Enfield’s late crumble after Dale recovery

ALISTAIR BOLINGBROKE

THE sun may have been high in the sky, but a large black cricketing cloud hung over Redbrook on Sunday.

After 20 overs of their game against Enfield, Dale were en route to their lowest score for nearly six years.

They were 53 for 8 and spectators who had been looking forward to a full day’s cricket were now facing the prospect of being home in time for Sons of Praise.

If ever a wagging tail was required it was now.

There remained the merest sliver of light, though. Andrew Dawson was still in. Dawson had been batting at four all season, but here he dropped to no. 6, a move designed to enable him to play his more natural attacking game.

But when he came in at 36 for four after Ed Moore and Michael Harling had departed in successive balls, he could never have felt more shackled. And the chains were well and truly tightened soon after when the horror story continued with Ben Chapman and Ollie Makin following the previous pattern.

A brief flurry from Tom Avery relieved, but only slightly, the tension and when Will Avery was the victim of an awful misunderstanding with Dawson, the tea ladies were scrambling to serve what would have been lunch, rather than tea.

But, in contrast to his teammates, Dawson appeared untroubled. Jamie Roche, too played solidly, and the two, steady as you like, set about the repair job. Soon, a three figure total, hitherto a pipe dream was achieved and the pair’s 50 partnership realised.

At which point Roche’s obdurate innings came to an end via a return catch to Lewis Wright, but if Enfield thought that that would be that, Steve Oddy made them think again.

His approach copied that of his immediate predecessor, and under Dawson’s watchful supervision he too played with nerveless determination.

The result was another half century partnership, during which time Dawson reached his own fifty, one as deserved as any you will see and one worth a ton in most other currencies.

Remarkably, Dale almost batted out the full 50 overs but with only 9 balls remaining, Oddy slapped Wright straight to mid wicket, leaving Dawson unbeaten on 58.

Now, could Dale’s bowlers take advantage of this marvellous batting recovery?

The early stages of Enfield’s innings were far from promising for the home team though. Wright and Greg Jones gave the visitors the required start, and although both departed within one run, professional Sashreka Pussegolla and Adam Bracewell put on 59 for the third wicket and at 86 for two, Enfield charge.

But Ollie Makin who had been probing from the Football Ground end had Bracewell brilliantly caught at slip by Chapman, and Oddy returning at the other forced Pusegolla to drag one on.

Now we could see what Enfield’s later order was made of.

And the answer was about the same as Rochdale’s top order.

They crumbled, the last eight wickets falling for 43, with Tom Avery taking advantage to claim four wickets.

So, thanks to Dawson, Roache and Oddy (and eventually the rest of the team) a remarkable turnaround had been achieved. And as for that black were well in cloud? The evening sun streamed across Redbrook.