Heywood did everything right as they comprehensively beat Clifton.
They bowled and fielded excellently to restrict the visitors to 139 on a scorching day at a picture-perfect Crimble.
Then, led by one of Ross Zelem’s best innings for Heywood, overhauled their target with four wickets down and plenty of overs left.
Heywood were also helped by an injury to last week’s 10 wicket hero Steve Cheetham, who pulled up with a groin problem after just 2.5 overs of his spell after picking up the wicket of Andy Dawson. It’s highly doubtful he would have hit the same heights again, but there is no doubt it would have been a tighter game if he’d have stayed fit.
Clifton made a quick start after being inserted, but were soon in trouble when Humza Naeem removed openers Ben Chapman and Adam Holt.
Riley Paterson bowled pro Cameron Murray, who tried to smash a straight, full-length delivery, before Derbyshire and Morris looked like putting Clifton back on track.
But Travis Townsend removed Derbyshire with the aid of the reliable Bobby Cross at slip, and soon after had Cheetham brilliantly stumped by Danny Pawson for one.
Morris set about trying to anchor the innings, but wickets kept falling. Chris Kaye moved to within two of David Fare’s all-time wickets record with two more dismissals in one of his best performances with the ball all season, and with Joe Lovell tight on return, Clifton’s innings hit the buffers despite late resistance from Lachie Mason, Clifton’s overseas.
Paterson returned to pick up the last two to fall, and Clifton were all out for 139 with 1.3 overs remaining.
Heywood lost Dawson to the fifth ball of Cheetham’s opening over. Zelem had already hit the former Heywood paceman for four, and Dawson had smashed him for a beautiful straight boundary off his first ball faced. But then the belligerent opener failed to heed a top edge off the previous ball and hit one straight up in the air while trying to deposit Cheetham on to the bike track. A not very clever piece of batting.
But Zelem looked in great nick, and even losing Cross to the nagging medium-pacers of Jennings didn’t halt Heywood’s momentum.
With Zelem hitting well down the ground, Townsend also looked to play positive but he played one shot too many and smashed one straight down Mason’s throat at long-on.
It was 62-3 and Clifton sniffed a chance, but Pawson hit Jennings out of the attack and he and Zelem started to dominate in the heat.
It was surprising when Zelem went – trapped lbw by Chapman – but Pawson and Paterson saw Heywood home to another five point victory that saw them overhaul Walsden at the top of the CLL table.
CLIFTON
B Chapman c Cross b Naeem 13
A Holt b Naeem 1
C Murray b Paterson 14
T Derbyshire c Cross b Townsend 13
D Morris c Zelem b Lovell 28
S Cheetham st Pawson b Townsend 1
G Jennings b Kaye 7
L Mason not out 27
R Borritt c Pawson b Kaye 2
L Dorsey c Pawson b Paterson 12
M Wright c Cross b Paterson 4
Extras 5
Total (48.3 overs) 139
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-40, 3-40, 4-71, 5-78, 6-93, 7-95, 8-106, 9-129, 10-139
Bowling: Paterson 8.3-1-27-3, Naeem 7-2-26-2, Kaye 16-2-45-2, Townsend 9-3-24-2, Lovell 8-3-17-1
HEYWOOD
R Zelem lbw b Chapman 54
A Dawson c Dorsey b Cheetham 4
R Cross c Cheetham b Jennings 9
T Townsend c Mason b Wright 29
D Pawson not out 35
R Paterson not out 4
Extras 5
Total (for 4 wkts, 39.5 overs) 140
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-25, 3-62, 4-128
Bowling: Cheetham 2.5-0-13-1, Jennings 12-5-29-1, Borritt 8.1-2-24-0, Wright 10-0-41-1, Morris 2-0-20-0, Chapman 4.5-0-11-1
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