Prestwich ended their losing run in emphatic style with a 119-run triumph over Thornham. Having suffered four successive defeats, the Heys team were desperate to pick up the winning thread.
Professional Amal Dalugoda was the rock on which Prestwich built their total of 216.
It was an innings of rollercoaster proportions, as a fluent start and finish, was sandwiched around a big dip in the middle.
Mike Hudson and Steve Orrell got the home side off to a flyer and reached 47 in the ninth over when Orrell gloved behind to wicketkeeper Scott for 23.
Hudson made a likewise competent 33 before Iqbal pinned him l.b.w.
Dalugoda then flourished in a 63-run partnership with new skipper Chris Thomas, until on 145 for 2, the latter pulled youngster Hampson to Steve Grey at mid-off for 16.
A score in the region of 230 and beyond looked attainable, but a lull in the scoring rate combined with a succession of wickets and deprivation of the strike to Dalugoda, saw Prestwich slump to 178 for 8.
However, Oliver Holt again showed his worth in the batting stakes with a breezy 25 not out, and with Dalugoda unbeaten on 70, a satisfactory 216 was amassed.
Holt was in the thick of the action at the start of the Thornham innings which reduced the visitors to 3 for 3.
A smart piece of fielding from Chris Humphreys at backward point saw Holt remove the bails and Scott was short of his ground without troubling the scorers.
Holt then delivered a brutish delivery which John Wilman could only glove to wicketkeeper Gareth Barnes and Holt then flattened McClure’s off stump.
Ahmed and Scholfied then set about rectifying their side’s precarious position and made it to 41 before Ahmed fell to a remarkable catch, off the bowling of Phil Kyle.
Ahmed skied the ball high towards the mid-on boundary to where teenager Sam Holden raced from the offside, diving to his knees and holding onto the ball a foot from the ground.
Holt, who gleaned 2 for 11 from nine overs, was replaced by Andy Bradley, and in combination with Kyle, a stranglehold was put on the game, with only Steve Schofield shining through with 40.
Kyle finished with 2 for 22, but Bradley emerged with the lion’s share, grabbing four wickets at a cost of 27 runs. With Holden chipping in with a late caught and bowled, Thornham sunk to 97 all out.
With the top three sides in the Lees Lancashire County League losing, Prestwich lie 12 points behind the summit, but will need to keep the winning theme this weekend if they are to remain in the title shake-up.
An away trip to Roe Green on Saturday is followed by a visit to Dukinfield on Sunday.
