Gowers hits maiden CLL century as Norden overcome Heywood

Norden Cricket Club

Ash Gowers achieved his maiden CLL century as Norden overcame Heywood at Stag Park on a miserable weather Saturday.

Gowers did have a touch of luck as twice he survived appeals which could well have been upheld, but other than those two moments he was flawless as he smacked 12 fours and two sixes.

The real entertainment, however, at least for the neutrals, came when Martin Smith scored 35 off 11 balls in a 10-minute spell at the crease.

He carted the unfortunate Joe Lovell for three consecutive sixes in one over which cost Heywood 27 runs.

Smith’s blast took Norden up to 252 for four, but a couple of short spells of rain meant the Heywood target was reduced to 230, albeit of less overs than would have been the case in normal conditions.

Danny Pawson and Dale Latham were making a good fist of it at one stage, but once they had gone the tail crumbled and the visitors were all out for 181, having made it to a consolation point.

Heywood had taken a vital early wicket when Simon Harman, last season’s leading amateur run-scorer for Norden, was caught by Rob Nichol for one, but home professional Daniel Salpietro looked in punishing form and smacked 10 fours in his 45 before dancing out to miss a delivery from Lovell and be stumped by Latham.

Simon North showed signs of coming out of a recent poor run with the bat, but he was out for 129, as was Steve Pimm who was stumped by Latham.

At that stage Norden were 205 for four, and Smith took over from Gowers in piling on the runs.

A first reduced target of 241 was always going to be a tall order for Heywood, and it became taller when Nicol went leg before to Chris Hartley without scoring.

Bobby Cross, Pawson and Latham set about restoring hope for the visitors, but with 66 on the board Cross was caught behind by Gowers, and on 130 Pawson was caught in the covers by Harman to give Salpietro the first of his five wickets.

Burrill also went to a catch by Harman, Andrew Dawson was bowled by Hartley and Latham was then caught by Steve Wild close to the boundary for a valiant 30.

That was really the end of the Heywood challenge. Simon Dawson had his off stump cartwheeled by Hartley, Ben Thulborn was run out when Hartley continued his follow up to kick the ball onto the stumps, Booth was leg before to Salpietro, and Lovell was bowled by Salpietro for 16.

Norden

S Harman c Nicol b S Dawson 1
D Salpietro c Latham b Lovell 45
A Gowers not out 114
S North c S Dawson b Lovell 19
S Pimm st Latham b Lovell 19
M Smith not out 35
Extras 19
Total (for 4 wkts) 252
Bowling: S Dawson 11-1-50-1; A Dawson 2-0-15-0; K Cross 8-0-26-0; Lovell 17-1-90-3; Nicol 9-1-34-0; Pawson 3-0-30-0.

Heywood

R Cross c Gowers b Smith 30
R Nicol lbw Hartley 0
D Pawson c Harman b Salpietro 84
D Latham c Wild b Salpietro 30
S Burrill c Harman b Salpietro 6
A Dawson b Hartley 1
J Lovell b Salpietro 16
S Dawson b Hartley 2
B Thulborn run out 1
C Booth lbw Salpietro 0
K Cross not out 1
Extras 10
Total 181
Bowling: Smith 13-2-44-1; Hartley 10-1-41-3; Malik 8-0-40-0; Salpietro 8-0-38-5; North 3-0-13-0.