Heywood excel in the field, fall short with the bat

Another Jekyll and Hyde performance cost Heywood dearly as they slipped to a five-run home defeat against Denton St Lawrence.

Heywood were excellent in the field as they restricted the Dentonto 154 all out.

Then, led by a terrific innings by overseas amateur Jayden Borg, Heywood looked poised for victory and a big boost to their fight for Premier League survival when they reached 102-2 and needed another 53 at little more than three runs per over.

However, Borg was left stranded as wickets tumbled at the other end to visiting professional Scott Kirwin, and the Australian was finally run out for 85 going for a suicide run in the final over.

Denton put together an opening stand of 72 and set the foundations for what looked certain to be a sizeable score.

Heywood paceman Simon Dawson took the first two Denton wickets, the second a stunning return catch off the dangerous Kirwin, to finish with 2-35 from his admirable stint.

Denton were still well placed on 83-2 when Heywood captain Chris Humphreys returned at the lake end, following an earlier fruitless four-over stint from the pavilion end, and produced another telling spell to wreck the remainder of the visiting line-up. He finished with 5-30 from his 13 overs.

Jack Morley weighed in with a couple of wickets, and Heywood were applauded off after dismissing Denton for 154.

What followed in the second half of the run chase, however, had the Heywood fans almost continually biting their nails.

There didn’t look a problem when Borg and Bobby Cross motored to 39-0 in just over 10 overs before the key incidents unfolded.

Cross was run out being called for a dubious quick single, then professional Danny Pawson slapped a catch to point without addition to the score.

That brought in Liam Mason to battle away diligently alongside the fluent Borg. When the duo took the total past the century mark with 15 overs still in hand the situation looked well under control for Heywood.

Mason, with the first sign of losing his concentration, danced down the wicket to spinner Kyle O’Reilly and was stumped for a laudable 16 – and Denton barged through the opening provided.

Kirwin, who had claimed just the wicket of Pawson in his opening eight-over spell, was immediately brought back into the attack and went through the Heywood middle order.

Dominic Humphreys, Wes Hunt, Sean Burrill and Simon Dawson were all quickly sent packing, three of them clean bowled, to leave Heywood on 126-7.

To compound the situation for Heywood, there were now only four overs left with another 29 needed for victory.

Borg was continually left stranded to watch the carnage from the other end with his partners unable to give him the strike.

Chris Humphreys sliced a catch to short third man and went for five.

Mike Grogan joined Borg to inch Heywood closer to the target.

At 146-8 going into the final over and Borg still there, Heywood were still in with a chance.

Grogan took a single from the first ball, a leg bye saw Borg again lose the strike, and he was then run out by a throw from short cover trying desperately to face the final three balls.

The game was virtually up for Heywood, who added just one more run but survived being bowled out to salvage a point.

Denton St Lawrence

A Hawley c Pawson b C Humphreys 35
B Tighe c Cross b S Dawson 38
S Kirwin c and b S Dawson 9
A Marsh st Borg b Morley 17
N Keoh c Hunt b C Humphreys 3
J Williams run out 21
M Dillnut b C Humphreys 0
M Hawley c Borg b C Humphreys 0
J Clough c Grogan b Morley 6
K O’Reilly c S Dawson b C Humphreys 1
D Moriarty not out 2
Extras 22
Total (50 overs) 154
Fall of wickets: 1-72, 2-83, 3-110, 4-116, 5-118, 6-122, 7-122, 8-144, 9-146, 10-154
Bowling: S Dawson 15-3-35-2, C Humphreys 13-3-30-5, D Humphreys 7-1-33-0, J Morley 15-3-48-2

Heywood

R Cross run out 13
J Borg run out 85
D Pawson c M Hawley b Kirwin 0
L Mason st Dillnut b O’Reilly 16
D Humphreys b Kirwin 3
W Hunt b Kirwin 2
S Burrill c Moriarty b Kirwin 1
S Dawson b Kirwin 0
C Humphreys c Williams b O’Reilly 5
M Grogan not out 5
J Morley not out 1
Extras 18
Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 149
Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-39, 3-102, 4-109, 5-124, 6-126, 7-126, 8-126, 9-148
Bowling: S Kirwin 15-7-40-5, B Tighe 8-1-22-0, N Keoh 7-0-28-0, J Williams 10-2-18-0, K O’Reilly 10-0-31-2