Firsts Fight Hard Despite Feeling Pain In The Rain

Aug 222011

Littleborough CC 248-5 (Perren 95, Henderson 70) Heywood CC 179 (Patterson 44) Littleborough won by 21 runs (D/L method)
AT first glance, it looks like a crushing defeat. But Heywood can look back on Littleborough’s victory at Crimble on Saturday with a certain amount of justifiable frustration.

The basic facts are that Boro, after winning an important toss, rattled up a whopping 248-5 from their 50 overs then bowled Heywood out for 179.

But those figures hide a being on the wrong end of two tough recalculated run chases after breaks for rain, and a contentious umpiring decision that what was to prove crucial at a criticial stage of the match.

Boro’s big total was based around a third-wicket stand of 139 between professional Clinton Perren and John Henderson.

Perren anchored the innings with a classy, unbeaten 95 and never at any stage did Heywood really threaten to breach his determined defences.

But Henderson could have been out at almost any time during his important knock, and none more so than the first ball he received from Chris Kaye.

Boro had got their innings off to a flying start thanks to ex-Heywood player Gary Hulme and impressive overseas amateur Warrin Williams.

But Hulme, on 23, chipped a catch off Humza Naeem to Wes Hunt at cover, and, without addition to the total on 58, Williams then smashed a drive off Kaye – only for professional Andrea Agathangelou to take a stunning low catch at short extra cover and send the Australian packing for 24.

That brought in former Lancashire groundstaff player Henderson, who looked plum lbw to his first ball from Kaye. And there was almost a sense of disbelief from players and spectators alike when the vociferous shout was turned down.

Henderson continued to ride his luck, chipping the ball in the air just wide of fielders on several occasions, but his partnership with Perren gradually took the match away from Heywood.

As Perren continued to pursue his objective of batting throughout the innings, Henderson gradually stepped up the pace and started to take toll of Kaye and fellow spinner Rob Slawson.

And the damage had been done when, on 70 and the total 197, he was the victim of another excellent low catch by Agathangelou.

Kaye followed up his success by bowling Tom Pye first ball, but Perren continued to be an impregnable fortress.

He lost Mo Bux for a quickfire 10 to Agathangelou’s third catch of the innings, this time on the boundary edge off Naeem, only for Jamie Roche to then give the professional valuable support.

The players were forced off the field on 220-5 with three overs left, but returned after a break of almost 70 minutes. That did not stop the relentless Perren from racing to an unbeaten 95 as he boosted his side’s score to just short of the 250 mark.

The interruption in play, which included the tea break, meant that Heywood’s target was cut back to 234 but from only 46 overs. And they were always struggling to keep up with the asking rate in difficult conditions.

Danny Pawson found his touch straight away but Agathangelou could never get into his stride. And, after hitting fielders with a couple of juicy offside drives, the professional lost his patience and was bowled by the veteran Bux for just three with the total 31.

Pawson and Ross Zelem threatened to turn things around, and Zelem was just getting into his stride when he was trapped lbw by Bux for 19.

And 68-2 became 69-3 when skipper Bobby Cross fell for a duck, caught behind off Williams.

When the rain set in again, and Heywood 72-3 off 20.3 overs, that looked like the end of things with Littleborough having pocketed four points for bowling the minimum requirement of 20 overs and being well in front on the Duckworth-Lewis style recalculation.

But 40 minutes later the players were back on again in fading light, with the revised target now 200 with only 16 overs left.

A more realistic aim was the 75 per cent figure of 150 for a bonus point, and Heywood got there thanks to a fine half-century by Pawson, a promising contribution of 15 by Wes Hunt then an exciting display of big-hitting by Hamish Paterson.

Heywood’s supporters even harboured hopes of a sensational victory as Paterson clubbed four big sixes, but it was all over when he was bowled by Bux for 44 on 179 then Slawson fell to Williams off the first ball of the last over.

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