Duo guide Dale
AMAGNIFICENT undefeated 150 run partnership from Ed Moore and Michael Harling propelled Rochdale to a nerve jangling six-wicket victory at Centre Vale on Sunday.
Chasing Todmorden’s 237 for 6, Dale were teetering on the brink at 88 for 4, when skipper Harling joined his South African professional, who surely would have known that any mistake on his part would condemn his team to successive defeats in two days against the Yorkshiremen.
But Moore was imperious. Patient, quick footed, selective, his performance was bursting with all the required ingredients. And they rubbed off onto his partner.
Between them, and with delightful, risk free batting they gradually wrested the initiative. They never allowed the run rate to extend to unmanageable proportions, and were always wise enough to realise that with wickets in hand the late overs would inevitably be profitable on this excellent batting surface.
In fact, so well timed was the chase that they reach their target with an over to spare, with Moore reaching his milestone century just before the winning runs were struck.
His chanceless hundred had taken only 96 balls, and if he played and missed more than twice it escaped this observer’s notice.
Harling too can take immense credit. His contribution to the partnership was full.
Always recognising the need to put Moore back on strike he was, nonetheless severe on anything wayward, his cover driving being particularly eye catching.
Earlier Dale had battled manfully in the hot sun to just about keep a rein on things.
Especially when Todmorden’s professional, Chris Schofield threatened to cut loose. Nor was he the only Todmorden player to prove difficult.
Ben Pearson and Bilal Abbas both played attractively and at tea they would have thought that they were in the driving seat.
But in the end the day belonged to Moore, Harling and Rochdale. Todmorden B Pearson c Makin b Moore ........................ 39 A Sutcliffe lbw Makin ..................................... 37 C Schofield c Roache b Harling ................. 76 B Sutcliffe c Roache b T Avery ....................... 9 B Abbas c Chapman b Harling .................. 51 F Priestley c Moore b Harling ........................ 8 E Guilford not out ............................................... 1 K Garland not out ............................................... 0 Extras ..................................................................... 16 Total, for 6, 50 overs ...................................... 237 Bowling Oddy 13 2 52 0; Harling 9 1 40 3; Moore 7 0 28 1; Makin 14 1 61 1; T Avery 7 0 50 1. Rochdale B Chapman c Priestley b Bux ......................... 5 J Pilling b Bux ..................................................... 15 J Avery b Bux ..................................................... 17 E Moore not out ............................................. 102 A Dawson c Schofield b Abbas .................... 4 M Harling not out ............................................ 64 Extras ..................................................................... 31 Total, for 4, 49 overs ...................................... 238
Emotions at Redbrook were contrastingly subdued 24 hours earlier after Todmorden had won round one of the weekend’s double header when they eliminated Dale from the Worsley Cup.
On a dry, slow pitch, Tod made 193, more than Rochdale might have hoped, and although Ed Moore responded with another half century, the support at the other end was less durable that that a day later.
When he appeared to be Dale’s only hope Moore holed out at long off to leave the home team on 126 for 6 and hopes receding,
Tom Avery produced one of his hard hitting performances plundering 37 quickfire runs but having taken his team to the threshold of victory and himself to the cusp of hero status he was bowled with 14 still required.
The rest of the tail submitted meekly, rendering Dale’s first stab at the Lancashire League’s premier cup competition a brief one. Scores: Todmorden 193/8 ( B. Sutcliffe 63, O. Makin 3 -43), Rochdale 183 all out ( E Moore 61, T Avery 37, H Ali 4-43)