Big showdown

Heyside skipper Ryan Barnes

SADDLEWORTH CRICKET LEAGUE

WHICH ‘side’ are you on this weekend?

With identical won, lost and drawn records in the league and each boasting explosive professionals, Sunday’s Tanner Cup final between Moorside and Heyside at Turf Pit Lane (start 1pm) is too close to call.

It is a showdown to savour and both protagonists are spurred on by very different reasons.

Moorside, the hosts, are driven by the regret of last season’s final when they lost to Uppermill in a replay after the first game was tied.

As for Heyside, they are desperate to hold aloft this piece of silverware for a seventh time before riding off into the Saddleworth and District Cricket League sunset. The lads from Little Hey Street are CLL-bound in 2015.

Skipper Ryan Barnes (28) said: “Many of us grew up watching Heyside in the 1990s. That team was so successful in the Tanner Cup, and it would be great if we could leave the league on a high by taking it with us.

“Moorside are a very good team. Apart from Grant Hodnett, they have Richard Baines, Franny Sutherland, Francois Mostert and Danny Anchor — all good players — but we must concentrate on our own performance.

“We are very confident. We’ve been a close bunch of friends for a number of years now and we seem to have a knack of winning these big games. I put it down to team spirit.”

Moorside captain Danny Anchor’s man-of-the-match effort of 107 was in vain 12 months ago, but he says his men have learned important lessons from that agonising four-run replay defeat.

“I believe what happened has made us a better side,” explained the 37-year-old batsman. “We are able to adapt to different situations, especially when our backs are against the wall.

“There is more strength in our batting this season. We bat down to number 11, which definitely makes us stronger as a unit. I also have the flexibility, because of the type of players here, to swap the batting order around to suit the game.

“We are well-balanced, but so are Heyside. We are two evenly-matched sides.”

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