IT may not have been a flaming June on the weatherfront, but Prestwich kept up the heat on their title rivals with a comfortable 83-run victory over Dukinfield.
Skipper Steven Lorenzini continued his blazing run of form with an unbeaten 50, and teenager James Wharmby was hot on his heels with an equally impressive 48.
Dukinfield then found the Prestwich attack difficult to master, with spinner Chris Jones clean bowling five batsmen as he notched up a superb return of 6 for 29, and they were dismissed for 120.
It was a mature performance from the league’s joint leaders who were invited to bat first on a wicket with little bounce.
Graft was the main requirement and, combined with sensible batting, Prestwich were happy to reach a total 203.
Losing Danny Jones l.b.w. for 8, and Steve Orrell caught at slip for 14, the score of 53 for 2 mirrored a reasonably subdued but solid start.
Matt Wiley stroked his way into the 30s before he was l.b.w. to Damian Stringer for 34, and with Sam Holden the third l.b.w. victim shortly afterwards, Prestwich were on 83 for 4 when Lorenzini and Wharmby came together.
An intelligent 81-run partnership, boosted by an early strike for six from Wharmby, was the platform for a targeted score of 200-plus. As the home side were content to spread the field and stop the boundaries, the Prestwich duo used their common sense, and with an excellent understanding between the wickets, took full advantage with numerous well-run ones and twos.
Wharmby was bowled agonisingly two short of his 50 but Lorenzini grittily reached the landmark, having kept up the momentum in the final few overs with Chris Thomas (17 not out).
Danny Jones and Andy Bradley kept a lid on the Dukinfield run rate of under three an over, both grabbing two wickets apiece, and keeping pro Ridee tied down.
Chris Jones’s introduction saw the game turn sharply in the Heys team’s favour as Mark Stringer played onto his stumps and Jones tempted Ridee to slice a catch to Thomas at backward point.
Even a change of ends didn’t disrupt the Jones flow, as he spun through the lower order, including three in one over, and the home side plunged from 87 for 4 to 120 all out.
Prestwich reached the regional final of the National Knockout Cup on Sunday with a convincing win at an under-strength Farnworth Social Circle side.
The Bolton League outfit had been 120 for 6 but that was their final total after 17-year-old Tom Gibson took four wickets in the space of five balls.
It gave the youngster figures of 5 for 22 – his first five-wicket haul for the first team.
Fourteen-year-old Josh Bohannon was the star man for the home side, hitting an impressive 37.
Prestwich had little trouble in overcoming the total as Chris Thomas made a solid 28, before Sam Holden provided the fireworks, crashing an unbeaten half century in a mere 15 balls!
A regional final against Lancashire League hotpots Darwen now awaits.
* Prestwich have a double date with Denton this weekend, at home in the league on Saturday, before an away trip on Sunday for a Walkden Cup quarter-final clash.
* Prestwich 2nd XI earned a convincing win in pursuit of a 171-run target, with captain John Fiorentini making 68 not out and Luke O’Brien an unbeaten 59.
