Heaton bowlers impress in Crowther Cup triumph

The final was played out in the beautiful setting of Cawthorne and the large crowd in attendance will not have failed to have been impressed by the facilities and hospitality shown on a glorious sunny day.

There was some trepidation among Hanging Heaton followers when East Bierley won the toss and chose to bowl on a drying pitch.

Oliver Newton was caught and bowled by Wayne Robinson for 14, and fellow opener Francis Nelson saw his stumps uprooted by Ryan Lumb for 17 as Heaton slipped to 32-2.

The experienced duo of Steve Bourne and Rob McFarlane then came to the crease and set a decent platform with a 99-run stand.

McFarlane made 41 from 58 balls before being caught by Tom Ormondroyd off the bowling of Dan Abbott, and Bourne became the fifth Hanging Heaton wicket to fall for a top score of 60 from 77 balls, including 11 fours.

Chris Goodair helped boost the total with a crucial 30 and was supported for a time by Jack Lawrence (15).

Goodair was left stranded when Mick Horner, Jamie Baulk and John Carruthers fell in quick succession and Heaton were bowled out for 209 with 11 balls of their innings remaining.

Robinson finished with figures of 3-31 and Abbott claimed 3-38, while there were two wickets apiece for Lumb and James Higgins.

Heaton were given the perfect start in reply when Horner trapped Stuart Kirk lbw without scoring.

It was to prove the first of six leg before decisions during the Bierley innings.

Higgins had smashed 175 not out during East Bierley’s league win over Pudsey Congs on Saturday but he was lbw to James Byrne for three before Lumb went the same way as he became Horner’s second victim and they slipped to 5-3.

Byrne produced a terrific bowling spell in Heaton’s semi-final win over New Farnley and he grabbed his second wicket, and a fourth lbw decision of the innings, trapping Liam Walsh.

Robert Barker was then lbw to Horner as the opening five Bierley batsmen went the same way.

There was no doubting the sixth wicket as Byrne emphatically bowled the dangerous Ross Monaghan for 15 and Bierley were 30-6.

Dan Abbott fell to a terrific catch by Jamie Baulk off Horner as the veteran bowler ended with terrific figures of 4-33 from his 10 overs.

Paul Ellis became Byrne’s fourth victim when he was bowled and Reece Clark was then trapped leg before as Byrne ended his 10 overs with 5-33 to earn man-of-the-match.

Bierley offered late resistance as Ormondroyd and Robinson shared a 31-run stand.

Robinson was his side’s top scorer with 24 before he was last man out, caught in the deep by Jack Lawrence off spinner Jamie Baulk’s first over.

Bierley were 72 all out in 20.5 overs as Heaton won by 137 runs and lifted the Crowther Cup for the first time since 2002.