Cricket: Ed heads off Tod

A magnificent undefeated 150 run partnership from Ed Moore and Michael Harling propelled Rochdale to a nerve jangling 6 wicket victory at Todmorden on Sunday.

Chasing the home team’s 237 for 6, Rochdale were teetering on the brink at 88 for 4, at which point skipper Harling joined his South African professional, who surely would have known that any mistake on his part would condemn his team to successive defeats in two days against the Yorkshiremen.

Moore was imperious. Patient, quick footed, selective, his performance was bursting with all the required ingredients, and they rubbed off onto his partner. Between them, and with delightful, risk free batting they gradually wrested the initiative. They never allowed the run rate to extend to unmanageable proportions, and were always wise enough to realise that with wickets in hand the late overs would inevitably be profitable on this excellent batting surface.

In fact, so well timed was the chase that they reach their target with an over to spare, with Moore reaching his milestone century just before the winning runs were struck.

His chanceless hundred had taken only 96 balls, and if he played and missed more than twice it escaped this observer’s notice.

Harling too can take immense credit. His contribution to the partnership was full. Always recognising the need to put Moore back on strike he was, nonetheless severe on anything wayward,  his cover driving being particularly eye catching.

Earlier Rochdale had battled manfully in the hot sun to just about keep a rein on things, especially when Todmorden’s professional, Chris Schofield threatened to cut loose.

Nor was he the only Todmorden player to prove difficult; Ben Pearson and Bilal Abbas both played well and at tea they would have thought that they were in the driving seat.

In the end the day belonged to Moore, Harling and Rochdale.

Todmorden

B Pearson   c  Makin   b Moore   39
A Sutcliffe  lbw  Makin   37
C Schofield  c Roache  b  Harling  76
B Sutcliffe  c  Roache  b T Avery  9
B Abbas c  Chapman b  harling  51
F Priestley  c  Moore  b Harling  8
E Guilford  not  out  1
K Garland  not out 0
Extras   16
Total, for 6, 50 overs   237
Bowling: Oddy  13  2  52  0;  Harling 9  1  40  3; Moore 7  0  28  1;  Makin  14  1  61  1;  T Avery  7  0  50  1.

Rochdale

B Chapman  c  Priestley  b  Bux  5
J Pilling b  Bux  15
J Avery  b Bux   17
E Moore  not out 102
A Dawson  c  Schofield  b  Abbas   4
M Harling  not  out  64
Extras  31
Total, for 4, 49 overs  238
Rochdale, 10 points beat Todmorden, 0 points by 6 wickets

Emotions at Redbrook were contrastingly subdued 24 hours earlier after Todmorden had won round one of the weekend’s double header when they eliminated Dale from the Worsley Cup.

On a dry, slow pitch, Todmorden made 193, more than Rochdale might have hoped, and although Ed Moore responded with another half century, the support at the other end was less durable that that a day later.

When he appeared to be Rochdale’s only hope Moore holed out at long off to leave the home team on 126 for 6 and hopes receding,

Tom Avery produced one of his hard hitting performances plundering 37 quickfire runs but having taken his team to the threshold of victory and himself to the cusp of hero status he was bowled with 14 still required.

The rest of the tail submitted meekly, rendering Rochdale’s first attempt at the Lancashire League’s premier cup competition a brief one.

Scores

Todmorden 193/8  ( B. Sutcliffe 63, O. Makin 3 -43)
Rochdale 183  all out ( E Moore  61, T Avery  37, H Ali 4-43)