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Kaye is doing OK

19/ 6/2008

AT A picturesque Crimble on Saturday, Heywood stalwart Chris Kaye claimed his 18th victim of the 2008 campaign.

And, more significantly, the wicket was Kaye’s 500th for the club he has served for 25 years, since starting out as a player with the under 13s team.

Only three men have taken more wickets for the club in well over a hundred years of Heywood cricket.

And with five more wickets against Middleton on Sunday, Kaye now stands on 506 scalps, soon to pass Joe Kitchen’s haul of 512, which sees him behind club legends David Fare and Bob Cross in the wicket-taking stakes.

Kaye broke into the first team in 1993 and that season won the first of five Wood Cup winners medals, a club record.

He captained the first team in 2000 and 2001 and has been one of only three players to play in the recent run of five consecutive Wood Cup finals.

With 24 league wickets already to his name this term, Kaye will be hoping to go on to beat his previous best of 48 in a season, and the Heywood faithful will surely hope this is the case if the club are to continue the pursuit for silverware.

It was fitting that Kaye achieved the fantastic milestone at a sun-soaked Crimble, among the finest grounds in the area, in front of a large crowd against the league-leaders.

How refreshing to see a genuine amateur cricketer taking pride in his efforts for his hometown club.

On Sunday, on a dry wicket at Middleton, their professional, Coetsee, was soon out for 11, as Heywood bowled first. Runs were hard to come by on a wicket that looked as though it might deteriorate as the day went on.

Jimmy Ryan was a thorn in Heywood’s side making an invaluable 58, but Kaye was not to be denied. With three overs to go, Middleton were 169 for seven, but that man Kaye teased out the last three to end up with figures of five for 67 as Middleton closed on 178.

After two overs, Heywood had raced to 20 without loss, but by the time nine overs had passed Middleton had removed Hardman and Peiris and the visitors were struggling at 36 for two.

Royce Blight and Bobby Cross had taken the score past 100 when Blight departed to bring Danny Pawson to the crease.

With 18 overs to go, and seven wickets in hand, the odds were in Heywood’s favour, although Middleton’s fans felt the wicket was on the verge of breaking up.

However, 18-year-old Pawson was not fazed and showed his increasing maturity as he stood shoulder to shoulder with his captain, and compiled a very composed 37 not out.

Cross reached his half-century to give Heywood seven- wicket victory with two overs to spare.

'KAMIZAZE' is perhaps the best term to describe Crompton’s batting on Saturday, and with their professional, Kevin Stoute, seemingly determined to treat the match as a Twenty20 bout, wickets tumbled at all too frequent intervals for the home team.

Darren Graham dug in, while all around him were losing their heads, and their wickets, and eventually was top scorer with 29.

But if Crompton were intent on trying to bully Heywood’s attack, their strategy failed as Steve Cheetham collected his second consecutive five-wicket haul and Chris Kaye picked up three.

Tom Hardman took the two prize wickets of Stoute and Heywood’s overseas amateur from 2007, Javon Searles, as Crompton collapsed to 132 all out.

The joy of Heywood’s players and spectators was in sharp contrast to the chagrin of the Crompton contingent, and the tea room staff as the innings ended 18 overs prematurely at 3.50pm.

Searles exacted some revenge as he nipped out Hardman early on, but it clearly wasn’t going to be the Crompton day as Stoute had both Ruvin Peiris and Royce Blight dropped.

After these scares, the batsmen gradually took control and proceeded sedately to towards the target.

Peiris was first to his 50, and Royce Blight then reached his 50, while scoring the winning runs, to crush Crompton by nine wickets.

Radcliffe are the visitors on Saturday, in a match sponsored by Brown’s No1 Wine Bar, and on Sunday, Heywood entertain Unsworth in a re-arranged first round of the JW Lees Wood Cup.

The second team enjoyed another fruitless weekend, but the third team put in a tremendous batting performance to overhaul Brooksbottom’s daunting total of 245.

Mel Fawcett, Tom Blundell and debutant Sam Minihan were all in the runs as Bob Dearden’s team recorded a magnificent victory.