Hosts see cup final dreams shattered
Reporter: KEVIN RICHARDSON
Date published: 30 June 2014
Photo: Tim Bradley
HUGE SHOUT: A Saddleworth appeal goes up for the wicket of Heyside’s Jon Selby.
TANNER CUP: Saddleworth and Stayley both suffered home defeats in the semi-finals of the Tanner Cup at the weekend.
Visitors Moorside and Heyside headed home with a smile of contentment reserved only for victors.
Moorside’s triumph at Stayley turned out to be a pleasant stroll in the afternoon sunshine, while Heyside had to delve to the bottom of their reserves to see off Saddleworth.
Stayley were up against it from the start: the first five wickets fell for only 34 runs. Fortunately overseas amateur Oral Rankine and Steve Bird dug in to add 70 for the sixth wicket.
Once Bird departed for 30, it was left to his West Indian partner to guide Stayley to 142 for nine.
Rankine finished unbeaten on 58, but Moorside were in the ascendancy thanks to the efforts of their bowlers. Lee Warburton claimed three for eight off nine overs, while Glen McFadyean (two for 23) and overseas amateur Francois Mostert (two for 28) also kept the batsman in check.
Wary of the events 24 hours earlier when they crumbled to 89 all out against Glodwick, Moorside openers Grant Hodnett and Richard Baines were watchful.
But once the 100 was up, they quickly put the game to bed. Pro Hodnett was unbeaten on 83 and Baines 51 as the win was achieved with 13 overs remaining.
At Well-i-Hole, the match was just warming up. After dismissing Heyside for 185 in the penultimate over, Saddleworth were going along nicely on 106 for three when Mario Boyce clipped the ball off his legs towards the pavilion boundary. Matt Chadwick was there to take a tumbling catch to rid the West Indian overseas amateur for 36.
Chadwick had earlier caught paid man Imran Aslam with an equally-impressive effort.
Compare that to Boyce, who could only parry a chance off pro Shadley van Schalkwyk over the rope for six. The South African, on zero at the time, went on to make 64 from 63 balls for Heyside.
Brad Hadfield went for the addition of one run and then Darren Shadford (46) left a Nick Campbell ball which shattered his stumps. Saddleworth were suddenly 113 for six.
It looked as though Steve Howard and Steve Taylor had put the hosts back on track, only for the seventh-wicket stand to end on 30 when the former slapped Carl Newton low to Mark Barnes.
It was one of five wickets for the seamer.
Taylor was still there, though, and he lifted Van Schalkwyk for six in the penultimate over.
With nine wickets down and 17 required from the last six balls, it all hinged on Taylor’s swings of the bat. Going for the big hit over deep mid-on, he did not quite get hold of the shot and Campbell took the catch.
So it’s Heyside and Moorside in the final on August 3 - venue to be decided.
