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Dale double hits Moonrakers

3/ 7/2008

MIDDLETON’S hopes of a third victory over Rochdale this season were dashed on Saturday in another bitterly disappointing afternoon for the Moonrakers at Towncroft.

In a reversal of fortunes from last weekend’s Wood and Burton Cup victories over the same opposition, both the first and second XI were defeated by the Dale in what was a poor day for the Moonrakers.

In a generally poor fielding performance, the most costly error was made by Stuart Fitton. He dropped a simple chance offered by Alcindo Holder when the West Indian had scored 28. Rochdale’s professional took full advantage, scoring a run-a-ball 105 as the visitors racked up 260 for nine.

Veteran off-spinner Neil Avery then claimed six for 53 to set up a 109 run victory.

Middleton were left looking to find positives in defeat. They were few and far between, but hidden among the raw statistics is the fact that 16-year-old Richard Fitton took a wicket with only his second ball in first team league cricket.

It was a good one too as, courtesy of an excellent diving catch in the covers by captain John Punchard he dismissed Rochdale opener Simon Brierley for 70, breaking a 111-run partnership with Holder in the process.

He followed up with a smart caught and bowled to send Adam Smith back to the pavilion.

Punchard then replaced the youngster and produced a four for 37 burst which began when he tempted Holder out of his crease with the third ball, wicketkeeper Andrew Deakin completing the stumping as professional Werner Coetsee finally found a bowling foil.

But, despite Rochdale losing four wickets for just 29 runs, the damage had already been done after Punchard had won the toss and – no doubt prompted by the fact that much of the Towncroft outfield had been under water less than 48 hours earlier and some dampness remained in the Hollins Lane end of the cut strip – decided to field.

His bowlers failed to take any advantage of conditions – Tom Read sending the first delivery down the leg side for four wides, seeing the second one also called wide and then watching helplessly as Dominic Ayres straight drove the third ball to the boundary.

The first three overs cost 18 runs and by the time Ayres hammered Richard Valentine for successive boundaries before playing all around a straight full toss and losing his middle stump for 20, Rochdale had 49 on the board in the 10th over.

That brought Holder and Brierley together and they continued to push the rate along at five runs an over.

Brierley began slowly but accelerated his innings well, reaching his 50 off 73 balls. Holder took 63 for the first 50 but only a further 38 to reach three figures before Punchard deceived him and applied the brakes a little.

Middleton needed professional Coetsee and Steven Davey to make a dominant start and stay together if they were to have any chance of chasing down the total.

They met the first requirement as both punished the bad balls provided by Lee Milner and Scott Butterworth and had 61 on the board by the tenth over.

Avery came into the attack and Coetsee hit him for two boundaries as the Rochdale spinner’s first over went for ten.

Davey hit him for a four and a six off successive balls in his second over but Avery then fired the ball in flatter and unleashed a huge appeal for leg before. It was answered in the affirmative by the umpire, sending Davey unhappily on his way for 26 out of the 77 on the board.

Four runs later came the crucial blow as Coetsee clipped Avery firmly off his legs only for Dane Currency to dive full length and pluck the ball out of the air. Crucially there was to be no second chance for Middleton’s pro – out for 37.

Currency ended with four catches – three of them purlers – and his aggression in going for any ball in the air was a lesson the Middleton fielders would do well to learn.

Grant Jones fell for two, Read was run out after a real "yes, no, whoops" and Avery added the scalps of Stuart Fitton and Punchard to claim a collection with figures of five for 31 – a remarkable achievement bearing in mind that his first two overs had gone for 22 of those runs.

Jim Ryan watched the wickets fall from the other end before he became eighth man out, for 25.

Valentine threw the bat with gusto and, along with Deakin, at least managed to deny Rochdale the full five points by batting out the final six overs, the visitors contributing a joint top-scoring 37 extras – 26 of them wides.