Reprieve for Rochdale in top division

THE final weekend of the Lancashire League season provided almost unbearable tension for Rochdale followers as their team avoided relegation by the narrowest of margins.

Dale’s last game, against local rivals Norden was brought forward by 24 hours to Saturday on account of Norden’s involvement in the LCF Cup final the day after, and with Accrington’s relegation fate already sealed Rochdale started the game just two points ahead of the only other candidates for the second relegation spot, Church.

But despite losing by 5 wickets, Rochdale picked up one crucial bowling point, meaning that Church, who played Walsden on Sunday would need only three points to send Dale down.

However, Walsden, having made 193 for 6 dismissed Churcch for 153 – 10 runs and one point short of their target, and by that one point Dale’s salvation was assured.

To fully understand Rochdale’s season would require some forensic dissection. At the halfway point they were handily placed in the table and through to the semi final of the Worsley Cup, but since the first weekend in July they failed to win a game. Their main problem has been one of failing to score anywhere near enough runs to allow their potent bowling attack to win them games.

Batting collapses have characterised their season and on Saturday, having recovered from the loss of two early wickets, which left them at 2 for 2, they crumbled again. Deputy professional Matt Coles, with a swashbuckling 44 and Andrew Dawson put on 60 for the third wicket before Coles, who blasted three huge sixes sliced Hasham Malik to backward point and soon they were 86 for 6.

But not for the first time Jamie Roche provided some stoic resistance, and with Dawson playing as well as at any time during the season Dale began to bat their way into a rare competitive position.

Dawson passed his half century, an innings containing 9 boundaries before , with the score on 134 Roche slapped a long hop from Greg Butterworth to cover. The former Rochdale slow left armer then accounted for Mohid –Ul Haq and Chris Hartley, both first ball, while at the other end Dawson was undone by one that kept low from Dominic Humphreys and Dale had collapsed to 137 all out.

Nonetheless, on a pitch which provided more than adequate assistance to the bowler, there was confident tea time talk that they had got enough.

And had Josh Tolley not been put down at short extra cover on the first ball of Norden’s reply that confidence may have borne some justification.

But Tolley and opening partner Harvey Fitton copied Coles’ earlier attacking approach, and with a little luck put on 50 for the first wicket before Andy Rodgerson’s excellent diving catch at long off signalled Fitton’s end.

Joe Humphreys then assisted Tolley in taking the reply to 85, at around which point Coles, who, like Jake Sandham earlier in the day, had been hampered by a damp run up, returned to the attack bowling off spin.

He took 4 quick wickets, including the vital point gaining fifth of the innings and with Norden on 109 for 5 the game was back in the balance.

But Butterworth, enjoying a successful return to his old stomping ground provided Tolley, now playing with more circumspection, with the required support.

Tolley’s ulitimately match winning 61 was compiled off 126 balls, and included 4 boundaries, and his team reached their target with over 7 overs to spare.

Dale and their supporters then spent the next 24 hours biting their nails until news of their reprieve came through. Rochdale DM Wilkinson c D H’reys b C H’reys 2 H Hussain c Crabtree b C Humphreys 0 A Dawson b D Humphreys 58 MT Coles c J Humphreys b Malik 44 MR Harling c J Humphreys b Sandham 5 A Rodgerson b Sandham 2 D Faulkner b Sandham 2 JA Roche c Tolley b Butterworth 12 M Ul-Haq lbw b Butterworth 0 SC Oddy not out 1 CJ Hartley st Crabtree b Butterworth 0 Extras 11 Total (all out, 35.2 overs) 137 Bowling: Sandham 13 1 35 3; C Humphreys 6 1 33 2; Malik 7 0 37 1; Butterworth 4.2 2 5 3; D Humphreys 4 0 19 1; J Humphreys 1 0 6 0 Norden JR Tolley not out H Fitton c Rodgerson b Oddy J Humphreys c Roche b Coles SI Bhojani st Roche b Coles JP Sandham lbw b Coles L Crabtree b Coles G Butterworth not out Extras Total (5 wickets, 42.5 overs) 140 Bowling: Oddy 13 2 33 1; Coles 15 3 57 4; Wilkinson 2 0 7 0; Rodgerson 6 0 18 0; Hartley 3 1 11 0; Harling 2.2 0 7 0; Dawson 1 0 2 0

6 61 25 15

0

2 16 15