Cricket: Lovell keeps it tight to send Horwich into a spin

Heywood celebrate an important wicket

Joe Lovell bowled the key spell that took Heywood into the quarter finals of the LCB KO Cup.

Horwich made a great start to chasing down Heywood’s total of 203, reaching 75-2 off 15 overs and playing shots all round a quick and well attended Crimble.

However Lovell, initially with Chris Kaye also tying up one end, bowled a spell to rival his overs at Ormskirk in the previous round. He finished with 2-15 off 9 overs and was the class bowler on display as Horwich collapsed to 148 all out. He is becoming one of the best slow bowlers in the league.

Heywood’s total could have been a lot more at one stage, with Bobby Cross looking in imperious form. He was superb all around the wicket and as usual his early picking of length was impeccable.

Bobby Cross, along with Heywood’s other top men Danny Pawson and Travis Townsend, found a way to get out. When on 76, with big runs looking probable and the score on 145, he slapped a long-hop to the one man in front of square in the circle on the leg side.

Heywood were looking at 250, but with wickets falling 200 seemed to be a good target, and it was again Wes Hunt who dug in to score a crucial 26 that enabled his side to get past 200.

Horwich got off to a great start and looked on track to chase the target at 104-2. But then Lovell and Kaye applied the breaks and the visitors couldn’t cope.

Kaye finished with 1-27 and Townsend bowled an excellent spell to battle through a shoulder injury, and Horwich were done.

Now Heywood must travel to Barnoldswick for the next round, a date for which will be revealed shortly, but it looks like being 11 August, which is Burton Cup final day.

Heywood

R Zelem c Halliday b Cavill 33
A Dawson c Cavill b Taylor 11
R Cross c White b Pratt 76
T Townsend c and b Pratt 21
D Pawson c Street b Pratt 6
D Latham c White b Morris 2
W Hunt c White b Street 26
R Paterson not out 10
J Lovell not out 10
Extras 8

Total (for 7 wickets, 45 overs) 203
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-103, 3-136, 4-145, 5-159, 6-162, 7-191
Bowling:
Street 9-0-36-1
Taylor 8-2-32-1
White 8-1-38-0
Morris 9-0-33-1
Cavill 6-0-38-1
Pratt 5-0-25-3

Horwich

D White c Zelem b Paterson 16
J Settle b Lovell 29
P Cavill c Naeem b Townsend 39
P Halliday c Latham b Lovell 21
D Morris c Cross b Kaye 1
R Chaisty c Cross b Townsend 15
R Holgate run out 7
M Pratt c Pawson b Naeem 5
D Hunt not out 3
A Street run out 1
A Taylor b Paterson 0
Extras 11

Total (39.1 overs) 148
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-64, 3-104, 4-105, 5-128, 6-138, 7-138, 8-146, 9-148, 10-148
Bowling:
Paterson 3.1-0-23-2
Naeem 5-0-27-1
Dawson 4-0-22-0
Lovell 9-2-15-2

Kaye 9-0-27-1
Townsend 9-0-33-2