Games to remember: Lowerhouse versus Todmorden – 4th June 2023
By Paul Hargreaves
After Lowerhouse’s ‘Game to Remember’ marvellous victory just two weeks previously we had another epic and pulsating match at home to Todmorden. I suspect, though, that this game will be better remembered east of Cornholme.
It was a bumper crowd on a sunny day and ‘House fans must have had a ‘where else would I rather be’ feeling as the game started and Todmorden won the toss and duly batted. Joe Hawke bowled a hostile spell from the Park End and was rewarded when Sajjad gloved a catch to the grateful Joe Martin. Hawke would be the pick of the bowlers on the day. Todmorden lost their second wicket at 43 as eighteen year-old Harry Rickard was caught behind off Francois Haasbroek. This brought in the danger man in the shape of pro’ Bosisto To be fair, Lowerhouse made him graft for his runs and he was only approaching fluency when Hussain trapped him L.B.W. for 45. The mainstay of the visitors’ innings was Andrew Sutcliffe and he made the highest score of his 300-plus appearances on this day. Immediately after getting his deserved first century, he was out playing a rather fancy shot, routinely played by I.P.L. superstars but rarely brought off by Lancs. League amateurs!
Todmorden scored quite freely towards the end of their allotted overs and Charlie Atkinson’s 34 not out was also a personal best. At tea Tod had set a target of 232 which was about par in the favourable batting conditions but no better. Some debated, indeed, if Sutcliffe’s 100 off 157 deliveries was a match winning or match losing innings.
Initially it looked the latter as Ben Heap’s great run of form continued. His timing was especially impressive and in contrast to opening partner, Haasbroek, who has had to work hard for his runs. The opening partnership had reached 138 before Francois was out for 35 to the persistent Bosisto. Henri Cottam looked in good touch with a lovely off-drive but that man Sutcliffe caught him at slip just after. At the second drinks interval(34 overs), Lowerhouse required 70 off 16 overs with 8 wickets in hand. What could possibly go wrong!? On the resumption Ben made an error of judgement that he’ll rightly rue for a period of time. He pushed the ball to short mid-wicket and took off for a run that was never there. That man Sutcliffe, who had seemingly scripted this game, ran him out for 99.(12 x 4’s and 2 x 6’s) It therefore remains a sad fact that in approx. 250 league games dating back to 1st May , 1897, no Lowerhouse amateur has topped three figures versus Todmorden. ‘House had another major setback when pro’ de Swardt was bowled behind his legs for 8. The game then fluctuated as wickets fell but mini-partnerships developed to get Lowerhouse nearer the target.
Most home fans remained optimistic but there was an exception of somebody who was described as a Joe Waterworth-like prophet of doom. The tall fan concerned, though, shall remain anonymous. Yorke-Robinson got a handy 20 before, you’ve guessed it, Sutcliffe bowled him. Blez came in with a runner but was out to a superb left-handed catch by Atkinson, as most fans thought the ball was heading for the backward point boundary. Joe Hawke looked in the same good form as the Darwen game but he was the eighth out with 16 still required. The Martin brothers had dug their team out of an even trickier position to win the 2012 League championship but with 7 needed Joe’s well-timed shot failed to clear long-off. It came down to 5 off 2 balls and 4 for a rare tie. Toxy played a offside cut which looked a reasonable two but Rickard’s great throw saw Lowerhouse’s last man run-out. It was a close decision but the right one. Todmorden were rightly jubilant as they’d taken the last ten wickets for a mere 90 runs. Sutcliffe and Atkinson had had respective games that they’ll always remember.
Another bonus for the men of West Yorkshire was that other results had conspired to place them as the new league leaders. Whether they have an overall strength to hold that place must be highly questionable though. It is a daunting 66 years since they were crowned champions. In that year of 1957, it was a Lowerhouse legend who served as their professional, in the guise of the great Jim Minhas. To be fair, they tied with Nelson in 1986, only to lose a Turf Moor play-off. For Lowerhouse they have to own the loss as a game that simply got away and a short spell of soul searching shouldn’t derail their season.
As I walked home I thought of the contrasting moods and emotions regarding the Darwen and Todmorden games. This brought me back to the aforementioned long serving club official Mr Waterworth. Joe flirted with his own century for longevity but from his grave at St John’s in Padiham, I could almost hear his voice saying ” The Lord doth giveth, and the Lord doth taketh away, blessed be the Lord”
