Heysham Silverdale Match Report

Westmorland League Division 1

Heysham 194/8
Silverdale 242/3 dec

The teams currently fifth and sixth in the league played out a high scoring draw which was dominated by a powerful Silverdale performance.

Electing to bat on a flat Heysham surface, Silverdale got off to a steady start against Heysham’s opening attack which oozed confidence following the previous weeks demolition of Burneside.

However, Chris Williams (52) and Brendon Rich (39) added 84 as the Heysham attack and in particular the fielding withered in the warm afternoon sunshine. They were particularly benevolent to Williams who was dropped four times before finally falling to the guile of Chris Boak (1/38), arguably the pick of Heysham’s bowlers.

The demise of the Silverdale openers brought Keiran Moffat (67no) and Graham Dodds (67) to the wicket. They started slowly but rapidly built a powerful partnership of 139 with boundaries to all parts of the ground. Moffat hit four sixes and eight fours, his partner Dodds, four sixes and seven fours. The inevitable declaration came at the end of the 43rd over.

Heysham’s reply started in a positive fashion with Andy Ideson (41) taking the game to the visitors. However, Liam Moffat (5/44) bowled a great line a length and moved the ball both ways making scoring difficult. Wincup, Antcliffe jnr and Pearson all fell cheaply and at 93/5 the writing was on the wall. Under stand-in skipper Cupit (16), Heysham rallied somewhat and with Antcliffe snr (18) and Townsend (13) stemming the tide the home side looked well set to save the game. However, both fell with the score on 131 and Silverdale sniffed victory. Sam Calverley (18), Lee Calverley (24no) and Rob Hooper (10 no) batted out time to ensure a draw, the visitors claiming nine points to Heysham two.

With Shireshead winning again the result leaves Heysham in seventh overall, their chances of a top four finish fading. The Bank Holiday weekend will be crucial as they play away at both Windermere and Ibis.