Cricket: A tale of 'two wickets' as Norden beat Rochdale

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Norden Cricket Club

A significant change in the wicket and conditions was a big factor in Norden’s JW Lees Pennine League win over Rochdale on Saturday.

Rochdale took first knock on the Stag Park strip and found it a nightmare as they were tumbled out for only 87.

It was almost like a different wicket had been put into use when Norden replied with 91-1 in just under 10 overs.

It was certainly not a great wicket for a match which promised so much, with Norden at the top of the table and Rochdale only five points behind them in third place.

At the end of the day you could say the winning of the toss won the match.

Hashum Malik called right and put Rochdale into bat for an innings which quickly start to go wrong.

Only 16 runs were on the board when Jack Avery edged a delivery from Chris Humphreys. Wicket-keeper Ashley Gowers couldn’t hold, but he managed to push the ball to slips fielder Josh Tolley for him to take the catch.

Seven runs later Ben Chapman missed one from Humphreys. Chapman had scored 17 – and that turned out to be the best score in the innings.

Andrew Dawson fell to a catch by Chris Hartley which provided Naveed Zamurad with the first of his five wickets, the professional Henry Cooper lost his off stump to Zamurad.

Rochdale were in deep trouble at 35 for four and their woe continued.

Michael Harling and Kelton Aughey foundf run-scoring difficult, but they put on 20 before Harling was caught behind by Ash Gowers.

Aughey was out to a diving forward catch by Dominic Humphreys, Derek Faulkner was bowled by

Zamurad, and James O’Neill snicked to Tolley in the slips for 15.

The innings ended with Mo Bux being stumped.

Rochdale followers had given up the ghost by the time Norden started their reply, but they were given a bit of a lift when Steve Pimm didn’t play a shot and was bowled by Bux.

By the time Pimm departed it was pretty obvious that conditions had changed, and Norden had little trouble in knocking off the required runs.

Zamurad was particularly harsh on the bowling and took 23 off Ben Chapman’s one over.

It was Zamurad who ended the match by hitting former Norden player Ollie Makin for a six then a  four.

Zamurad finished unbeaten on 40 from 13 deliveries, and Tolley was 39 not out off 31 balls.

The early finish gave plenty of time for people to discuss the wicket – in both camps.

Rochdale

J Avery c Tolley b C Humphreys 1
B Chapman b C Humphreys 17
H Cooper b Zamurad 13
A Dawson c Hartley b Zamurad 1
M Harling c Gowers b Zamurad 4
K Aughey c D Humphreys b Malik 16
O Makin lbw Zamurad 1
D Faulkner b Zamurad 1
J O’Neill c Tolley b Smith 15
D Highton not out 5
M Bux st Gowers b Smith 0
Extras 13
Total 87
Bowling: C Humphreys 12-5-27-2; Hartley 7-1-13-0; Malik 9-2-16-1; Smith 3.5-1-4-2; Zamurad 10-5-21-5.

Norden

J Tolley not out 39
S Pimm b Bux 5
N Zamurad not out 40
Extras 7
Total (for 1 wkt) 91
Bowling: Bux 4-0-25-1; Harling 4-0-30-0; Makin 0.5-0-13-0; Chapman 1-0-23-0