Twenty20 kings chase hat-trick

HERO IN DEFEAT: Heyside’s Stuart Moore accepts the Tanner Cup final man-of-the-match award from Saddleworth League president Roger Tanner.

CRICKET: HEYSIDE go in search of a hat-trick of Twenty20 titles on Bank Holiday Monday.

Playing in front of their home supporters, Nick Campbell’s team must first overcome Friarmere in the opening semi-final if they are to keep alive their hopes of bagging three-in-a-row.

The game, which gets under way at 10.30am, features two of the Saddleworth and District Cricket League’s big hitters.

For the home side, Stuart Moore put the Bamford Fieldhouse attack to the sword, albeit in a losing cause, in the Tanner Cup final.

The all-rounder blasted 53 from 26 balls and, after earlier claiming three wickets, he walked off with the man-of-the-match award.

For Friarmere, Asif Qayyum is capable of doing some extraordinary things with the bat — just ask champions Uppermill.

Qayyum, who a day earlier was dismissed for a golden duck in the Whit derby double-header, smashed 155 from just 83 balls.

The second semi begins at 1.30pm — the final is scheduled to start at 4.30pm — and features Shaw and Saddleworth, both previous winners of the competition sponsored by 20-20 Vision of Uppermill.

This tie is too close to call as they sit on top of each other in the league table, while the head- to-head record this season is 1-1.

Meanwhile, the hunt for a top-five place and with it qualification for next season’s LCB Cup continues tomorrow.

With four rounds of fixtures remaining, only 10 points split Shaw, in third, and Droylsden, in sixth.