humphreys b Price 7
S Moore c and b Price 0
C Kaye not out 2
Extras 15
Total (41.3 overs) 160

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-71, 3-113, 4-123, 5-132, 6-140, 7-147, 8-153, 9-153, 10-160
Bowling: Humphreys 10-2-28-1, North 3-0-25-0, Lord 3-0-16-0, H Fitton 4-0-22-1, D Fitton 11-1-37-3, Price 10.3-1-30-5

Norden

M Price c Latham b Naeem 86
G Tattersall c Pawson b Townsend 30
S North c Pawson b S Dawson 14
S Pimm not out 13
H Fitton c Pawson b Naeem 0
D Buckley not out 4
Extras 14

Total (for 4 wkts, 26.4 overs) 161
Fall of wickets: 1-75, 2-139, 3-140, 4-141
Bowling: Paterson 4-1-24-0, Naeem 5-0-28-2, Townsend 8-1-48-1, Kaye 4-0-26-0, S Dawson 4-0-17-1, A Dawson 1.4-0-12-0