PEERLESS PRESCOTT AND AWESOME PAWSON STAR

by | Friday August 21st 2020 | Cricket

A brilliant innings of 93 not out from Luke Prescott spearheaded Prestwich 3rds to an amazing victory over Walkden with one ball to spare last Sunday.

The 14-year-old rescued his team from dire straits at 31 for 5 in pursuit of Walkden’s 158 for 8 with a run-a-ball innings of the highest quality. And with Matthew Eaves (13), Muhammad Arif (9) and Anees Arif (14) all giving good late-order support, Prescott stood firm to the end in partnership with Daisy Hunt to reach the target.

Earlier, Prescott had been in the thick of the action with the ball, taking 4 for 20 and David Eckersley 2 for 16, when the home side had looked set for score pushing 200.

Another Prestwich player in scintillating form is Danny Pawson, who capped some recent excellent performances with a mammoth 126 in Prestwich Heat’s T15 encounter with East Lancs Millers yesterday evening. He hit 14 sixes, seven fours in just 54 balls.

This was Pawson’s second century for the club, surpassing his 110 not out in the T20 final last year. His ton was also the 100th by a first team player.

That rocketed Heat to a total of 169 for 3 and the Millers were dismissed for 74, with Aaryaman Roy (3-14), Steve Ritchie (2-6) and Nathan Bailey (2 for 13) in the wickets.

Pawson, now stand-in captain due to James Wharmby’s injury, was also pivotal to Heat’s T15 triumph against Clifton Kingfishers last Friday night.

Having made 34 in his side’s total of 90 for 6, Pawson took 3 for 8, including two prime scalps in his first four balls.

And as if that was not enough, he scored a half century in Saturday’s 40-over encounter again at Clifton – having earlier donned the gloves to take a bizarre but brilliant catch off a reverse sweep to dismiss Gareth Cross for 75.

Adam Holt made a top score of 83 in Clifton’s daunting total of 270 for 6, of which Andy Bradley claimed three wickets.

But despite Pawson’s 50 and 34 from Tom Gibson, any semblance of chasing down the target evaporated when Cross claimed 4 l.b.w. victims on one over.

Prestwich 2nds found Thornham 1sts six wickets too good after being bowled out for 80, despite a rearguard 25 from Damon Montgomery.