Browse Sections

• Local football
• Local cricket

Skipper Cross leads the way

5/ 6/2008

HEYWOOD skipper Bobby Cross was the star of the show with an unbeaten century as his team cruised to victory at Clifton, on Saturday. The win takes them to second in the table one point behind Crompton.

The home team elected to bat and their professional Nisar got them off to a flier, blasting three fours from Steve Cheetham’s opening over.

He and Lord had put on 96 when the astute Cross turned to spin with Ruvin Peiris and Slawson. The latter’s contribution was short-lived as he suffered a shoulder injury.

Chris Kaye was brought into the attack and he coaxed out Nisar for a belligerent 72.

Peiris had Lord (29) caught behind and Mukhtar (32) became the Heywood professional’s second victim.

From a potentially match-winning platform of 118 for one, Clifton suffered a disastrous middle order collapse and it needed an aggressive knock from Malik to steer them past the 200-mark.

Cheetham returned to polish off the tail, the Clifton innings ending on 206.

Heywood set about the run chase in aggressive fashion.

Tom Hardman continued his impressive start to the season, reaching 26, before a rush of blood saw him stumped trying to hit Hough over the top.

This brought Heywood’s overseas amateur Royce Blight to the crease and, after hitting a nice four, he clipped a ball to square leg and was caught.

Peiris and Cross attuned themselves to the pace of the pitch and then opened their shoulders.

Peiris went on to make 67 not out, achieving his half century in 47 balls.

Cross went on to carry his bat and score his first century of the season, reaching 102 not out as Heywood passed the Clifton total with more than six overs to spare.

Next up for Heywood in their

pursuit of silverware is the Twenty/20 match at Norden on Friday, followed by a league encounter against Royton at Crimble on Saturday.

NOT a ball was bowled when the John Willie Lees Wood Cup should have got under way on Sunday. With rain falling at most grounds a decision was taken before 2pm to postpone all first round matches until the scheduled second round date - Sunday 22 June.