Youthful Heywood seconds display their promise

Heywood Seconds side showed plenty of talent and potential as they easily beat Rochdale

A young Heywood Seconds side showed plenty of talent and potential as they easily beat Rochdale at Crimble on Saturday.

They bowled Rochdale out for just 106 after posting an excellent target total of 197-8 off their 50 overs.

Star of the show with the bat was Dom Fawcett, whose fine 53 was by a distance the most impressive effort of the day with the bat. The younger Fawcett brother made a difficult wicket look like a belter at times, standing tall to pull anything short from the visiting attack.

Matt Hood had given the innings some impetus, and then Phil Dawson dug in alongside Fawcett. Dawson grafted well, but Fawcett looked a class apart as he moved his feet well to get well forward, but was especially impressive against the short ball.

After Dawson had lobbed a catch while trying to get after Avery, Fawcett started to struggle a little as the wicket seemed to pop a bit and he edged behind for an excellent 53.

Wickets fell and the scoring stopped, but then the doughty Chris Booth and skipper Adam Fawcett showed their growing maturity when they put on 44 for the sixth wicket. Booth was the initial aggressor, scoring runs in the style that always suggests there is more to come from him, but when he went Fawcett upped it a gear.

He picked his length well, looking to hit over the offside, and struck some powerful yet orthodox blows to take his side to a very good total.

Dom Fawcett then struck the first blow, before James Mills came to the party. He picked up three excellent wickets, bowling full at a decent pace, including a brilliant slip catch from Blundell as he just missed out on a hat-trick.

Ben Thulborn, back in the team to the pleasure of a good home support thanks to the abandonment of the first team game at Redbrook, enjoyed a long spell with his off-spinners. He looked rusty at times, but when he got his rhythm he flighted it and turned it well to pick up 3-32.

Skipper Adam Fawcett capped a fine all-round day with bat, ball and captaincy by picking up two late wickets, but it was perhaps fitting that brother Dom finished with the final wicket to put the seal on a fine personal and excellent team performance.

Heywood 2nds
M Hood c Duffy b Saville 19
P Dawson c Iqbal b W Avery 22
D Fawcett c Duffy b Malik 53
T Blundell lbw b Malik 5
B Thulborn c Maz Mohammed b Malik 3
C Booth c Ahmed b Maz Mohammed 22
A Fawcett b Saville 33
K Nugent b Maz Mohammed 0
J Mills not out 2
B Sutcliffe not out 1
Extras 37
Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 197
Fall of wickets: 34-1, 104-2, 117-3, 122-4, 125-5, 169-6, 169-7, 196-8
Bowling: Saville 11-0-58-2, Ul-Haq 4-0-17-0, W Avery 15-4-33-1, Malik 12-1-44-3, Duffy 4-0-22-0, Maz Mohammed 4-1-17-2

Rochdale 2nds
J Duffy c Blundell b Mills 17
W Avery b D Fawcett 6
K Ahmed b Mills 8
R Oldfield c Nugent b A Fawcett 15
H Iqbal lbw b Mills 0
F Fawad c P Dawson b A Fawcett 1
M Mohammed c Harding b Thulborn 13
J Pattison b Thulborn 4
A Saville b Thulborn 20
M Ul-Haq not out 4
M Malik b D Fawcett 1
Extras 17
Total (36.1 overs) 106
Fall of wickets: 13-1, 32-2, 38-3, 38-4, 41-5, 64-6, 77-7, 92-8, 105-9, 106-10
Bowling: D Fawcett 9.1-0-33-2, J Mills 7-2-16-3, A Fawcett 9-2-24-2, B Thulborn 11-0-32-3