Dale pick up big win in fight to beat drop
COLNE v ROCHDALE, July 24
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BY winning at Colne by six wickets last Saturday, Rochdale ended a five-game losing streak and moved 13 points clear of the relegation zone.
Dale’s decision to bowl first on a flat surface on winning the toss raised a few eyebrows among the home contingent, but it was amply justified when Colne were bowled out for just 140.
Once again Dale’s hero was Steve Oddy who bowled 14 overs off the belt and whose efforts reduced to Colne to 70 for 7 – at this point Oddy had taken 5 for 25 and it was only when his spell finished that Colne were able to stage a fightback.
A promising early start from the home team had come to an abrupt end when Oddy claimed the first two wickets to fall with the score on 30. First, Dave Spokes edged him to Zimmy Khan at slip and then two balls later Colne professional, Paras Dogra, who has a terrific record in all forms of cricket, got one that bounced and moved away and wicketkeeper Jamie Roche made no mistake with the catch.
Professional Sean Whitehead, who replaced Aaron Brown, was proving equally miserly and an early finish seemed in prospect, but a splendid rearguard innings from Colne captain Matt Walker helped restore some hope for the home team.
He received obdurate assistance from Andy Hakin and the two put on 48 for the eighth wicket before the spinning combination of Whitehead and Khan finished the innings – but not before Walker, last man out, had completed a welldeserved half century.
Dale’s reply began in brisk fashion. Andrew Dawson hit four fours in Hakin’s third over, but with him and James Maurice-scott seemingly well established, and with the score on 30, MauriceScott, attempting a highrisk second run to backward square leg, was defeated by Jon Nation’s direct hit.
Dawson was then castled by Chris Walton and fears of another Dale batting collapse were raised.
But skipper Roche had other ideas. Bullishly leading from the front he had promoted himself to number three in the order and led the charge to victory.
His batting style is far from classical but nonetheless assertive and with a series of crisp, predominantly front-foot drives he soon had Dale motoring to their target.
His partner, Khan, was no less forceful and the two put on 79 for the third wicket in no time. Both fell before victory was achieved – Roche tantalisingly three short of his half century, but Rochdale were able to cruise home with almost half their overs remaining.
The fight against relegation continues, though, and there will be harder tests than this one – starting with second bottom Compton tomorrow.
COLNE
DJ Spokes c Mohammad Zaman b Oddy..................... 18 DS Kegg lbw b Oddy ..............................................................13 P Dogra (Pro) c JA Roche b Oddy ........................................0 CS Walton b Brown .....................................................................2 L Rimmer c Duffy b Oddy .....................................................12 TR Bradshaw b Whitehead ......................................................9 +S Tillotson b Oddy ...................................................................8 *EM Walker c Muzaffar b Mohammad Zaman ..........50 A Hakin b Mohammad Zaman ...........................................14 DC Wallbank lbw b Whitehead .............................................0 JR Nation not out .........................................................................1 Extras (2 lb, 11 w) .......................................................................13 Total (all out, 48.3 overs)...................................................... 140 Bowling Oddy 15 6 34 5 Brown 8 1 39 1 Whitehead 13 2 22 2 CA Roche 3 0 21 0 M Zaman 9.3 3 21 2
ROCHDALE
JA Maurice-scott run out (Nation) .......................................7 A Dawson b Walton .................................................................20 *+JA Roche b Walker ...............................................................47 Mohammad Zaman c Wallbank b Dogra ...................41 A Muzaffar not out .....................................................................2 SA Whitehead (Pro) not out .................................................16 Extras (8 w) .....................................................................................8 Total (4 wickets, 25.3 overs) ................................................141 Bowling Wallbank 6 0 22 0 Hakin 3 0 23 0 Walton 4 0 16 1 Kegg 4 0 32 0 Nation 4 0 15 0 Walker 2 0 6 1 Dogra 2.3 0 28 1
Rochdale (12 pts) beat Colne (0 pts) by 6 wickets