Cricket: Comfortable finish to the season for Rochdale

Michael Harling, Rochdale Cricket Club

Rochdale went into Sunday’s game against Nelson in the knowledge that nothing other than a comprehensive victory would suffice to be assured of a top half finish but the expected nervy afternoon that everyone was predicting failed to materialise.

Nelson were bowled out for only 49 and in passing this meagre total with just four wickets down Rochdale cruised home while, at the same time, consigning Nelson to the Second Division  for 2019.

Steve Oddy has enjoyed a marvellous return to the club of his youth this season but on Sunday it was his opening bowling partner, Michael Harling who took the honours here, ripping through Nelson’s top order.

In no time at all the visitors were on the ropes at 15 for 5 and had lost deputy professional Ashar Zaidi, trapped in front by Harling. David Crotty and Caleb Grant hinted at producing a revival with 19 run partnership for the sixth wicket, but Grant spooned Sean Ervine’s first ball, a long hop loosener , to square leg and Nelson’s tail proved as unproductive as their top order.

Zaidi, with his slow left armers, would have been a serious threat with anything like a decent total to defend and accounted for Andy Rogerson, Andy Dawson and Ben Chapman, but Ervine, Rochdale’s deputy pro for the day, ensured that there would be no reciprocal batting disaster and Rochdale passed the winning post in the fourteenth over.

Rochdale’s first season in the Lancashire League has been a topsy turvy one. At the mid way point they were in fifth position and had qualified for the quarter final of the LCB Cup. Then Ed Moore went home and despite a couple of match winning knocks, replacement professional Nick Kelly was unable to duplicate Moore’s consistency. At the same time the batsmen lost form and a slide down the table ensued, and it was only a fortnight ago that the brakes were applied to the runaway ride to the second tier

During the losing streak they continued to pick up valuable bowling bonus  points thanks to their attack and in particular Oddy, who sent down almost 300 overs in league and cup, taking 63 wickets in the process.

Predictably the club’s supporters voted him the player of the year and he duly received the club’s newest trophy – The Emily Bannister Memorial Trophy.

Nelson

• L Bradley   c   Dawson   b  Harling   0
• D Crotty   b   Ervine   20
• M Pettinger   d   Dawson   b  Oddy   0
• A Zaidi  lbw   Harling   0
• N Thompson  b  Harling  0
• R Bradley   b   Harling   0
• C Grant  c  Hussain  b  Ervine  10
• E Bradley   b  Ervine   0
• M Bradley  lbw   Oddy  1
• M Basat  c  Avery  b  Makin  8
• M Heap   not  out   0
• Extras   10
• Total, 26.4 overs,   49
• Bowling:  Oddy  13 4  26  2;  Harling  8  3  11  4;  Ervine  4.4  2  5  3;  Makin  1  1  0  1;

Rochdale

• A Dawson  c Pettinger  b  Zaidi   11
• A Rodgerson  c  Crotty  b  Zaidi  0
• S Ervine   not   out   26
• M Harling   lbw   Thompson Zaidi   7
• B Chapman  lbw   Zaidi  2
• J Duffy  not out   5
• Extras   0
• Total  for 4,   13,2 overs,  51.
• Bowling:  Zaidi  7  0  19  3;  Grant  3  0  10  0;  Thompson  3.2  0  22 1.
• Rochdale 12 points beat Nelson, 0 points, by  6 wickets.