Rochdale’s cup hopes dashed

ROCHDALE’S hopes of a first appearance in a Lancashire League’s JW Lees Bitter Worsley Cup final disappeared at Redbrook on Saturday when they were beaten by 48 runs by Darwen in a low scoring game.

It was a contest in which both teams alternately held the upper hand, but the visitors had the final say as Dale were disappointingly bowled out for 106 having made a decent start in quest of theDarwen’s 154 all out.

Despite heavy rain during the previous 24 hours the ground was fit for play at the scheduled start time and it was only the merest of showers and prevaricating officialdom that forced a 75 minute delay.

Darwen A Mirza b Makin ............................................... 44 JD Clarke c Makin b Moore ......................... 24 RB Willets b Moore ............................................. 0 MJ Ackerman lbw b Makin .......................... 16 D Bowden c Roche b Wilkinson ................... 1 MD Friend b Makin ............................................ 1 Kamran Anwar lbw b Makin .......................... 4 SJ Painter c Moore b Wilkinson ................. 26 C Wade c Duffy b Wilkinson ........................... 0 G Lawrenson c Roche b Harling ................... 3 A Cook not out ..................................................... 1 Extras ..................................................................... 34 Total (all out, 49.1 overs) ............................. 154 Bowling: Harling 8 1 26 1; Ul-Haq 4 1 18 0; Moore 10 1 29 2; Hartley 10 1 30 0; Makin 10 3 19 4; Wilkinson 7.1 2 22 3 Rochdale DM Wilkinson b Kamran Anwar ................ 11 EM Moore b Bowden ..................................... 27 A Dawson b Kamran Anwar .......................... 6 MR Harling b Lawrenson .............................. 11 OJ Makin c Kamran Anwar b Ackerman 20 J Duffy c Kamran Anwar b Ackerman ....... 2 D Faulkner c and b Ackerman ....................... 2 JA Roche b Wade ............................................. 10 M Ul-Haq not out ................................................ 3 Abdullah Khan b Wade .................................... 0 CJ Hartley c Mirza b Wade ........................... 10 Extras ........................................................................ 4 Total (all out, 40.2 overs) ............................. 106 Bowling: Anwar 7 1 24 2; Cook 6 0 21 0; Bowden 9 6 3 1; Ackerman 10 0 35 3; Lawrenson 5 1 8 1; Wade 3.2 0 14 3

When play did eventually start the benign batting conditions, at least against the medium pacers, was underlined by Darwen’s openers Ammer Mirza and Jordan Clarke who compiled a relatively untroubled partnership of 74.

It was only the introduction of Dale’s off spinning professional Ed Moore which tipped the balance towards the bowlers.

He got one the turn and bounce at Clarke and Ollie Makin at backward short leg took the catch.

Makin himself then joined in and in the face of Dale’s three pronged spin attack (Declan Wilkinson’s slow left armers also caused trouble) Darwen collapsed from 79 for 1 to 118 for 8, but at this point much needed resistance came in the shape of Sam Painter who found a willing ally in the obdurate Greg Lawrenson.

They put on 20 for the ninth wicket, before Jamie Roche’s marvellous one handed diving catch off Michael Harling accounted for Lawrenson.

But then equally frustrating for Dale was a mini stand of 16 for the last wicket and with a decent spin attack of their own, Darwen were back in the game.

Dale’s reply began soundly. Moore and Wilkinson put on 39 in quickish time before the enthusiastic

Kamran Anwar yorked Wilkinson. Then, 6 runs later Anwar’s enthusiasm exceeded itself when, having bowled Andrew Dawson with a purler, his celebration took him into the departing batsman’s path.

The resulting minor set to, usually described in football parlance as ‘’Handbags’’ provided the umpires with another opportunity to apply their authority.

And as if this wasn’t bad enough for Dale, in the next over, the dangerous Dave Bowden’s first, Moore played over the top of a straight one.

The sense that Dale were now in big trouble developed into reality. Harling and Makin made a fist of rebuilding but when Harling was bowled by Lawrenson with score on 70 Makin’s twofold challenge was to first find a durable partner and then eke out the balance required.

He managed neither and with some sad inevitability, the innings fizzled out.

Rochdale now have to overcome this setback. And quickly.

With some tough fixtures on the horizon in a highly competitive league the aim will be to garner enough points as soon as possible to avoid a tense relegation battle.