HEYWOOD maintained their tremendous John Willie Lees Wood Cup record with an eight-wicket hammering of Werneth.

That gives them a quarter-final clash at Rochdale on Sunday, June 21, in their bid to extend a unique landmark in the history of the Central Lancashire League’s prestigious knockout competition.

The Heywood boys have reached the final in the last six successive years, and will be hopeful of making further progress at Redbrook – where they scored a hard-fought league victory in the second game of the season.

And Bobby Cross’s side will be aiming to show the same ruthless approach which left Werneth wondering what had hit them.

Will Purser got Heywood off to the perfect start with the fourth ball of the innings when he had Werneth’s substitute professional Hendrick van der Dusson, whose regular job is with Fleetwood in the Northern League, slickly taken by Royce Blight at first slip.

Home skipper Andy Walker and Alan Durose threatened to lay the foundations for a threatening total when taking the total to 42 at four runs an over. But a collapse was only just around the corner.

Lee Grogan, called on to open the bowling for a second successive day, was in the middle of a superb, controlled spell.

And he got his just rewards when he brought one back at the dangerous Durose and forced him to play on, then saw Walker chip a catch to Chris Kaye at mid-on.

Tom Hardman came into the attack to have Mark Dronsfield lbw to the home player’s first ball, and Grogan completed his disciplined effort with the fine figures of 2-21 from 10 overs.

But there was to be no respite for Werneth with the introduction of spinners Rob Slawson and Chris Kaye.

Slawson called upon the help of Heywood’s stand-in pro Brendan Taylor, keeping wicket in common with his role for Zimbabwe, to get rid of Matthew Taylor and John Slater with a smart catch and smart stumping.

And Kaye, who shaded Grogan for the Man-of-the-Match award, mopped up the tail by getting rid of Joe Taylor, Mike Wilson and Gareth Lees – the last to a smart skied catch by Purser.

With Jeff Rogerson being run out among the melee it left Heywood a target of only 105, and they galloped to victory in just 20 overs.

Hardman and Cross put on 34 before the skipper was caught behind, then Hardman was run out the length of the pitch in a confusion with Brendan Taylor – one of a series of similar incidents in recent weeks that have involved the overseas player, who saw Cross perish the same way at Littleborough the previous day!

Taylor, to his credit, did not let the moment unsettle him and raced to an unbeaten, fluent 35 in a partnership of 40 with Danny Pawson.

It left the match finishing at 5.15pm and the large contingent of Heywood fans rushing back to Crimble to support the second team in the Burton Cup clash with Werneth.

Unfortunately, most arrived just in time to see them fall for 110 when in sight of the visitors’ total of 118.