Prestwich rattled up a double triumph to make it three wins out of three at the start of their Lees Lancashire County League campaign.
Professional Carl Hey also carried on his imperious early season form with two more half centuries – making it five in his first five games for his home club.
Both his innings were the bedrock of victory on which the Heys side disposed of Woodhouses – by 143 runs on Saturday, and in equally convincing fashion by 81 runs against Roe Green on Sunday.
The trip to Woodhouses has been some of their most sternest in recent years, so to amass 240 for 8 off 50 overs was just what the captain Andy Bradley ordered. There had been a key point when the visitors were at 87 for 4, but a stand of 74 between Hey and Oliver Holt put Prestwich back on track.
Holt made a typically abrasive innings of 42, with two sixes, one of which left its mark on the teahut window, its trajectory barely rising 10 yards off the ground, and thankfully missing spectators nearby who didn’t see the exocet missile coming!
Hey stroked nine boundaries, making 61 before playing onto his stumps from Hassan, but with good support from Tom Scott (27 not out) and Steve Orrell (22) in the lower order, valuable runs were added.
In reply, Wilf Reeve opened the bowling after his excellent debut at Glossop, and the move paid off with a wicket from his third ball, trapping Cormie l.b.w. for a duck. He bowled a 16-over spell, claiming the lion’s share of the wickets, with 4 for 45. Danny Jones was also equally responsible for the demise of the Woodhouses top order, knocking back the stumps of Hassan for 1 and Doyle for 0, to put the home side on the rack at 9 for 3.
Opener Mike Cassidy and number five Garner were made to work hard to rebuild their innings in a 52-run partnership, until Reeve struck for a second time, Garner being stumped by some swift glovework from James Wharmby.
Bradley then stunned batsman Hardman and his own team-mates with a direct hit at the stumps, forcing Hardman back to the pavilion without facing a ball.
Cassidy was providing hard to budge, but when he was caught by Bradley for 36 off Reeve, the writing was on the wall. Indeed it was hard to keep the Prestwich skipper out of the action, as Bradley chipped in with two late wickets and Woodhouses fell for 97 to give Prestwich a maximum five points.
A similar secenario was played out on Sunday, albeit this time with a slightly different and tamer ending. Prestwich’s total of 184 for 9 on a seaming wicket proved far too good for visiting Roe Green. Hey showed the necessary grit and determination to chisel out an excellent 73, backed up by opener James Wharmby with 42. A Bradley blast with the bat off Andy Hough’s last over, taking a total of 17 off it, was just the right end-of-innings tonic. Hough (4 for 76) and Gaz Williams (3 for 56) had made it tough going for the home side line-up.
The visitors soon found themselves in trouble, losing wickets at regular intervals, and it was youngster Jordan Stephens who dug in doggedly to hit 42 and give his side some glimmer of hope. But they had no answer to the slow bowling of all-time Prestwich record-taker Bradley. His six-wicket haul (6 for 27) saw him break through the 900-mark for the number of first team wickets. Jones also put in a sterling effort with the ball, taking 3 for 44 from 21 overs.
At 79 for 8, and with 20 overs of the game still left, the visitors decided survival was their only option, turning down any thoughts of making three-quarters of the target to earn a point.
The game fizzled out despite Prestwich’s best attempts, and the last pair of Hough and Williams held out for 14 overs to restrict Prestwich to four points, even though Green came out pointless.
The big derby battle arrives on Saturday when Prestwich make the short trip to Stand, before travelling to Rochdale on Sunday for the first round of the Lancashire Cup.
