Breaking habit proving tricky
Mayfield out to raise game for Rangers
THE opposition may change but the game’s the same. The errors which Rochdale have committed over a four-match losing streak were repeated once more at Turf Moor last Saturday when they lost by 43 runs to Burnley.
A decent effort in the field was blighted by dropping the opposition professional for the third game in a row, and then a catalogue of mistakes and carelessness with the bat all meant that Dale returned home with one measly point with the threat of relegation growing stronger.
To be fair, batting was hardly a breeze.
Despite morning rain which delayed the start and reduced the overs to 42 per side, the pitch was dry and inherently slow while encouraging spin and providing inconsistent bounce.
Dale were quick to recognise this and Zimmy Khan was soon wheeling away with his off spinners. Matthew Roberts soon snicked him off to the keeper and then Chris Holt lofted Steve Oddy to Sean Whitehead.
Burnley were 30 for 2, a state of affairs which compelled Joe Marshall and professional Ockie Erasmus to embark on a somewhat painstaking recovery.
They put on 34 before Marshall was deceived by a clever piece of bowling by Khan who deftly held one back and the batsman chipped to mid wicket.
64 for 3 ought then to have been for 4.
Erasmus, sporting a thick black moustache which conveyed the
Burnley
M Roberts c JA Roche b Mo Zaman ........... 7 JJ Marshall c Duffy b Mo Zaman............... 24 CJR Holt c Whitehead b Oddy ...................... 7 OJ Erasmus (Pro) not out.............................. 65 MQ Shah st JA Roche b CA Roche ........... 17 *DD Pickup c JA Roche b Whitehead ........ 5 +H Tomlinson lbw b Whitehead .................. 0 B Tripathi not out ............................................. 15 Extras ..................................................................... 12 Total (6 wickets, 42 overs) .......................... 152 Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Roberts), 2-30 (Holt), 3-64 (Marshall), 4-105 (Shah), 5-114 (Pickup), 6-114 ( Tomlinson) Bowling: Oddy 10 4 36 1, Brown 2 0 12 0, Mohammad Zaman 13 1 23 2, Whitehead 11 0 34 2, CA Roche 6 0 45 1
Rochdale
JA Maurice-scott b Bailey ............................... 9 A Dawson b Bailey ............................................. 0 A Muzaffar c and b Tripathi ............................ 5 SA Whitehead lbw b Erasmus .................... 25 Mo Zaman st Tomlinson b Holt ................. 18 Haris Hussain c Bailey b Erasmus ............. 16 JP Duffy c Bailey b Erasmus ........................... 7 *+JA Roche c and b Erasmus ...................... 10 CA Roche b Erasmus ......................................... 6 AJ Brown b Holt ................................................... 1 SC Oddy not out ................................................. 6 Extras ........................................................................ 6 Total (all out, 36.5 overs) ............................. 109 Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Dawson), 2-14 (Muzaffar), 3-14 (Maurice-scott), 4-54 (Mohammad Zaman), 5-63 ( Whitehead), 6-71 (Duffy), 7-92 (Haris Hussain), 8-100 (CA Roche), 9-101 (Brown), 10-109 (JA Roche, 36.5 ov) Bowling: Bailey 8 1 14 2, Tripathi 9 4 19 1, Erasmus 10.5 0 34 5, Holt 9 0 38 2
impression that he had just popped in to Turf Moor on his way to a local branch meeting of The Groucho Marx appreciation society, was dropped behind square when attempting that ugly scourge of modern cricket – the reverse sweep.
It proved to be the crucial moment of the game. Erasmus dutifully shepherded his team to 152 for 6 – a decent total given the wicket’s unpredictability.
Any hopes of solid Dale reply disappeared almost instantly. Andrew Dawson and James Mauriceseanscott fell to Fergus Bailey – Dawson shouldering arms to one that nipped back and MauriceScott bowled by a scuttler. In between Ali Muzaffar tamely provided slow left armer Bjarat Tripathi with a gentle return catch and Dale were 14 for 3.
A positive riposte by Khan and Whitehead restored some hope, though.
They put on 40 for the fourth wicket before Khan fell in curious circumstances.
Drawn forward and deceived by Chris Holt he was unaware that keeper Harry Tomlinson had dropped the ball, made no effort to regain his ground and was stumped.
Professional Whitehead was then trapped in front by another shooter from his opposite number and Dale’s game was effectively up.
Haris Hussain and Jamie Roche offered some token resistance, but it was too much for the later order and Dale 5 overs unused.
So the second half of the season began as did the first – with a tepid defeat to Burnley. With Norden (today)and Clitheroe next up things are unlikely to get any easier. FIXTURES DIVISION 1:
Clitheroe v Burnley, Colne v Walsden, Crompton v Ramsbottom, Lowerhouse v Middleton, Rochdale v Norden, Todmorden v Darwen
Accrington v Haslingden, Bacup v Greenmount, Littleborough v Church, Nelson v East Lancashire, Rawtenstall v Enfield, Rishton v Great Harwood
DIVISION 2:
SAM Butterworth and Steve Wood will be looking for a massive improvement from their troops this afternoon as they welcome local rivals Saddleworth Rangers to the Mayfield Sports Centre.
The players accept they have under performed as a team and acknowledge they must do better.
Maybe a game against fierce rivals is not the game to be looking at for improvements but this is the game that is on and improve they must.
To be fair there have been several players out with injuries which has disrupted their plans and spoiled any attempt at consistency, and the list gets longer with Shaun Hurley and Gee De Souza trying to shake off knocks from last weeks game. That said their is enough quality in the squad to compete at this level, if they perform.
Butterworth will be looking at making some changes today to try and shake things up.
Si Moore looks to have got over his injury and has trained this week, to have him back in the side would be a real boost to his team mates.
His strong direct running and fierce defence is just whats needed in the middle of the park and could prove the difference in this game.
As has been said many times this season, this Mayfield side are ‘not far off’ but the time to perform is now and they need to realise this.
They are a team and need play as such, its no good turning, looking at the crowd and the coaches every time a mistake happens.
It’s happened on the pitch, that’s where it needs to be put right. They need to play as a team, play to the plan and play for eighty minutes.
If they achieve all these goals they will no doubt overcome today’s opponents.