Prestwich missed the chance to steal a march on their main rivals when they lost their unbeaten league record to second-placed Denton West by eight runs. The West victory meant they leap-frogged over the Heys outfit, who were left hopping mad that they had not overhauled an attainable 150-run target.
However, Prestwich got back in the winning groove when chasing down a 190 total on Sunday to lie just one point behind the pacesetters in the Lees Lancashire County League.
Blame for Saturday’s defeat at Windsor Park was certainly not laid at the door of the Prestwich bowlers, who kept the powerful West batting artillery relatively subdued.
Skipper Chris Humphreys bowled an excellent opening spell, taking the wicket of his opposing number Gareth Senior for a duck and ending with overall figures of 2 for 20 off 12.4 overs.
Oliver Holt bowled well without any luck and was replaced by Phil Kyle who broke up the dangerous partnership of Lee Dale and Steve Kirwin, whose 54-run stand had been slow but steady.
Dale’s off stump was clipped back by Kyle for 17 and when Amal Dalugoda bowled Kirwin for 34 as he attempted to up the scoring rate, West found the overs ticking by.
Kyle then struck again but was heaping praise on Mike Hudson as it was his stunning catch centimetres off the ground at backward point that was largely to play for Paul Turner’s dismissal.
Kyle added two more wickets to finish with 4 for 21 and the late introduction of Andy Bradley further cramped the West style as he kept the home side in check with 3 for 14 off his seven overs.
Hudson could count himself unlucky to be adjudged l.b.w. after he had made a spritely start, but a familiar story started to unfold as the top Prestwich order began to crumble again. Gareth Barnes made 17, but Dalugoda, Chris Thomas and Sam Holden all fell cheaply, and at 44 for 5, another rearguard rally was required.
The solution came in the differing styles of Steve Orrell and Steven Lorenzini who started to turn the match on its head, as they gradually rebuilt the innings in a stand of 68.
Orrell had made 43 when, with the score on 112, a Kirwin delivery sneaked through his defence and West seized on their renewed hope.
Lorenzini’s stubborn stay was finally broached for 16 but with the in-form Humphreys and the talented Holt at the wicket, victory could still be scented.
But having made 16, Humphreys was run out when Holt called him for a suicide single and Holt was then bowled by Kirwin ( 6 for 46) to leave the visitors 142 all out and licking their wounds.
On a firm home deck on Sunday, Flowery Field proved another stern obstacle as they chalked up a respectable total of 190 for 9.
Mark Stringer top scored with 50, although he survived a diving attempt on the boundary when Orrell, proving spring chicken status has not quite passed him by, leapt to catch the ball one-handed – only to land on the boundary boards and topple over.
Opener Mark Dyson struck 36 as the home side had to work hard for the wickets against the Flowery top order. Humphreys and Bradley bagged a brace each, and Holt returned into the firing line for a late spell to claim three wickets.
The move to promote Orrell to opener paid off despite the early loss of Thomas.
Together with pro Dalugoda, they staged a stand of 119 to wipe away the spectre of recent early-order alarms.
The pair both reached their half centuries – it was Orrell’s 44th first team fifty – before he was bowled by Milner (4 for 53) while Dalugoda reached 66 before Damian Eyre captured his scalp.
There was still time for Prestwich to waver slightly as three wickets fell for four runs, but Humphreys finished not out 14 and together with two crisply-struck legside boundaries from Holden, victory was clinched with more than two overs to spare.
Prestwich 1st XI face a short trip to Bury on Saturday when Woodbank provide the opposition.
