Openers put Colne on back foot
A CENTURY opening partnership by Jack Avery and Ben Chapman formed the base for a resounding Rochdale victory at Colne on Sunday.
Playing with uninhibited attacking intent, they put the Colne attack to the sword from practically the first over of the game as home team struggle to contain them.
Although Avery led the early charge, Chapman, with a flurry of boundaries was first to 50 before was bowled, attempting to pull Danny Kegg to mid wicket.
Professional Ed Moore accompanied Avery to his milestone but just when he must have been setting his eyes on three figures he was mysteriously adjudged run out when he had appeared to make his ground with some ease.
Having clubbed Kegg into Keighley Road, the ball leaving a crater on the bonnet of a posh car in the process, Moore gradually began to find timing the ball less easy.
Nonetheless, and despite surviving three chances, he too passed 50, before a direct hit from fine leg defeated his attempt to complete a second run.
The late innings thrash was left to captain Michael Harling and Tom Avery and 30 runs were plundered from the last 4 overs as Dale closed on 260 for 4.
Colne’s reply began badly.
Amidst a flurry of no balls and wides Chris Hartley produced a couple of fast straight ones to which Kenton Rhodes and Chris Walton had no answer, and when Steve Oddy, who had repeatedly rapped professional James Price on the pad, finally won the umpire’s verdict, to leave the home side 53 for 3, there seemed little chance of a Colne rally.
And, despite some worthy defiance from George Braithwaite and Kegg, so it proved.
Dale’s catching, flawed earlier on, improved, the highlight being a splendid one handed effort at slip by Olly Makin, made even more enjoyable by the announcer mistakenly, but understandably, identifying the catcher as the equally bulky Chapman.
Colne’s inninings then crawled to its conclusion. They staggered past three figures before another fast, well directed deliver from the returning Hartley finished off both John Lambert and the game.
Dale have started their Lancashire League life well with two big victories sandwiching a loss against Milnrow, a defeat they may yet rue. Rochdale J Avery run out 66 B Chapman b Kegg 54 E Moore run out 53 A Dawson c Braithwaie b Nation 8 M Harling not out 36 T Avery not out 16 Extras 27 Total ( for 4, 50 overs) 260 Bowling : Hakin 12 0 42 0; Liaquat 12 2 73 0; Lambert 4 0 30 0; Price 4 0 25 0; Kegg 12 1 42 1; Nation 6 0 32 1 Colne K Rhodes b Hartley 5 C Walton b Hartley 2 J Price lbw Oddy 19 G Brathwaite st O’Neill b Makin 30 T Bradshaw c Chapman b Oddy 0 D Kegg lbw Makin 30 M Walker c Makin b Moore 0 A Hakin c Chapman b Makin 2 J Liaquat not out 7 J Nation b Moore 1 J Lambert b Hartley 2 Extras 19 Total (all out, 40 overs) 105 Bowling: Oddy 11 3 42 2; Hartley 4 0 17 3; Chapman 6 3 12 0; Makin 10 2 28 3; T Avery 2 1 9 0; Moore 7 3 7 2; Rochdale, 12 points, beat Colne, 0 points by 145 runs