Weekend double with Monton win

ROCHDALE made it two wins for the weekend on Sunday when they beat Monton and Weaste by four wickets.

It was a day for batsman to relish and for a time Monton looked likely to post a highly challenging total.

Their highly talented opening pair of Furqan Shafiq and Josh Lenihan put on 79 for the first wicket to provide a solid base, and while most of their batsmen looked comfortable on a benign surface, the accuracy of Dale’s attack, in particular Oli Makin, just about kept them reined in.

Nevertheless their total of 202 for 7 still meant that Dale would have to bat well to prevail, and they too were served well by their openers.

Ben Chapman and Jack Avery put on 72 quickly enough with Avery going on to post his third half century of the season.

He was fourth out on 138 and the game’s outcome was in the balance, but Michael Harling produced a sensible and well measured innings of 43 not out to guide his team home with eight balls to spare. Monton and Weaste F Shafiq c & b Makin .............................. 47 J Lenihan c Cooper b Highton .......... 35 J Sandham c J O’Neill b Highton ..... 29 M Wajah’in c O’Neill b Highton ........... 34 J Kershaw c Harling b Makin ............... 1 T Othick c Faulkner b Harling ............ 34 D Collins c J Avery b Cooper ................ 1 D Kumar not out ....................................... 2 T Coe not out .............................................. 0 Extras ............................................................ 19 Total, for 7, 50 overs ............................ 202 Bowling: Harling 10 2 41 2; Ul Haq 6 0 21 0; Chapman 3 0 17 0; Makin 15 3 43 2; Highton 14 1 69 3; Cooper 2 0 8 1. Rochdale J Avery st Kershaw b Kumar ............... 55 B Chapman b Wajaruddin .................. 40 H Cooper c Sandham v Shafiq .......... 13 K Aughey c Kershaw b Wajahruddin 4 M Harling not out ................................... 43 O Makin c Collins b Sandham ........... 12 D Faulkner st Kershaw b Waj#ddin... 1 T Avery not out .......................................... 2 Extras ............................................................ 23 Total for 6, 48,4 overs 203. Bowling: Sandham 11 1 44 1; Collins 4 1 14 0; Lenihan 2 0 12 0; Wajahruddin 11.4 0 47 3; Shafiq 15 0 1 56; Kumar 5 0 24 1. Rochdale, 4 points won by 4 wickets.