PRESTWICH stretched their unbeaten league run after pulling off a sensational weekend double.
Facing two powerful Denton sides, their resilience was tested to the full on both occasions.
But it was victory over Lees Lancashire County leaders Denton West on Sunday which had the greatest impact.
West had opened up a five-point advantage, courtesy of more outright victories and Prestwich suffering a washed-out game. But that has now been whittled down to one point after a three-wicket win for the Heys men in a game full of top-drawer cricket, drama, and bloodshed.
Yes, blood was indeed spilt when Prestwich’s Tom Scott sustained a suspected broken nose when he dived to stop a meaty off-drive from West skipper Mark Berry. Scott’s face took the full force of the ball, and he left the field for a visit to accident and emergency.
However, this game of thrilling twists and turns culminated in him returning to the ground with a few overs left, and hitting the winning runs!
The game had been reduced to a 35-over clash after rain had delayed the start, and West’s free-flowing batting saw them rack up a daunting 190 for 9.
Prestwich literally got off to a flying start with the dismissal of opener Hamish Dunlop for 9 with the score on 21, caught acrobatically by the diving Steve Orrell at extra cover, off the bowling of Danny Jones.
Sam Holden’s equally sharp opening burst saw Andy O’Brien (24) and Berry (27) both fall to mis-timed pull shots. Yet for all there was the steady fall of wickets, there was also a plentiful supply runs as John McAllister top-scored with 34 and former Prestwich player Luke O’Brien struck 33.
Jones finished with 3 for 41, and Holden 3 for 34, but the home side certainly had their work cut out.
Jones was gain in punishing form with the bat, giving this side the ideal platform, cracking 72 from 57 balls, until he was bowled by O’Brien, becoming the third man out, having lost James Wharmby for 4 and Hey for 17.
Holden was caught by the outstretched hand of Berry at extra cover for 18 as Prestwich repeated the pattern of West’s innings – wickets falling but runs accumulating. But it was Oliver Holt who then took centre stage, just when his side – at 123 for 4 – needed the impulse. His belligerent batting took Prestwich to the verge of victory, where he was joined by Scott at the crease on 171 for 7.
Like all good fairytales, the story ended happily for Prestwich as Scott straight-drove Dave Morrell to the boundary for the winning runs, as he ended 15 not out, and Holt unbeaten on 31. Pro Steve Oddy bowled unbroken for West, taking 5 for 63.
It was another helter-skelter performance the day before when Prestwich’s trip to Denton St Lawrence (DSL) saw Sam Holden hit a magnificent 120 as they set a target of 306 – and emerged victorious by the slender margin of 16 runs.
With Jones unavailable, Orrell (13) and Wharmby (12) had opened up but in the 11th over, both were back in the shed with the score on 35. Holden and Hey then bedded themselves in, playing cautiously and a mere 10 runs were scored in the next 10 overs.
But that proved the launchpad for a quite amazing assault over the last 30 overs, which saw Holden crack a century in 91 balls, and his overall innings consisted of six sixes, and 15 fours.
With Hey stepping up the pace too, the run rate reached around eight an over, until their 160-run partnership was broken when DSL skipper Adam Hawley took a fine catch low down at deep mid-off to dismiss Hey for 52.
His dismissal brought Tom Gibson to the crease with 11 overs left, and he played an excellent innings, hitting an undefeated 47 off just 33 balls to continue his fine run of form.
With a couple of boundaries from Tousif Miran, Prestwich reached a score of 286, which was then boosted by a further 20 runs because DSL were penalised for their slow over rate – which proved a telling factor.
Thoughts of a comfortable Prestwich victory were soon washed away as DSL showed intent right from the first ball, carved to the boundary by Liam Garnett, who made 35 from 49 balls before he was bowled by Wilf Reeve. He claimed wicket number two when Adam Hawley was caught by wicketkeeper Wharmby down the legside for 17.
But Scott Allen and Matt Hawley forged an excellent stand of 114, as Reeve apart, the Prestwich bowling struggled to stem the tide of runs.
On 223 for 2, Allen was caught by Wharmby off Andy Bradley for 93, and Holden returned to the fray to grab a couple of middle order wickets, and the required run rate spiralled .
The target proved just a tad too large for the home side, but Hawley completed a deserved century and finished unbeaten on 105, from a mere 83 balls.
Reeve was the pick of the bowling, taking 3 for 85 from 20 overs, and Prestwich left the field with a mix of joy and relief.
Another taxing double assignment faces the Heys team this weekend, with a trip to seventh–placed Dukinfield on Saturday.
This is followed by a Walkden Cup semi-final at home on Sunday when Woodbank are the visitors.
