Still, there was pride, and momentum to play for, and bothsides were determined to make the most of the reduced-overs encounter.
Batting first, Clifton never quite settled in the heavy,damp conditions. The early loss of Zach Flaxman, caught off the bowling of TomLester, set the tone. Jack Stanley offered some resistance with 12, but afterhis dismissal, again to Lester, runs became hard to come by.
Skipper Sam Dorsey played a lone hand with a battling 40 notout from 88 balls, anchoring an innings that never got into gear. There werebrief cameos from Ben Hamilton (13), Ethan Pietkiewicz (13), and Owen Sleight(9), but Andy Hough’s devastating spell of 5-27 tore through the middle andlower order. Only Sam and tailender Finlay Testa (4*) survived as Clifton wererestricted to 106 from 38.2 overs.
The soggy outfield and challenging pitch conditions madestroke play difficult, but credit must go to Roe Green’s bowlers, who appliedpressure throughout, especially Hough, who claimed five scalps with subtlevariations and tight lines.
With a revised target of 65 from 20 overs following rainadjustments, Roe Green came out swinging and swung hard.
Opener Adam Holt raced to 32 off just 15 balls, smashing boundariesand taking full advantage of anything loose from the Clifton seamers. Despitebeing caught by Hamilton off the bowling of Sleight, the damage had alreadybeen done.
From there, Ball (11*) and professional Malshan (15*)finished the job with little fuss, sealing victory in just 5.2 overs,highlighting the frustration of a Clifton side that had hoped to make more of acontest.
Prestwich Crowned Champions
Despite Roe Green’s emphatic win, news soon filtered throughthat Prestwich had claimed victory at Horwich, securing the title and endingany hope of a last-day twist. In many ways, it was a fitting outcome in aseason where Prestwich have been the standout performers, and a poignant one inthe newly christened Bob Hinchcliffe Premier League.