Home comforts
REDBROOK soil has not been the most fertile for Rochdale so far this season.
However it bore the fruits of victory on Sunday when Dale recorded a comfortable victory against Haslingden, the visitors falling 104 runs short of Dale’s 258 for 7.
The roots of their success could be found in a much improved all round batting performance in which all but one batsman made double figures. Decent partnerships were created, including the opening one comprising of Jack Pilling and Michael Harling
Although their 41 run stand was hardly record breaking, it was solid enough to lay a foundation which the middle order built on.
Having made an undefeated 135 the day before deputising for Denton Wests, professional Ed Moore began imperiously.
His first scoring shot was six over wide long on he and Ben Chapman dominated the next phase of the game.
Dale had been assisted by an injury to Haslingden’s opening bowler Josef Sipocz, who managed only 3 deliveries, and they took advantage this misfortune.
The stand between Moore and Chapman realised 74 runs and during it the duel between Moore and Haslingden’s professional Kamran Ghulam was fascinating and was won by Moore on account of his imaginative improvisation.
Three times he reverse swept the slow left armer for four making it almost impossible for a field to be set for him.
Ghulam did achieve some success though when he spun one sharply to defeat Chapman and then, out of the blue, Moore missed a straight one from the burly Jordan Shannon, another slow left armer, and was trapped in front.
If supporters were now wondering if this would be the start of the regular batting collapse, Jack Avery and Andrew Dawson provided the resounding answer – No!
The both played freely, sustaining the momentum and taking the home team to the cusp of 200 with overs in hand, and then Dale’s dominance was reinforced by a jolly, undefeated eighth wicket partnership of 36 from James O’Neil and Steve Oddy.
Only once has a team batting second made more than 258 to win at Redbrook.
It is a task that requires at least one outstanding performance and Ghulam hinted that he was the man to provide it.
Coming in at three after the early departure of Lawrence Adlum, Ghulam, aided by Graham Knowles and Chris CookMartin, got Haslingden motoring.
But this was a very long road to negotiate and the introduction of Will Avery into attack slowed the journey down.
He bowled Cook-Martin, and although Ghulam passed fifty, wickets were beginning to fall regularly.
Of late Dale have utilised Chris Hartley after the shine on the ball has disappeared and here Haslingden’s middle and late order were ill equipped to deal with his speed.
Hartley fairly ripped through them. He had Sean Hunsley caught at the wicket, Oliver Lord snaffled at slip and then he effectively put the game to bed when he hit Ghulam slap bang in front with one that kept slow. And, for good measure, Hartley accounted for Cameron but then he