Games to remember – vs Rawtenstall 2014
By Paul Hargreaves
Rawtenstall versus Lowerhouse. Worsley Cup semi-final July 13th, 2014.
Most of the ‘games to remember’ I’ve done have been as long as 30 years or more ago, and distant memories, some happy and some sad, for those who played in or watched those games. Today’s match, though, is much more recent and invokes raw and painful feelings. That said it was a great snakes and ladders type of match and the story of it deserves telling. Lowerhouse were having a great League season and on the way to a 4th League title(their 3rd in 4 seasons) As the 3 fellow semi-finalists in that year’s Worsley Cup were no higher than mid-table, fans were dreaming of repeating the ‘double’ achieved just 2 years previously.
On the day Lowerhouse won the toss and followed their set pattern of batting first and making a formidable target. It wasn’t a great start as the experienced Finch was pouched by Vinny Hanson off pro’ Brett Pelser. His fellow opener, Jonny Whitehead and No. 3 Ben Heap steadied things and took the total to 61 before Whitehead fell for 34 to the evergreen slow left armer Keith Roscoe. Jonny played the great spinner as well as any of the team so it was a surprise when he got out. Good news for the ‘House was the assured form of Heap who was impressive this day with 71. At the other end neither pro’ Pienaar or the dangerous Matt Walker lasted long. Cobus was in a rut of getting caught in the mid-off/mid-wicket region, seemingly going too hard at balls that ‘stopped’ on him. I think gossip about this had got about the League and Rocky had hatched a plan. It worked as Andrew Payne got him hook, line and sinker! Matt Walker was needlessly run-out and at 82-4 Lowerhouse were in trouble.
It called for a skipper’s knock and Charlie Cottam did the needful getting 38 and adding 95 with Heap. At this point Lowerhouse had seemingly turned things around and a score of 250 plus was realistic. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be and when the Martin brothers walked off ‘House were a little under par at 224-9. Some of the Lowerhouse batsmen were guilty of taking Andrew Riley’s bowling too easily, giving an average performer at best 4 wickets. The loss of wickets meant the planned acceleration at the death couldn’t happen.
On a small ground,a decent batting track and the Cup rules requiring 5 bowlers, Lowerhouse must have known it was far from in the bag at the tea interval. Lowerhouse’s up and down innings would be repeated by the home side and an exciting denouement followed. Rocky started poorly when Hanson went without scoring. He came in to the theme song “what’s that coming over the hill………….” but he was soon walking down the other side of the hill with a duck perched on his broad shoulder.
A downside for the visitors was the excellent form of Chris Cook-Martin. He would score 80 in the classiest innings on show this July Sunday. Nevertheless when Danny Barlow went for 19 and Pelser for a duck, expertly caught by Cottam off Walker, Lowerhouse looked destined for the Final. This was only re-enforced when the wily veteran Payne was out for 19. As so often in our great game things don’t always go to plan. Peter Wrathmell joined Cook-Martin and proceeded to play the innings of his life. He scored just three 50’s in 66 League games but stood up to be counted on this important stage. The fifth wicket partnership was taking the match away from Lowerhouse when another reversal of fortune occurred. Paddy Martin (Lowerhouse’s best bowler on the day) got the impressive opener out. Dean Barlow(now with the ‘House) and Riley quickly followed for only a deuce apiece. With Rocky on 168-7 and wanting 57 at about a run a ball, had Lowerhouse finally put the stake through the heart of the Valley side? Not a bit of it! The situation seem to call for solid ,tight cricket to keep upping the run rate; unfortunately our pro’ was working to another script. He seemed to have a vendetta with Wrathmell and over-attacked, giving cheap runs square of the wicket. Another downside for the ‘House was that Burnley born Cameron Holder was proving an able lieutenant for Wrathmell. They had no trouble in keeping up with the asking rate and after putting on 54 were on the verge of a 3 wicket victory. Lowerhouse fans were left shaking their heads and were packing up and starting the car, when Pienaar, who had had in truth a poor afternoon, was given a last chance at redemption. The miracle was on as Wrathmell went for 63 and Holder clean bowled for a priceless 27. Rocky still needed 2 as the helmetless Roscoe came in as last man. He didn’t show any tension but must have badly hoped his colleagues hadn’t left him in this position. Pienaar raced in and screamed for a l.b.w as it hit Kes’s pads. It was a close decision, that could have gone either way and the fate of this memorable game lay in the umpire’s hands(or finger) Not out was the verdict and in the very last over Abid punched a Matt Walker delivery through mid-wicket to end an epic game.
At the time it was a devastating loss for all at Lowerhouse C.C. Partly that was because they weren’t at their very best on the day but mostly because it wrecked plans for a game in a lifetime. It would have been the first Worsley Cup Final between ‘House and local rivals, Burnley. It would also have been only the second final, after the great 2004 game, to be played on our home ground. If there was any consolation in losing it was the Schadenfreude of the weather on the Worsley Cup final day itself. The August of 2014 was generally drier and sunnier than average but the forecasters(and they weren’t wrong) flagged up a dreadful wet day for the Sunday game between Rawtenstall and Burnley. The game was washed out and the reserve date the following Saturday was an anti-climax as it clashed with Burnley F.C. ‘s Premiership return. Rightly the League has changed possible reserve dates to Sundays in the future. All this meant Rawtenstall got little financial advantage from holding the Final and were also soundly beaten on the reserve date, as Burnley’s 11th placed League team had been dropped for their Worsley Cup all stars. One can’t help but feel that if ‘House had held the final, though, the bad weather would have been less crucial as Frank Entwistle and his agents would have sold so many tickets in advance before Diane Oxberry could give the bad weather news.
From 2018 with 24 teams wanting to get their hands on the Worsley Cup, let’s hope Lowerhouse aren’t as profligate should another semi-final chance occur. Until we reach another Final i suspect the 2014 game versus Rawtenstall will be a rather painful ‘game to remember’.
