Cricket: Dawson leads fight back

The sun may have been high in the sky, but a large black cricketing cloud was hanging over Redbrook on Sunday. After 20 overs of their game against Enfield, Rochdale were en route to their lowest score for nearly six years. They were 53 for 8 and spectators who had been looking forward to a full day’s cricket were now facing the prospect of being home in time for Songs of Praise. If ever a wagging tail was required it was now.

There remained the merest sliver of light, though. Andrew Dawson was still in. Dawson had been batting at four all season, but here he dropped to number six, a move designed to enable him to play his more natural attacking game.

When he came in at 36 for 4, after Ed Moore and Michael Harling had departed in successive balls, he could never have felt more shackled - and the chains were well and truly tightened soon after with Ben Chapman and Ollie Makin following the previous pattern.

A brief flurry from Tom Avery relieved, but only slightly, the tension and when Will Avery was the victim of an awful misunderstanding with Dawson the tea ladies were scrambling to serve what would have been lunch, rather than tea.

In contrast to his team mates, Dawson appeared untroubled.

Jamie Roche too played solidly, and the two, set about the repair job.

Soon, a three figure total, hitherto a pipe dream, was achieved and the pair’s 50 partnership realised. At which point Roche’s obdurate innings came to end via a return catch to Lewis Wright.

If Enfield thought that that would be that, Steve Oddy made them think again. His approach copied that of his immediate predecessor, and under Dawson’s watchful supervision he too played with nerveless determination.

The result was another half century partnership, during which time Dawson reached his own fifty, one as deserved as any you will see and one worth a hundred in most other currencies.

Remarkably, Rochdale almost batted out the full 50 overs but with only nine balls remaining, Oddy slapped Wright straight to mid wicket, leaving Dawson unbeaten on 58.

Could Dale’s bowlers take advantage of this marvellous batting recovery?

The early stages of Enfield’s innings were far from promising for the home team; Wright and Greg Jones gave the visitors the required start, and although both departed within one run, professional Sashreka Pussegolla and Adam Bracewell put on 59 for the third wicket, and at 86 for 2 Enfield were well in charge.

Ollie Makin, who had been probing from the football ground end, had Bracewell brilliantly caught at slip by Chapman.

Oddy, returning at the other end, forced Pusegolla to drag one on.

Now we could see what Enfield’s later order was made of, and the answer was about the same as Rochdale’s top order. They crumbled, the last eight wickets falling for 43, with Tom Avery taking advantage to claim four wickets.

Thanks to Dawson, Roche and Oddy (and eventually the rest of the team) a remarkable turnaround had been achieved.

Rochdale

J Avery   c&b  Bailey   0
J Pilling    c  Cook  b  Bailey  1
E Moore  c Jones  b  Bailey 24
M Harling  lbw   bailey   0
A  Dawson    not  out  58
O Makin  lbw  O’Loughlin   0
T Avery  c  Wright  b O’ Loughlin  13
W Avery   run  out  1
J Roche  c&b  Wright  2
S Oddy c  O’Loughlin  b  Wright  2
Extras  6

Total, 48.3 overs           157

Bowling:
Bailey  15  3  34  3;
Wright 9.3  0  26  2; 
O’Loughlin  11  1  45  3; 
Whittaker 4  0  21  0;
Pussegolla  5  1  15  0; 
S Cook  4  0  15  0.

Enfield

L Wright  lbw  Oddy  13
G Jones  b  Makin  10
S  Pussegolla  b  Oddy  32
A Bracewell  c  Chapman  b  Makin  28
J  Cook  lbw  Makin   7
J  Wrigley  c  Roche  b  T Avery  10
F Bailey  lbw  Makin  0
S  Cook   c  Chapman  b  T Avery  0
C Seddon  c  harling  b  T Avery   5
A Whittaker  c  Makin  b  T Avery   6
S  O’Loughlin  not  out  1

Extras   17

Total  42.3 overs          129

Bowling: 
Oddy 13  3  35  2; 
Harling  4  1 11  0; 
Makin 15  3  51  4; 
W Avery  7  1  22  0;
T Avery  3.3  1  8  4.

Rochdale, 12 points, beat Enfield, 5 points, by 28 runs.