Frustration was the name of the game for several of our senior sides last weekend.
Rain thwarted the 1sts and 2nd teams – but the clouds lifted in two cup competitions as both Prestwich Heat and the 4th team made progress to the next rounds.
Prestwich Heat secured their place in the T20 Finals Day – to be held at Roe Green on Sunday July 23 – with a nine-wicket victory over Walshaw Warriors at The Heys last Friday night.
The Bury side had set a stiff-looking target when they racked up 178 for 7 from 20 overs, Joshua Rhodes smashing 75.
But James Wharmby was in a devastating form as he and Danny Pawson staged a dashing 115-run partnership in little more than 10 overs. Pawson was dismissed for a typically aggressive 62 while Wharmby was undefeated on 89 off a mere 43 balls, including 15 fours and 2 sixes.
Pro Nikhil Gangta was 14 not out as Heat reached the target with 20 balls to spare.
Wharmby’s half century was his 53rd (including 8 tons).
The game also saw the debut for Prestwich of wicketkeeper Ben Fitzmaurice, from Kirkstall Educational CC in the Airedale and Wharfedale League, who took his first catch and stumping.
On Saturday, rain forced a delay to the start of the 1st team’s league encounter with Denton West and it was reduced to a 34-over contest. Prestwich notched up 167 for 7, with Lewis Smith scoring 52, Gangta 47, and potentially valuable late runs from Alex Bradley (21no) and Tom Gibson (15no).
West had reached 57-5 from 12 overs, Ryan Maddock grabbing 4 for 34, before heavy rain wiped out any further play and the game was abandoned.
Ryan Maddock’s 4 wickets were in vain as the weather forced an abandonment against West.
The 2nd team found themselves in a thrilling game with Denton West 2nds – winning by 2 runs – only for the game to count for nothing!
Due to the poor forecast, the teams arbitrarily decided on a 20-over game, which ultimately proved in contravention of league rules.
Prestwich stacked up 161-4 (Andrew Beet 44no, Adam Cheshire 39no, Matthew Cuthbert 25, Khalid Noori 22, and Thomas Orrell 20).
West finished on 159 for 7 (Beet 5-25; Cheshire 2-46) only for the game subsequently to be deemed nul and void.
The 2nds tasted more bad luck on Sunday when they travelled to Werneth 2nds in the Cup and lost on a bowl-out 2-1.
They had managed to set a total of 168 all out, with skipper Steven Lorenzini striking 52. The home side were 35-2 from 10.2 overs when rain interrupted, and forced no more play.
The 3rds had no game but the 4th XI managed to escape the wrath of the weather by bowling out Droylsden 3rds in their Sunday Cup game for 68 in 32 overs. Ben Pinkus (4-14) and Anis Khaliq (3-8) inflicted most of the damage, but Christopher Heys took 1 for 7 from 8 overs, while Liam Potts and Haider Sajid also grabbed a wicket each.
Prestwich wasted no time in knocking off the required runs – using 13.1 overs – with James Mercer (20), Matthew Eaves (19) and Samir Rashid (10no) all contributing.
The 5th XI had a double weekend and on Saturday were defeated by five wickets at Rochdale CC.
James Mercer hit an unbeaten 50 and George Neill 36 as Prestwich made 141 for 6. Rochdale passed the target with a couple of overs to spare, Max Hunt taking 2-17 and Haider Sajid 2-19.
On Sunday, the 5ths had bowled out Woodford for 107 and were 49-1 in reply when it was abandoned due to rain.
Incredibly, Prestwich fielded a 6th team on Sunday in a friendly game at home to Brooklands. The visitors were bowled out for 119 but George Neill’s team could only reach 21-1 when the weather had the final say and the game was abandoned.
