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Tight run thing as Rochdale maintain winning run of form

31/ 5/2005

ROCHDALE made it seven wins on the bounce and a hat-trick of Bank Holiday weekend victories, with a 17-run defeat of Lowerhouse in the 2nd round of the Inter League Trophy at Redbrook on Monday.

But it was close.

Indeed Lowerhouse, chasing 242 for victory, had reached 144 for one with 15 overs remaining but then came probably the most crucial wicket of the day when Ian Gilbertson enticed the visiting professional, Andy McDonald, into chasing a delivery wide of the off stump.

The ball flew straight into the gloves of 'keeper Roger Oldfield and the lanky Australian was on his way for 54 - and Rochdale had made the breakthrough they needed.

The Lancashire League outfit had made a whirlwind start in pursuit of Rochdale's formidable total, their highest score of the season so far.

Opener John Finch had quickly latched onto anything remotely short, his 50 coming up off just 53 balls with an incredible 11 fours.

He had lost his teenage partner, 16-year-old Vishi Tripathi, who is on the books at Old Trafford, with the score on 20l, but after that he and McDonald took full advantage of a benign wicket, not to mention Redbrook's wide open spaces, to bring more than a few furrowed brows among the watching Rochdale supporters.

But after the unexpected loss of McDonald, the wheels came off Lowerhouse's reply.

From 144 for two they collapsed to 171 for six with only Finch standing in the way of a Rochdale victory.

The opener was finally out for 91, clean bowled by by the hard-working Steve Oddy, and at that point Rochdale were finally able to breathe a little bit more easily.

Gradually the run rate increased. With 10 overs left Lowerhouse needed 58 to win, it was 33 off five overs but with Oddy and profesional Lou Vincent bowling tightly, the visitors' task had assumed monumental proportions. A total of 22 was needed off the last 12 balls, and 18 off the final over.

But Lee Milner, who had bowled an assortment of wider and no-balls finally got his line right, clean bowling the last man, Pat Hope, for 10 off the the first ball of the final over, and Rochdale were at last able to celebrate.

Earlier Neil Avery, bowling from the Bury Road end, had also put the brakes on, sending down nine excellent overs for a three for 22 return, while Gilbertson, who had been wayward in his first spell, bowled much better when he was switched the football ground end.

He finished with two for 63 off his nine bowlers, including the crucial wicket of McDonald.

Rochdale, who had won the toss and elected to bat, had gone after the bowling right from the start with Simon Brierley and the newly promoted Mo Munawar putting on 40 for the first wicket.

Vincent played a very loose shot and was out for one, but Brierley was in imperious form, reaching his 50 off 82 balls in 100 minutes with four fours.

He was finally out for 90, a victim of a very close run-out going for a second run, but he had laid the foundation for Rochdale's impressive total.

Mark Butterworth smacked three big sixes on his way to quick fire 25 and his namesake Paul Butterworth weighed in with 19 as Rochdale rattled up 241 for nine, just enought to pout them into the third round, the draw for which will be made at Middleton on Friday evening.