Prestwich 2nd X1 continued their good start to the season with a comprehensive 169 run win over last year’s 2nd Division Champions, Flowery Field.
Prestwich skipper John Fiorentini lost the toss, and Prestwich were asked to bat first. Fiorentini, and his fellow opener Wharmby, got the innings off to an excellent start with an opening stand of 69, before Wharmby was out lbw to left arm spinner Weston for 46.
Jon O’Connor was removed by Weston shortly after, to bring Mike Mangnall to the crease for his second team debut. Mangnall’s inning was somewhat shortlived, as he was forced to retire hurt as an attempted sweep shot caught the top edge of his bat and ricocheted into his right eye.
Jamie McAndrew replaced the injured Mangnall, and assisted Fiorentini well in consolidating Prestwich’s position. McAndrew played some typically forceful shots on the offside in his innings of 22.
Scargill and Montgomery were both removed in a short space of time following McAndrew’s dimissal, however Fiorentini received good support from Tom Armstrong in a 6th wicket stand of 52, as he reached his hundred off 125 balls with a typical flick over mid-wicket for four.
Fiorentini was dismissed by Barber several balls later for 110, but Armstrong, Matthew Walsh and the returning Mangnall saw Prestwich to a total of 243, with some powerful blows.
In reply, Flowery got off to a good start as Prestwich openers Walsh and John Walters struggled to find a good length on an ever improving wicket. Walsh was unlucky not to get any wickets in his opening spell of 6/1/20/0, whilst Walters picked up two wickets, including the dangerous Weston in his spell of 6/0/29/2.
In an attempt to slow the Flowery scoring rate, Fiorentini turned to the left arm spin duo of Armstrong and Montgomery. The plan had immediate success as the Flowery scoring rate slowed and, feeling the pressure to keep up with a run rate of around 5 runs per over, the Flowery batsmen collapsed from 69-2 to 84 all out.
Armstrong struggled to find his length in his first over, but his second over brought 3 Flowery wickets. Two wickets for Armstrong, and one run out, following an excellent piece of fielding from Montgomery, placed Flowery firmly on the back foot following their aggressive start.
Armstrong took his second five wicket haul of the season, as he finished with figures of 5.3/1/13/5 as he and Montgomery, who finished with 6/2/10/2, wrapped up the Flowery innings in little time.
The next day, Prestwich travelled to Greenleach Lane for their away game to Roe Green, seeking to continue their 100% start to the season.
Skipper, John Fiorentini, lost his fourth successive toss, as the Roe Green captain Nigel Pine, took the opportunity to bat first on a green looking but firm wicket.
The home side got off to a slow but solid start as openers Justin Kenyon and the veteran Rick Green, in an opening partnership of 50 off 22 overs. The Prestwich opening bowlers, Walters and Walsh, were both unlucky not to claim several wickets each as they passed the bat on several occasions and gave the ‘Green openers no free runs.
Fiorentini turned to Peter Lorenzini in an attempt to break the opening partnership, and the move brought immediate reward, as Lorenzini removed Kenyon, caught by Fiorentini at slip, with the first ball of his spell. Lorenzini, also removed Green several overs later, caught by Montgomery at deep gully.
Prestwich continued to take wickets at regular intervals, as Lorenzini and Walsh struck on regular occasions as Prestwich sought to take all ten ‘Green wickets, as they strove to gain another five point haul.
At 147-8 with 5 overs left, Prestwich skipper Fiorentini was hopeful that his side would be able remove the last two batsmen with little effort, however he was somewhat guilty of over attacking as the ‘Green 9th wicket pair put on 22 as they took advantage of gaps in the field as Fiorentini had crowded the bat in an attempt to take the final two ‘Green wickets. The home side finished on 169-8 of their allotted 50 overs.
In reply, Prestwich lost Fiorentini early in the innings. Wharmby and O’Connor had little trouble in moving the score onto 65, before Wharmby was lbw to Kenyon for 36. O’Connor continued his fine innings and received good support from McAndrew and Scargill as the pair rotated the strike with O’Connor to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Unfortunately, the loss of Scargill, Montgomery and Aziz in the space of three over put the Heys Road side on the back foot, and O’Connor required all of his experience to see off the dangerous Kenyon who was bowling extremely well. Walsh gave O’Connor good support, before a mix-up saw O’Connor run out for an excellent innings of 64. Walsh struck a few lusty blows in his innings of 14, to move Prestwich closer to their target, however when he and John Walters were removed with 4 runs need, it was down to the last wicket pair of Lorenzini and Carter to try to gain victory for Prestwich.
The last wicket pair successfully saw off an excellent over from Kenyon, before Carter struck the winning runs, to the delight and relief of the Prestwich players.
