Heywood fail in Monton T20 chase

Tight stuff from Joe Lovell

Heywood's 12-run defeat at Monton and Weaste in their second qualifying match of the Twenty20 Cup means that they will almost certainly have to win their final Group D match at Clifton on Friday night to stand a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Monton, who have won both their games, now take on Littleborough. A win for Monton would put them through as clear group winners, but wins for Littleborough and Heywood would mean three teams level on four points – with run-rate deciding who goes through to the last eight.

However, if Monton and Clifton win, three teams would be level in second place on two points, with Heywood, Littleborough and Clifton again looking at run rate to sort out who joins Monton in the last eight.

Heywood can reflect that they didn’t make a very good job of chasing Monton’s total of 107 from their 20 overs.

Their bowlers had done an excellent job to restrict the home side, with only professional Simon Harmer (28), overseas amateur Niki Bouwer (30 not out) and impressive all-rounder Jake Sandham (22) making significant contributions.

Pick of the Heywood attack was off-spinner Joe Lovell with 2-10, but he was well supported by professional Rob Nicol, Simon and Andy Dawson plus skipper Danny Pawson in their four-over spells.

Heywood’s reply was again anchored by Bobby Cross as the visitors managed to keep their target down to an eminently gettable five-runs-per-over for most of the innings.

Once Cross went for 34, the rest of the batting line-up folded in the face of an impressive home attack, with off-spinner Harmer – probably playing his last match before being recalled to the South African side – and Sandham doing most of the damage with three wickets each.

Monton
F Shafiq lbw b Lovell 2
S Harmer c Cross b Lovell 28
J Sandham b NIcol 22
J Lenihan run out 5
C Hindle c Lovell b Nicol 2
N Bouwer not out 30
D Collins c Latham b S Dawson 5
A Riaz c Hunt b A Dawson 2
L Morris not out 5
Extras 6
Total (for 7 wkts, 20 overs) 107
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-45, 3-55, 4-57, 5-70, 6-92, 7-95
Bowling: R Nicol 4-0-22-2, J Lovell 4-1-10-2, S Dawson 4-0-24-1, A Dawson 4-0-23-1, D Pawson 4-0-26-0

Heywood
R Cross b Sandham 34
A Dawson c Sandham b Harmer 1
R Nicol c Collins b Harmer 5
D Pawson b Riaz 7
W Hunt b Collins 12
D Latham st Hindle b Harmer 7
S Burrill b Sandham 7
J Lovell b Sandham 7
S Dawson b Collins 1
A Fawcett not out 1
B Thulborn run out 2
Extras 11
Total (19 overs) 95
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-38, 3-44, 4-53, 5-72, 6-76, 7-90, 8-91, 9-93, 10-95
Bowling: S Harmer 4-0-13-3, F Shafiq 2-0-11-0, J Sandham 4-0-21-3, N Bouwer 2-0-12-0, A Riaz 4-0-19-1, D Collins 3-0-13-2