Middleton Cricket Club - Walker sees Middleton Home

At the Redbrook, Ste Davey won the toss and decided to put Rochdale in to bat on a green seamer due to the rain during the week.

Middleton got off to a great start when Deputy professional Mohammed Sharif, the former Bangladesh test player, had Adam Smith caught behind by Scott Stanworth for 0 with score on 10. 5 runs later Mark Buckley picked up the prize wicket of Rochdale professional Craig Spearman, the former Kiwi international, easily caught by George Walker for 5.

A stand of 62 between Rochdale captain Dominic Ayres and Daz Cryer took the score to 77 before Buckley picked up his second wicket by bowling Ayres for a fine 45. George Walker had Scott Butterworth caught by Mark Buckley, the first of his 4 catches, for 10 with the score on 98 and six runs later had his second catch when he caught Daz Cryer off Dale Highton for 29.

A stand of 51 followed between Andrew Dawson and Derek Faulkner with Faulkner being the main aggressor before falling for 37 off 31 balls to a catch on the boundary by Reece Jones off Dale Highton.

Rochdale managed to take the total to 184 before being bowled out. Dawson finishing on a hard working 33 not out off 73 balls.The wickets being shared out with Highton taking 3, Sharif 2, Buckley with 3 and George Walker bowled a very economical 6 overs, 1 maiden 1 wicket for 15 runs.

Middleton got off to the start they didn't want when Davey was out for 2, caught Ayres off Scott Butterworth with the score on 10. Scott Stanworth and George Walker compiled a stand of 58 when Stanworth was bowled by Greg Butterworth for a fine 43.

18 runs later Martin Roberts took the walk back to the pavilion caught by Tweddle off Greg Butterworth and Middleton were 86 for 3 with nearly half the overs gone.

A 37 run partnership between Walker and Sharif dragged Middleton back up with the run rate as the rain threatened before Tweddle took his second catch, again off Greg Butterworth to get rid of Sharif for 20.

Butterworth took his fourth wicket when he had Reece Jones LBW for 9 and Danny Royle was also LBW to Neil Avery for 7.

When the rain came, Middleton were 168 for 6 with George Walker producing a very mature knock of 46 not out off 106 balls to go with his catch and wicket to give him the man of the match and Dale Highton 2 not out as Middleton won by 9 runs on the reduced run rate rule to give them 5 points.