Prestwich professional Amal Dalugoda claimed a “magnificent seven” to send rivals Roe Green spinning to defeat. The home side nosedived from 37 for 1 to 74 all out as Dalugoda returned the mesmerising figures of 7 for 5. Yet Saturday’s game began in such innocuous fashion that Prestwich looked to have a real match on their hands.
Chris Humphreys bowled a tight opening spell, but Justin Kenyon and Ashley Williams appeared to have becalmed the threat of Humphreys and Oliver Holt until an inspired piece of fielding by Andy Bradley – and a dozy piece of cricket by Williams – changed the course of the game.
Having made a fluent 21, Williams was subjected to an l.b.w. appeal off the bowling of Humphreys which was turned down, and the ball trickled behind square for a seemingly easy leg bye.
But cricket-savvy Bradley fired in a throw from 35 yards to the non-striker’s end, hitting the stumps and taking the idling Williams by surprise, leaving him two yards short of the crease.
Holt was not at his best, but claimed the prized wicket of Green captain Danny Jones, finding his outside edge and wicketkeeper Gareth Barnes comfortably taking the catch.
Only Kenyon gave any prolonged resistance after that, making 27 before he became one of Dalugoda’s seven victims.
Dalugoda’s wily mix of of deliveries was too hot to handle for the Green batsmen and they were dismissed with more than 16 overs remaining.
A quickfire 19 from Steve Orrell got the Prestwich scoreboard ticking over, but Jones hit back with the wickets of Mike Hudson and then Orrell, brilliantly caught one-handed at second slip by Gareth Williams.
Dalugoda made 11 before edging to wicketkeeper Hughes off Shannon’s slow left arm bolwing, but skipper Chris Thomas (22 not out) and Barnes (10 not out) rattled off the remaining runs in the afternoon sunshine.
Sunday’s trip to Dukinfield ended in abandonment, but only after the Heys team looked set to build a competitive score.
They were 113 for 1, with Orrell unbeaten on 70 and Hudson making 30 in an opening stand of 104. However, their innnings had already suffered two interruptons for rain when a third evacuation of the field heralded the last action of the day as the rain became incessant.
* Prestwich 3rd XI squelched their way through to the Hodson Cup Final – winning a bowl-out 2-0 against Saddleworth. They now meet Greenmount in the final showdown later this month.
* A Sri Lankan professional XI beat a Prestwich XI by 38 runs in a Twenty/20 game at The Heys last Friday, watched by a good crowd.
