Four from four for in-form Rochdale
ROCHDALE breezed into the Worsley Cup semi final and a home tie with Norden when they thrashed league leaders Darwen by nine wickets on Sunday.
The home team hardly recovered from a dreadful start which saw them plunge to 20 for 4 and it was only a last wicket partnership of 48 between Chris Lowe and Kyle Neild which boosted their total to 150 and anything like respectability.
But any teatime hopes they may have harboured of that stand paving the way for a comeback were brutally dashed by Dale’s deputy professional Nick Kelly and opener Zimmy Khan who compiled an undefeated partnership of 118 for the second wicket.
Kelly was especially was severe, particularly on Darwen’s second string bowlers.
He blasted 75 in only 60 balls, hitting three sixes, and with Khan, who made 45 hardly a passive onlooker, Dale reached their goal with all but one ball of 25 overs to spare
Tempting as it is to dwell on this thrilling batting spectacle, it has to be noted that, once again, the contribution of opening bowler, Steve Oddy, was crucial. His unerringly accurate 10 over stint was too much for Darwen’s top order batsmen.
They were forced to defend for his full spell as he nibbled and probed to such an extent that when his allocation ended he had taken three wickets for a mere 11 runs.
And Oddy found a useful ally in Casey Roche, whose medium pacers at first glance may seem innocuous, but whose unfailing new ball inswing and occasional movement off the pitch demand the batsmen’s vigilance, and it was Roche who accounted for home professional, Siddesh Lad, trapped in front by one such delivery for only 5, just one of the victims from his laudable spell of 3 for 44. DARWEN:
150 in 47.5 overs (Lowe 39 n.o., Oddy 3-11, C. Roche 3-44) 152/1 in 25.1 overs. (Kelly 75 n.o., Khan 45 n.o.)
ROCHDALE:
ROCHDALE WON BY 9 WICKETS
Rochdale’s 82 run victory over Todmorden last Saturday was no less convincing, although this one was achieved batting first after Todmorden, curiously, had put them in on a benign surface. And the visitors were made to pay for their misreading of the pitch as Dale and Zimmy Khan in particular took their modest attack to sword.
Opening the batting, Khan made a superb 115, and he was out only in the penultimate over, dominating the bowling throughout, apart from one stage about two thirds of the way through the innings when a timely, quick 37 from Ali Muzaffar boosted Dale’s effort just as it appeared to be stalling.
Despite there being a rapid outfield, Dale’s final tally of 229 is always a daunting one at Redbrook, and so it proved for Todmorden’s top order.
No doubt Steve Oddy had been at the forefront of Todmorden’s thoughts when they chose to field first but it made no difference to the veteran bowler’s impact on the game.
He was on song straight away and in no time the visitors were 18 for 3.
It could have been worse with former Rochdale professional Will Bosisto getting the benefit of the doubt from a close lbw call, but having survived, he and Amar Ullah set about staging a recovery and put on 46 for the fourth wicket.
But then Oddy struck again, this time receiving a positive umpiring verdict, much to Bosisto’s dismay, and when he castled Ullah ten runs later Todmorden were 74 for five, with Oddy, remarkably having taken all five for just 26.
Thereafter Todmorden gave no hint of mounting a challenge and their innings fizzled out 82 runs short. Oddy was unable to improve on his 5 wicket haul but Ali Muzaffar claimed three of the tail while 16 years old Jacob Pauline furthered his burgeoning credentials by grabbing the other two. ROCHDALE:
Ali 37). 229/5, 50 overs (Khan 115
TODMORDEN:
147 a.o., 38.1 overs (Oddy 5/37, Muzaffar 3/23.
ROCHDALE, 12 POINTS, BEAT TODMORDEN, 0 POINTS BY 82 RUNS.
Dale made it four from when they beat Walsden by eight wickets in the Lancashire League’s T20. Walsden made 137 for 8 from their 20 overs, a total Dale passed with three overs to spare, thanks largely to an undefeated third wicket partnership of 107 between Ali Muzaffar, 60 n.o. and Jack Duffy, 43 n.o.
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