Max powers Milnrow to thrilling victory over Heyside

Milnrow won a thrilling victory against Heyside  on Saturday largely thanks to another outstanding batting display from the captain, Max Power.

After several weeks of poor weather, Ladyhouse saw its most exciting game of the season and the victory by Milnrow extended their lead at the top of the Pennine Cricket League Championship.

Heyside batted first on a damp wicket and they made a quick start thanks to some big hitting from their overseas player, Jon-Ross Campbell. He scored 43 quick runs before a superb diving catch in the deep from Matthew Owen dismissed him. Charlie Lloyd Jones being the bowler.

Bloor also reached the 40s as Milnrow bowled tightly but dropped a couple of key catches.

Heyside pushed their total to 144 and there was a feeling around the ground that this would not be easy to chase down.

De Villiers and Lloyd Jones were the pick of the Milnrow bowlers with four and three wickets, respectively.

Milnrow found scoring runs challenging for the first thirty overs of their innings.

They lost Crabtree and Second cheaply but Joe Wilson batted resolutely to hold the innings together. His 43 runs offered stability to Milnrow and he put on 76 with Power for the third wicket. This partnership was crucial in bringing Milnrow back in to the game before Wilson was run out going for quick runs. 

Batting had proved to be difficult all day due to the damp wicket and with five overs left, Milnrow still needed 50 runs to win the game. It was at this point that Power hit some fantastic shots.

Together with Fanie De Villiers, Milnrow scored 20 runs from the 41st over and this gave Milnrow belief that they could chase down the Heyside total of 144.

De Villiers hit one six and Power hit two as the game moved towards a tense conclusion.

De Villiers was out going for another big hit and this brought 15-year-old Jack Wynn to the wicket.

The 43rd over saw Power and Wynn score 14 runs and they took nine runs off the penultimate over meaning that three runs were needed from the last over.

Wynn scored 11 from nine balls and this enabled Power to seal the game in the final over. After two dot balls, Power sent the third ball for another six and the Milnrow players and supporters celebrated a victory which had seemed highly unlikely an hour earlier.