Rochdale reach Wood Cup final in dramatic fashion

Photo: Jackie Meredith, JMSportPix

Littleborough Joe Smith-Butler is out with a LBW, Rochdale celebrate

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Rochdale beat Littleborough to reach the final of the Wood Cup in the most dramatic of matches at Redbrook on Sunday.

Since these two old clubs began their rivalries during the nineteenth century they have produced any number of exciting games, but this was one to match them all and prove that league cricket is alive and kicking.

A large crowd was gripped by the thrilling finish as Mo Bux, Rochdale’s last batsman, drove his first ball, delivered by Joe Smith-Butler, through extra cover for four to see his team home by just one wicket with two overs to spare.

Rochdale’s heroes were Michael Harling and Derek Faulkner, whose rapid partnership of 66 for the seventh wicket swung the game Rochdale’s way after Littleborough had seemed certain winners.

Littleborough suffered an early set back when Perren bludgeoned a rank lop hop from Tom Avery straight to Faulkner at square leg.

Schofield, who was less inhibited by the conditions than most, edged Avery to O’Neill.

Matt Taylor and Serasinghe slowly repaired the early damage and enabled a late flurry led by Roche to elevate the total to 144, which was more than had appeared likely for much of the innings.

Littleborough's 144 is hardly a challenging total in July as a rule, but Sunday’s conditions were more akin to those in April after a month of rain, and it was immediately obvious that a high scoring game was out of the question.

The general consensus at tea was that for Rochdale and their flaky batting to get close a major contribution from Will Bosisto was required.

Bosisto and his opening partner, Jack Avery, made a solid if predictably slow start before Avery gloved Smith-Butler to Jamie Roche in the twelfth over.

Kabir Ahmed soon followed, stumped by Roche down the leg side off Phil Deakin, who then delivered what most felt was the mortal blow by inducing a mistimed square drive from Bosisto, the ball looping to Smith-Butler at point.

Littleborough and their following were cock-a-hoop.

Run scoring all but disappeared, with Rochdale ‘s middle order’s sole intent to survive against the spin attack of Chris Schofield, Littleborough professional Sachithra Serasinghe and Deakin and wait for the bad ball - it never came.

At half way Rochdale were 55 for 5 and the next eleven overs yielded only 16 more runs before Deakin struck again, bowling Tom Avery.

Enter Faulkner, and he and Harling raised the tempo. Suddenly they began to find the boundary, both striking a six, the only two of the game, over mid wicket where Clinton Perren got a hand to both without preventing the boundary.

As the charge developed, Littleborough's fielding disintegrated. Five catches, all fairly difficult, were grassed and before you knew it, remarkably, Rochdale were on the cusp of victory.

Only eight were now needed from four overs, and Rochdale seemed to be home, but Littleborough were not done and they staged a rousing revival.

Faulkner drove Smith-Butler to long off, then Schofield bowled Harling and accounted for Dale Highton within three balls.

Six were still needed when last man Bux strode out to join James O’Neill. O’Neill fiddled one down to third man and they came back for two. He then repeated the shot, this time for a single to leave Bux on strike. The field came in to prevent the single, but Bux met Smith-Butler’s full length delivery with the middle of the bat and the ball just defeated the chasing fielder to the boundary.

Rochdale celebrated until well into the night, while Littleborough's reaction to the disappointment was commendably sporting.

Rochdale face Walsden in the final.

Littleborough

MTaylor* b Highton 36
C Perren ct Faulkner b T Avery 0
C Schofield ct O'Neill b T Avery 18
JSmith-Butler lbw Highton 12
SSerasinghe run out 28
M Burns b Bosisto 4
R Miskella ct Highton b Bosisto 1
M McKeough ct Bosisto b Highton 8
J Roche† not out 15
PDeakin not out 8
Extras 14
Total (for 8, 50 overs) 144
Bowling:
Bux 10 4 17 0, T Avery 10 1 30 2, Bosisto 10 1 27 2 , Highton 10 2 23 3 Harling 7 0 31 0,
Faulkner 3 0 15 0

Rochdale

W Bosisto (Pro) ct Smith-Butler b Deakin 26
J Avery ct Roche b Smith-Butler 9
K Ahmed st Roche Deakin 1
K Aughey lbw Schofield 0
M Harling b Schofield 46
J Henderson ct Deakin b Schofield 4
T Avery b Deakin 6
D Faulkner ct Perren b Smith-Butler 29
J O'Neill† not out 3
D Highton ct Roche b Schofield 0
M Bux not out 4
Extras 18
Total for 9, 47.3 overs 146

Bowling: Burns 7 1 18 0 0, Smith-Butler 8 1 27 2, Deakin 10 3 24 3, Schofield 9 3 18 4,
Serasinghe 7 2 32 0, Perren 6 0 23 0