Morley bamboozles Radcliffe seconds with six-wicket haul

A cracker-Jack performance helped propel Heywood’s second team into the second round of the Burton Cup.

Jack Morley, the club’s 13-year-old prospect, produced tremendous left-arm spinning figures of 6-9 from his 10 overs to topple Radcliffe for 105 in reply to the home team’s 140-7 before an enthusiastic crowd at Crimble.

The gathering was swelled by first team players and supporters re-routing from the aborted Wood Cup first round tie at Radcliffe, where early morning rain meant the match being rescheduled for 21 June – the original second round date. They were in enthusiastic mood as Morley, and earlier Chris Booth with the bat, turned in outstanding displays.

Heywood struggled to set a decisive total and were thankful to Booth, going in at number four, for compiling an unbeaten 52 out of 140-7 from their 50 overs, reaching his half-century from the last ball of the innings.

It was certainly a struggle with the bat for the home side, who limped along at little more than two an over for most of the time.

Booth kept his cool and the eventual total gave the Heywood bowlers something to defend.

Teenager Morley responded in brilliant style. He came on as third change and formed a terrific partnership with another left-arm spinner, the experienced Chris Kaye, who is the club’s all-time record wicket-taker at first team level.

The duo put a stranglehold on the Radcliffe innings, and Kaye’s return of a single wicket was scant reward as he saw a couple of chances go to ground.

Morley revelled in the limelight at the Lake end, impressing everyone with his control, flight and change of pace that bamboozled the Radcliffe middle order.

To take six wickets in a 10-over spell is one thing, to concede just nine runs and frustrate the visiting batsmen is another, and Morley fully merited his standing ovation from a vastly larger than normal second team crowd as he led the team off the field.

It was, however, an impressive all-round bowling effort by Heywood, with Dominic Fawcett also claiming a couple of key wickets in support of the spinners.

Heywood 2nds
P Dawson st Johnston b Sajewicz 10
R Smethurst b Gately 2
C Kaye c Farley b Sajewicz 19
C Booth not out 52
A Fawcett lbw b Bowman 22
M Grogan c Maddock b Smith 7
S Jones b Gately 0
D Fawcett lbw b Smith 0
J Mills not out 5
Extras 23
Total (for 7 wkts, 50 overs) 140
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-28, 3-57, 4-98, 5-119, 6-122, 7-123
Bowling: P Smith 10-4-15-2, C Gately 10-1-27-2, A Sajewicz 10-2-19-2, A Khan 6-2-18-0, D Bowman 9-1-34-1, D Farley 5-0-20-0

Radcliffe 2nds
C Hamilton st Jones b Morley 28
L Franklin b D Fawcett 0
D Farley c Purser b Kaye 13
C Malcolm c Kaye b Morley 7
D Bowman b Morley 0
J Maddock st Jones b Morley 14
A Sajewicz c Kaye b D Fawcett 15
C Gately c and b Morley 4
J Johnston c Jones b Morley 0
P Smith not out 11
A Khan b A Fawcett 2
Extras 11
Total (45.2 overs) 105
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-51, 3-51, 4-54, 5-70, 6-73, 7-77, 8-77, 9-97, 10-105
Bowling: D Fawcett 10-2-24-2, J Mills 6-1-12-0, R Purser 9-0-36-0, C Kaye 10-2-20-1, J Morley 10-6-9-6, A Fawcett 0.2-0-1-1