A POLISHED Prestwich display on successive days against Denton kept their league and cup ambitions shining.
An eight-wicket victory on Saturday kept the Heys side hot on the heels of leaders Woodhouses in the Lees Lancashire County League.
Prestwich could only gain a four-point triumph, as Denton finished on 118 for 9, depriving the hosts of an extra point for being all out.
It meant Woodhouses edged a point clear at the top after they picked up a five-point haul at Cheetham Hill.
The following day, Denton set a target of 173 on their home patch in the Walkden Cup quarter-final tie, but Prestwich staged a similar unruffled performance to pass the post with more than 10 overs to spare and clinch a semi-final date at home to Glossop on Sunday.
Whether a game would actually get played was the major question on Saturday as concerted drizzly rain kept the teams off the field for the early part of the afternoon. But when the game did get underway in a game reduced to 30 overs per side, the Danny Jones and Andy Bradley opening combination soon had the Denton line-up on the back foot at 38 for 5. Jones took 5 for 63 and Bradley 4 for 45 as only Dar managed to get into the 20s for the visiting side.
Jones’s return also meant he clocked up 50 wickets for the season.
In reply, Danny Jones and Steve Orrell made sure there was no hanging about with a fluent opening stand before Jones was bowled by Dar for 24 and Orrell, for the second time in three innings, played the ball onto his stumps, for 16.
Matt Wiley, having survived a first ball drop, made Denton pay with some fine strokeplay and with Sam Holden in ebullient mood, they romped home. Wiley was unbeaten on 44 while Holden’s 32 not out meant he passed 500 runs for the season.
At last, the sun made a prolonged appearance on Sunday, although the wicket was the most sodden part of the ground.
Denton, however, decided to pitch their batsmen up first and Danny Jones had Martin Leech superbly caught by wicketkeeper Wiley for 1.
Bradley’s 10-over stint cost a miserly 15 runs, with two wickets into the bargain, and the home side were looking shaky at 22 for 3.
Denton skipper Modi Ali and Bajwa then started to rebuild and grind out a productive century partnership. At 133 for 3, with more than 10 overs remaining, they had set a decent platform.
But Chris Jones was the fly in the Denton ointment, tempting Batwa into a lofted drive and was caught by Orrell at deep mid-off for a well-constructed 64.
The dismissal was the sign for a Denton collapse, as 18th birthday boy Tom Gibson overcame an uncertain start to have two more reasons to celebrate.
He had Wharton caught for a duck by Steven Lorenzini at cover and then grabbed the vital wicket of Ali for 39, snaffling a return catch, and finishing with 2 for 38.
Dave Taylor cooly ran out Tighe, and with Chris Jones turning in another noteworthy return of 2 for 22, it was left to brother Danny to take the final wicket of McIlwaine and finish with 3 for 30, thanks to Gibson’s excellent tumbling catch at deep mid-on. Indeed, it was a pleasing all-round bowling performance, with Holden contributing a decent spell despite being wicketless.
On a wicket where graft and concentration was going to be key, Prestwich shrugged aside the loss of Danny Jones for 14 to set up a match-winning base. Orrell cagily played second fiddle to Wiley who carried on his fine form from 24 hours previously.
The duo took the score to 103 before Orrell was somewhat surprisingly stumped for a dogged 25. Wiley continued on his merry way, reaching his fourth half century of the season and including two sixes, one of which cleared the surrounding houses with space to spare.
Holden was bowled for 12 and Wiley mistimed a ball back to bowler Dar for 64, to leave skipper Lorenzini and James Whamrby to finish off the job. Lorenzini again fiinishing unbeaten on 18 – his ninth undefeated knock of the season – and Wharmby on 14 not out.
Local rivals Stand visit The Heys on Saturday to mark the halfway mark in the season, before Prestwich seek a Walkden Cup Final place at home on Sunday.
* Damon Montgomery hit a towering six with two balls to spare to cement victory for Prestwich 2nd XI over their Denton counterparts on Saturday. He had earlier taken 3 for 33, while 14-year-old Zach Wood scored 47.
Prestwich 3rd XI recorded a 47-run victory over Rochdale with Jack Scargill crashing 124 and Karl West taking 5 for 60.
