Right decision to abandon Wood Cup final

SUNDAY’S Wood Cup Final between Crompton and Rochdale was abandoned shortly after tea and will now be replayed on Sunday 20th August.

Rochdale had batted, making 183, thanks largely to a half century from Andrew Dawson, but with the match evenly poised, the rain which had threaten for most of the afternoon finally arrived, and the League’s sensible plan to start afresh in such a situation was put into place.

On Saturday, Austerlands’ hill top provided the setting. A bright sunny day. Panoramic views all round. All the ingredients for a perfect day’s cricket you could be lured into thinking.

Until the game started, that is, and it became immediately apparent the pitch was not so benign.

On the contrary, batting was so difficult that of the eighteen batsmen to take guard, only four, two of whom were the professionals, made double figures

At one point Austerlands, batting first were 18 for 5, then 30 for 6, a scorecard imitated by Rochdale –17 for 4, then 36 for 5 – and to describe the bounce as uneven would be like calling a tidal wave a ripple.

Not that Dale’s opening bowler Michael Harling needed the wicked pitch of the west’s assistance, though.

He bowled full and straight and hit the stumps for three of his four wickets.

At the other end, Mo Bux enjoyed himself too. The veteran seamer can be a handful when only minimum pitch assistance is available and here he was in his element.

He conceded only 16 runs from his 15 overs, adding three wickets to his season’s tally in the process

Only Austerlands’ paid man, Shanuka Dulaj, and to a lesser extent, Craig Joy gave any hint of permanence. They put on 30 for the seventh wicket and, fleetingly, the home looked like they might make three figures.

But once Dulaj had carelessly poked a wide one from Ben Chapman to Henry Cooper, the innings ended as it had begun – with a clatter of wickets.

When it was Rochdale’s turn to bat, not much changed.

Except that by now a wedding party had turned up. Jack Avery was out before the Prosecco had been poured. Chapman soon followed, although in his case an inside edge onto his pad went unseen (and unheard) by the umpire.

With deliveries passing by at nose height, Austerlands’ opening bowler Adriane Morrison, who ran in with great determination smelled blood.

Andrew Dawson gloved one to Mark Peters, while Derek Faulkner received a delivery, which would have had Mrs Faulkner, had she been there, wondering where the family insurance policies had been filed. In an instinctive act of self defence, Faulkner could only dolly the ball into the slip cordon, where Lee Milner, who was also a handful bowling from the other end, took the catch.

Michael Harling hung around for a bit longer, but when he drove Morrison to mid off, Dale had lost half their wickets for less than half the total.

Crucially, though, Henry Cooper was surviving. And when, to everyone’s surprise Dulaj replaced Milner in the attack, Dale and in particular new batsman Andy Harrison took advantage. Dulaj’s solitary over yielded 14 runs, and provide Rochdale with the impetus to sweep home without further loss.

Cooper, his patient watchfulness admirable in the extreme, finished on 34 not out, an innings worth far more on a good wicket. Austerlands K Du Feu b Harling ............................................. 3 J Molloy c Dawson b Bux ................................ 0 M Saliq b Harloing .............................................. 4 S Dulaj c Cooper b Chapman ..................... 20 Adam Young b Harling ..................................... 0 L Milner c Highton b Harling ......................... 4 A Morrison c Harling b Bux ............................ 6 C Joy lbw b Bux ................................................. 12 M Peters b Chapman ........................................ 1 Andy Young not out .......................................... 0 M Lockett b Chapman ...................................... 0 Extras ..................................................................... 22 Total (30 overs) .................................................. 72 Bowling: Bux 15 4 16 3; Harling 1 5 21 4; Chapman 4 0 17 3. Rochdale J Avery ct Joy b Morrison ................................ 0 B Chapman lbw Milner .................................... 5 H Cooper not out ............................................. 34 A Dawson c Oeters b Morrison .................... 1 D Faulkner c Milner b Morrison .................... 0 M Harling c Rasheed b Morrison ................. 4 A Harrison not out ........................................... 21 Extras ........................................................................ 8 Total (for 5, 25 overs) ...................................... 73 Bowling: Morrison 13 6 32 4; Milner 11 4 25 1; Dulaj 1 0 14 0. Rochdale, 5 points beat Austerlands, 0 points by 5 wickets.