PRESTWICH failed on Sunday in their bid to lift the Walkden Cup for the first time in 66 years.

They lost by 22 runs to an Irlam side who certainly enjoyed their weekend as 24 hours earlier they had gone top of the Lancashire County League and are firmly on course for the double.

Steve Orrell lost the toss which consigned his side to an afternoon fielding in the blistering sun which was so fierce that strike bowler Andy Bradley, who had taken seven wickets the previous day, collapsed with heat exhaustion immediately after bowling the final over of the Irlam innings and had to receive medical attention.

Prestwich put on a superb first half performance to contain their opponents to just 152 for 9 with Duxbury, Humphreys and Bradley taking an early stranglehold on the top order from which Irlam never really recovered despite a knock of 59 from their overseas star Tahir Mahmood which won him the Man of the Match award.

The bowling was so tight that when Sandiford had Ali caught in his first over, the visitors were just 30 for 3 in the 21st over and things looked even better with Higginson's dismissal of Rana to leave the visitors on 47 for 4.

Thomas helped Mahmood add 33 for the fifth wicket before his dismissal brought a flurry of wickets with a stunning run out from Hey accounting for Whitefield being followed by Bradley bowling Nicholson with the score on 103 for 7. With overs running out Hilton and Mahmood went on the attack and it took an excellent catch by Jon O'Conner to dismiss the former, whilst Garstang finally brought about the demise of Mahmood when he held a skier to give Humphreys his third wicket. During the tea interval the sun disappeared, and the thunder arrived and after just one over of the Prestwich reply the covers were on.

When play resumed Prestwich suffered a massive blow when professional Duxbury was out third ball and the last thing the Heys' side needed was to have made a third start when an alcohol-fuelled streaker sadly forced another long stoppage in front of a crowd containing many children.

When play resumed Hey and Orrell looked comfortable and took the score to 42 before the captain was caught behind, Garstang and Fiorentini soon followed and the game had swung dramatically Irlam's way.

Young Hey battled hard for the cause and, with Humphreys, lifted the score to 60 before becoming one of Rook's four victims behind the stumps. When Humphreys also departed the Prestwich reply was in disarray at 76 for 6 but O'Conner and Billy Taylor gave the home side hope with a swashbuckling partnership of 30.

On O'Conner's demise the still stricken Bradley helped Taylor, who was playing the innings of his life, add another 18 to give Irlam the jitters but just when it seemed that Taylor would do the impossible and win the game, his new partner Higginson called him for a suicidal single and all hope disappeared.

At 7.50pm the cup was on its way to Irlam, but only after after a splendid match played in a good spirit by both sides.

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