Stats behind the success

The 2021 season ranks as one of the most successful in our 181-year history.

Winning both the GMCL premier division (for the first time) and the Derek Kay Cup, puts the first team in a prestigious category.

Add to this the 3rd team lifting the GMCL Sunday Cup, and it has been a brilliant year for the club.

Prestwich CC has also broken new ground by fielding not just a 4th team, but a 5th team as well.

The 1st team have won the league and cup double before when in the Lancashire County League, first in 2007 and then in 2015.

The 2007 season was deemed a landmark year because, not only did the 1st team complete the double, the 2nd team did the same.

Comparisons are difficult, given the current 2nd team are playing in a division comprised solely of other first teams, and staying up is itself a celebratory achievement.

The 1sts, who were runners-up in the inaugural year of the GMCL in 2016 and then in 2018, topped this year’s GMCL premier division by 4 points, winning 15 games, losing 3, and having 4 abandoned. In addition, they won all 6 of their divisional T20 games before being defeated in the quarter-final.

This year has seen an incredible five first team batsmen break the 1,000-run barrier in all competitions.

Danny Pawson tops the run chart with 1145, followed by Marty Walters on 1108, James Wharmby 1069, Ryan Stanbury 1056, and Sam Holden 1035.

Five bowlers took more than 20 wickets.

Nathan Bailey tops the bowling chart taking 46 wickets, Andy Bradley 38, Stanbury 32, Holden 30 and Aaryaman Roy 27.

Bradders’ haul now takes his first team total to an incredible 1360 wickets.

Three players took 20 catches or more, led by Holden (28), Tom Gibson (22), and Walters (20).

Sam Holden emerged as the team’s MVP.

Pictured is the spontaneous team hug after the fall of the last Heyside wicket on Saturday clinched victory.

Photo: Leo Michaelovitz
Facts and figures: Bob Hinchliffe