Cricket: Heywood Seconds enjoy Saturday win, but suffer Sunday cup loss

Heywood Cricket Club

A thumping win over Saddleworth maintained Heywood Cricket Club's Second team’s title challenge in Division 4 East of the Greater Manchester League.

They were on the end of a batting blitz at Woodbank the following day as they went out of the Second XI Cup at the quarter-final stage.

Heywood’s total of 257-6 at home to Saddleworth featured significant contributions by skipper Steve Evans (63), Rob Bennett (56), Chris Booth (45) and Roger Smethurst (30).

The visitors to Crimble threatened to make a game of it through a second wicket stand of 57 between R Jones and D Jenkinson. But once the spinners came into the attack the picture changed.

Jones fell for 20 and Jenkinson made 27 in the face of a 4-15 return from seven overs by Lee Clarkson. Saddleworth eventually closed on 93-9 as Will Taylor chipped in with 2-3 from 3.4 overs, while Tom Pagett, Chris Kaye and Olivia Thomas claimed a wicket apiece.

Heywood’s cup hopes at Woodbank were virtually extinguished by the home side’s run riot. They racked up 336-8 from their 50 overs led by J Brody (80), T Murphy (79), M Grundy (39), S Brooks (42) and M Dentith 23.

In the light of that, there were creditable bowling figures of 3-41 by James Mills and 3-56 from John Keyworth.

The visitors had little feasible chance of pulling the match out of the fire despite the fast-scoring nature of the Bury area ground, and eventually closed on 178 from 35 overs.

The major contribution came via an unbeaten 54 by Chris Kaye, batting at number seven.