Cricket: A Wes Landsdale century leads Rochdale to victory over Middleton

A century and five wickets for Rochdale's professional, Wes Landsdale, proved the difference in the First Eleven clash at Towncroft on Saturday.

On a sun-drenched day at Towncroft, Rochdale won the toss and chose to bat first.

Rochdale soon found themselves two down, as Dominic Ayres and Shane Wornes were back in the pavilion with the score on 22. 

This brought Scott Butterworth and Landsdale to the crease, with the latter looking at consummate ease. The pair looked like they were taking the game away from Middleton until Butterworth chipped one up to Steve Davey at mid-on.

Landsdale needed an ally, but one did not really materialise, as his team mates all fell without really giving any support. But the professional carried on playing his shots, hitting the attack all around the ground as he finished on 109 not out and his team finished on 210 all out.

On his Middleton debut, new professional, Grant Edmeades took the bowling plaudits, as he ended up taking 5 wickets for 84 runs, and in truth he was a little unlucky not to end up with better figures.

In reply, Scott Stanworth and George Walker opened the batting and put on 32 for the first wicket, before Walker was dismissed by the Butterworth brothers, caught Greg, bowled Scott.

As in the first innings, Stanworth and Edmeades compiled a partnership that was threatening to take the game away from Rochdale and they took the score to 102, before Edmeades was unlucky to given out leg before to Landsdale to a delivery that looked a little high.

From a promising start the Middleton middle order did not show any fight, as the home side lost wickets far too regularly. Once Stanworth was caught and bowled by Greg Butterworth for a brilliant 73, it looked game over. Only a fighting innings from Matt Foden secured Middleton a bonus point but it came far too late, as Middleton finished on 166 all out.

Rochdale
D Ayres c Edmeades b Bennett 8
S Wornes c Stanworth b Bennett 9
S Butterworth c Davey b Bennett 32
W Lansdale not out 109
A Dawson c Walker b Edmeades 10
D Cryer c Stanworth b Core 2
G Butterworth c Stanworth b Edmeades 15
D Faulkner caught & bowled Edmeades 0
M Harling st Stanworth b Core 4
D Highton c Jones b Edmeades 12
L Crabtree st Stanworth b Edmeades 2
Extras 7

Total (all out) 210

Bowling:
Holmes 7-2-30-0
Bennett 14-2-51-3
Edmeades 17.3-0-84-5
Core 10-1-41-2.

Middleton
S Stanworth caught & bowled G Butterworth 73
G Walker c G Butterworth b S Butterworth 6
G Edmeades LBW b Lansdale 29
G Jones c G Butterworth b Lansdale 21
D Core LBW b Lansdale 1
P Bennett caught & bowled Lansdale 2
S Davey b G Butterworth 1
M Fowden LBW b Lansdale 14
S Holmes c Cryer b G Butterworth 11
B Lee c Dawson b G Butterworth 0
T Astley not out 0
Extras 8

Total (all out) 166

Bowling:
S Butterworth 10-2-26-1
D Highton 12-1-44-0
G Butterworth 15-1-48-1
Lansdale 12.4-0-44-5.