Prestwich drew first blood in the battle of the neighbours with a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Stand in the Lees Lancashire County League. But the close rivals will lock horns at The Heys again this Sunday in the quarter-final of the Walkden Cup when reigning cupholders Stand will be aiming to level the score.
Last Saturday’s game got off to an entertaining start – Twenty20 style – as the visitors rattled up 50 in quick time for the loss of opener Oliver Beirne for 13.
Dave Taylor has shown a recent liking for the green pastures of Prestwich and was in no mood to change that.
He hit nine boundaries and one six in his innings of 51 in just 48 balls. But he then swept Andy Bradley to deep square where Oliver Holt took a comfortable catch.
At 72 for 2, Stand had been pushing the five-an-over rate and still looked set to build a commanding total, when the game turned on its head in the space of eight runs.
Phil Kyle struck in successive balls to dismiss Stuart Catterall and Chris Holt with the assistance of Steve Orrell at second slip. While the second catch was straightforward, the first came via an athletic dive to the left.
Chris Humphreys, despite picking up a leg strain, then ran out Matt Curphey with a brilliant flick throw to thwart an attempted legside run and Stand had nosedived from 81 for 2 to 89 for 5.
This was made worse when Gary Penchion was smartly snapped up at slip by Humphreys off Bradley and pro Amila Weththasinge was pouched for 32, also by Humphreys at slip, but this time off the bowling of Kyle, who finished with figures of 3 for 43.
At 106 for 7, Matt Holt and Carl Sutcliffe played their team back into the game with a 51-run partnership, Sutcliffe playing some particularly eye-catching drives.
But a double bowling change saw Prestwich pro Amal Dalugoda bowl Sutcliffe for 28 and Holt was bowled by his namesake for 23.
Dalugoda trapped skipper Paul Wilkinson l.b.w. to usher out the visitors for a total of 160, far below their opening expectations, and with seven overs unused.
The opening Prestwich duo of Mike Hudson and Steve Orrell mirrored the fluent start of their rivals, and reached 50 in two balls less!
However, the introduction of Stuart Catterall succeeded in taming the run rate and also supplied the breakthrough with the score on 66, as he pinned Hudson l.b.w. for 31.
The in-form Orrell peppered the boundary 12 times to notch his second successive half century, and in tandem with Dalugoda, there was no more respite for Stand until Orrell edged Sutcliffe into the hands of wicketkeeper Jack Bond for 58.
Dalugoda remained unphased and unbeaten on 38 and Chris Thomas chalked up the winning hit with a six over long-off.
The result keeps Prestwich in second place, three points behind leaders Denton West.
They face the short, but challenging trip to Cheetham Hill on Saturday. Stand lie in in seventh place in the league and play host to Dukinfield.
The sides then draw swords again at the Heys ground on Sunday, wickets pitched at 1.30pm.
