Crompton cup hopes dashed

Crompton’s Kevin Stout appeals against Heywood’s Ruvin Peiris.

CROMPTON’S John Willie Lees Wood Cup dreams vanished for another season, while competition specialists Heywood marched on to a sixth successive final.

Yesterday’s semi-final at Crimble promised to be a classic but, try as they might, Crompton could never get a proper foothold against a team with a formidable record on home turf.

Key umpiring decisions went against the visitors but, in the final analysis, Heywood were just the better side on the day even though their 50-runs margin of victory was a touch flattering.

Home skipper Bobby Cross struck the first major blow when he won the toss and elected to bat first on a damp wicket which was expected to deteriorate as the game progressed.

The pitch played few tricks early on and Tom Hardman, in particular, was in splendid form as he and Heywood professional Ruvin Peiris put on 64 for the first wicket.

But when Crompton skipper Simon Wright introduced himself into the attack, the whole complexion of the game changed.

He soon had Hardman (31) leg before wicket shouldering arms, although this was one decision which went Crompton’s way as the ball looked to be missing off stump.

Minutes later, Wright produced a beauty to remove overseas amateur Royce Blight’s middle stump with a full, swinging delivery and when Crompton paid man Kevin Stoute dived acrobatically to his right to secure a return catch from his opposite number Peiris (29), the home side were rocking on 87 for three with only one of their top batsmen - Bobby Cross - with his wicket intact.

That looked set to change when Cross appeared to be trapped in front of his stumps by Wright. Surprisingly - and much to Wright’s dismay - his leg before appeal was turned down and Cross, who was just two at the time, went on to hold the Heywood innings together with a vital 46 before he was brilliantly caught at point by Javon Searles off Aqib Zulfiqar.

As the Heywood innings progressed, so the drying wicket deteriorated.

Steven Wallwork was bowled by a Majid Khan delivery which barely left the ground and the bowler’s next ball spat off a length and hit Chris Kaye, prompting him to call for a helmet.

But Cross and Lee Grogan (16 not out) steered the Heywood ship through choppy waters and the home side were clearly content with a total of 187 for eight from their 50 overs, Wright returning outstanding figures of three for 14 from his 10 overs of swing and accuracy.

Crompton’s strong batting line-up fancied their chances of chasing down the Heywood score, but the loss of four wickets for only 39 runs virtually ended their hopes.

Stoute was the first to go, given out leg before wicket against Steve Cheetham when the ball appeared to be going over the top of the stumps.

The Crompton pro could hardly believe it and his opening partner Darren Graham was none too pleased to be given out leg before by a Peiris delivery he clearly thought had pitched outside leg stump.

Simon Wright briefly threatened to take the game by the scruff of the neck, but Royce Blight bowled the Crompton skipper off stump for 12 and 39 for three became 39 for four when Danny Cashin miscued Peiris to Hardman at mid-on.

Steven Wright was next to go, smashing Chris Kaye to long-off, and Crompton’s misery continued with the loss of their sixth wicket with the total on 84 when Zulfiqar made a mess of a Kaye delivery and wicketkeeper Danny Pawson took the easiest of catches.

During all this mayhem, overseas amateur Searles was a frustrated onlooker, but the West Indian - who played for Heywood in last year’s Wood Cup final triumph - found an able ally in Majid Khan.

Khan was the dominant player in a seventh-wicket stand of 33 and, on 117 for six, Crompton had real hope.

But Khan, who had made 21 in good time, was bowled off stump by spinner Rob Slawson and Heywood were back in the ascendency.

Dane Fletcher and Glenn Rigby were bowled for ducks by Slawson and Peiris respectively and although Searles hit the latter for a couple of sixes late on, he was well caught by Wallwork off Peiris for 44 as Crompton lost their last wicket on 137.

Crompton were not disgraced against a powerful side and, on reflection, much of the damage was done during Heywood’s brisk opening stand of 64 as opening bowlers Searles and Zulfiqar failed to make use of the helpful pitch.

And as a unit, Crompton bowled far too many wides, the extras total of 34 telling its own story.

Wright produced a terrific spell and did not deserve to be on the losing side, but Cross’s 46 after his escape was perhaps the dagger blow for Crompton as Heywood reached their sixth final on the bounce and closed in on their fifth cup success during that period.




Oldham win only Saturday game



OLDHAM stole a march on the rest of the Lake Garage CLL teams when they defeated Littleborough at the Pollards.



In the only CLL match in which a ball was bowled on Saturday, Littleborough took first guard and made 202 for four from 38 overs, professional Kamran Hussain hitting 81 and Gary Hulme 38.

Oldham, inspired by professional Chinthaka Jayasinghe’s quickfire 67, knocked off the runs for the loss of six wickets.

Overseas amateur Nick Maree guided them over the finishing line with a superb unbeaten 57.

Oldham’s bid to reach the final of the John Willie Lees Twenty20 competition was thwarted by Friday’s rain.

Their match against Monton and Weaste will, weather permitting, take place this Friday (6.15pm), as will the other semi-final, between Unsworth and Walsden.





MONTON and Weaste will be Heywood’s opponents in the Wood Cup final at Werneth on Sunday week after beating Ashton in dramatic fashion yesterday.



Ashton took first guard and made 210 all out, professional Ian Daniel hitting 99 and John Selby 31. Former Werneth pro Brendon Nash, now the paid man at Monton, took three for 42 as the visitors collapsed from 204–3.

Monton were staring down the barrel in reply, but overseas amateur Ghaurav Sharma was their hero, hitting a six off the last ball to take himself to 65 not out as Monton ended on 215–7.