Heys boys have a blast

The five-point victory over the Slattocks side on Sunday meant the Heys boys hung onto second place in the Lees Lancashire County League table.

However, leaders Denton extended their advantage at the top to nine points after escaping the weather and gaining maximum points from both weekend matches.

On Sunday Prestwich set Thornham a daunting total of 228.

A superb half-century from Mike Hudson set the tone, after Prestwich had suffered the early loss of pro Craig Duxbury.

Hudson made 65 out of an 84 run stand with Walker, crashing nine fours and one six.

The impetus was maintained by Mirza who struck a confident run-a-ball 40, while Walker was unlucky to chop the ball onto his stumps for 27 and so end his knock.

After Mirza fell to a good delivery from Andy Nolan, Orrell (31) and Lorenzini kept up the good work.

Lorenzini, breeding confidence after his unbeaten 66 the week before, continued in the same vein, finishing on 38 not out from just 31 balls, while Bradley drew the innings to a close in style with a six into the trees.

Humphreys and Bradley then had Thornham by the throat as they struggled to get their innings out of the starting blocks.

Bradley removed both openers during a mean-fisted 10-over spell of 2-6, and Humphreys grabbed the wickets of McClure and the scalp of skipper Phil Sutcliffe.

When Holt had Lawler caught at gully for one, the scoreboard showed 27-5 after 25 overs.

A smart catch at slip from Duxbury gave Holt his second wicket, giving the youngster 2-15 off five overs.

Burke and Nolan did rattle the boundary boards on a few occasions to boost the Thornham total to 80, but Humphreys was brought back into the firing line after a short rest to finish off the lower order, and return figures of 5-21, his second five-wicket haul of the weekend, and clocking up 31 fives in his time with Prestwich

The previous day, Prestwich and Woodbank were foiled by the rain as they had to settle for two points each, although both sides were within a hair's breadth of winning.

A difficult Woodbank wicket saw Prestwich muster a mere 109, as Ghulam Abbas grabbed 5-25, aided by tight, fruitful spells from Dadabhoy (3-38) and a rejuvenated Wayne Griffiths (2-32).

Ian Walker top scored with a studious 23 and at one stage with Imran Mirza, the visitors had been in the relatively healthy position of 52-2.

But Mirza's dismissal the first ball after drinks for 19 started the slump.

Yet Prestwich fought back with a vengeance after the tea interval when wicketkeeper Walker brilliantly stumped Damian Stringer and Chris Humphreys claimed the wicket of Loster without a run on the board.

Stringer's dismissal off Andy Bradley marked the bowler's 550th first team wicket.

Whilst three interruptions for rain meant the full quota of overs could not be bowled within the allotted time, if anything, it heightened the drama.

The rain had a calming effect on the wicket as the ball began to skid on, and Woodbank pro Mark Stringer led the revival.

He made a blustery 38 until his off stump was clipped by teenager Oliver Holt, his first league wicket for the club, and an important one at that.

The home side found little joy against Humphreys (5-33) as he kept Prestwich in the game with regular breakthroughs, but as Woodbank edged nearer the target swinging the pendulum in their favour, another wicket would tumble.

Abbas struck two sixes in three balls, which put his team in sight of the winning post, but he holed out to skipper Steve Orrell on the deep mid-wicket boundary, off the bowling of Steven Lorenzini, for 18.

With one over left, Woodbank needed seven runs to win, with one wicket remaining, but just two runs were scored although the last pair remained intact, and honours were shared.

Not often a game is made more exciting by the rain!

l Prestwich 2nd XI suffered a frustrating weekend, thwarted by the weather on Saturday, they turned in a below-par performance to lose against Thornham on Sunday.