Cross the difference as Walsden beaten

In a game spanning four days due to poor weather on Sunday, Chris Dewhirst’s table toppers went down by four wickets to hosts Heywood.

Walsden had made a below-par 163 for nine on Sunday and Heywood had reached 15 for one before bad light stopped play.

There was no play on Monday due to rain and the hosts moved on to 125 for five on Tuesday evening, leaving themselves requiring another 39 from 14 overs.

Walsden’s only success last night came when professional Richard Sladdin picked up the wicket of Andy Dawson, who added 74 with Bobby Cross after Heywood had been rocking at 72 for five.

However, man of the match Cross saw it through to the end with one of the best of the many good innings he has played for Heywood, finishing on 88 not out.

Walsden spokesman Kenny Gale said: “We knew we had not got enough runs.

“Bobby Cross is a good batsman and if we’d have had someone who had made 80 we would probably have got 220 or 230 but none of our lads got in.”

The clubs meet again in the second teams’ final, the Burton Cup, on Sunday.

WALSDEN 163-9 (N Barker 38, Josh Gale 28, Rawlinson 25; Kaye 3-12, Paterson 3-32)

HEYWOOD 164 for six

R Cross not out 88

R Zelem run out 1

T Townsend lbw b S Barker 10

D Pawson c Harkal b Josh Gale 13

D Latham b Josh Gale 0

W Hunt lbw b Josh Gale 0

AA Dawson c Rawlinson b Sladdin 35

R Paterson not out 2

Extras 15

Total (for 6 wkts, 43 overs) 164

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-28, 3-72, 5-72, 6-146

Bowling: Shackleton 9-1-27-0, Hooson 5-0-17-0, S Barker 7-1-21-1, Joe Gale 6-1-26-0, Sladdin 10-0-29-1, Harkal 1-0-14-0, Josh Gale 5-1-28-3