Andy Dawson
Two of Heywood’s talented under-18s came to the rescue of Roger Smethurst’s second team at Monton and Weaste on Saturday.
Andy Dawson and Scott Jones dug Heywood out a hole as they claimed four important points that keeps them firmly on target for the club’s first Division Two title since 1984.
Batting first, Heywood were reduced to the ridiculous score of 10-4 at one stage, left-arm spinner Nawaz picking up all four wickets to fall lbw. Not one was particularly contentious.
But Dawson, along with the experienced Lee Grogan, dug in and showed that batting was possible to lift their side to 90 before the fifth wicket fell. It was Dawson who went, but not before he had smashed 49 with nine fours and a six.
Grogan went shortly after and wickets fell quickly until Jones was joined by the experienced Rick Purser for the final wicket.
The pair put on 42 for the last wicket, Jones scoring an excellent 31 with seven fours, benefiting from the wisdom of Purser, who, in the not too distant past, was scoring 50s in first team cricket.
Heywood’s total of 165 was way above what they could have hoped for at one stage and it proved too much for Monton.
Wickets fell regularly. Grogan and Purser picked up three wickets apiece and Andy Dawson picked up two and when rain halted the game with Monton on 78-8, the home side were behind the required rate and Heywood had earned themselves four more precious points.
HEYWOOD
S Dawson lbw b Nawaz 0
D Fawcett lbw b Nawaz 1
T Blundell lbw b Nawaz 0
R Smethurst lbw b Nawaz 0
A Dawson c and b Morris 49
L Grogan lbw b Morris 19
A Fawcett b Morris 9
C Booth lbw b Higgs 3
S Burrill lbw b Morris 7
S Jones c Morris b Lang 31
R Purser not out 3
Extras 43
Total (47.3 overs) 165
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-10, 3-10, 4-13, 5-90, 6-101, 7-108, 8-119, 9-123, 10-165
Bowling: Lang 7.3-3-31-1, Nawaz 7-0-46-4, Higgs 15-6-29-1, Morris 15-3-37-4, Lenihan 3-0-14-0
MONTON AND WEASTE
L Morris b Dawson 0
M Elsey lbw b Purser 0
J Pemberton c Smethurst b Purser 32
G Smith lbw b Dawson 0
J Maybury c Purser b Grogan 12
C Higgs lbw b Purser 15
M Harris not out 11
N Lenihan b Grogan 1
A Nawaz b Grogan 0
H Zafar not out 0
Extras 6
Total (for 8 wkts, 28.4 overs) 78
Bowling: Purser 14.4-2-38-3, Dawson 7-4-11-2, Grogan 7-2-28-3
MATCH CURTAILED BY RAIN – HEYWOOD WIN ON REDUCED TARGET
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