The big 200 Cricket Club bicentennial. reports
Mike Floyd
Rochdale took their first League title for 34 years, before backing this up the following season, 1991, with a League and Cup double.
And who can forget the Wood Cup final of 1991? Littleborough, setting a target of 253, were looking likely winners until in the 48th over Callaghan launched an assault on Boro spin bowler Phil Deakin.
He smashed four sixes and hit another in the final over to win the match and take his personal tally to 109. It was a game I witnessed personally and one that still lives in the memory.
And in 1993, Kiwi Chris Harris led Rochdale to the title. Two seasons later, 1995, Callaghan returned to action and was again a title winner.
In the interim, 1994, Rochdale were on the move as their beloved Dane Street ground was sold to
supermarket giant Asda.
It was heartbreaking but the move guaranteed the club’s future.
And so Rochdale Cricket Club relocated to the site of former Redbrook school.
The arrival of exciting young talent, in the shape of 22-year old Robbie Baker from Western Australia again ignited the team and they claimed the title in 1997 and 1999.
Rochdale topped the table in 2001, 2003 and 2007 with respectively; Dirk de Vos, Tushar Arothe and Ryan Hinds carrying the professional mantle.
Since then Rochdale have failed to bag a trophy and in 2018, after a reorganisation of cricket leagues in the Manchester area, they chose to join the Lancashire League; a strong, competitive and challenging competition which has proved a great success. And the measure of success isn’t always found on the field. Rochdale have a superb clubhouse and a ground they can be proud of.
Recent history has yet to be documented with a dearth of resources to hand but hopefully you have enjoyed looking back and conjuring up memories of the ‘old days’.