SADLY it was another double defeat for Colne in the weekend’s games.
Colne were no match for Todmorden in Saturday’s game. They won the toss and elected to bat on a very damp wicket which proved to be their undoing.
With the exception of the pro Shadley van Schalkwyk (26) and Saleem Quereshi (13) the other Colne batsmen struggled against the slow left arm bowling of the Todmorden professional, Qaiser Abbas, who mesmerised them and finished with figures of 8 for 16 off 18 overs – nine of which were maidens.
Colne were all out for 74 from 35 overs. It was “a walk in the park” for Todmorden as they easily overhauled the Colne score.
They took just 15 overs to reach the target with Abbas (38 not out) and Ben Sutcliffe (16 not out). Shadley van Schalkwyk took the two Todmorden wickets to fall as Todmorden finished on 76 for 2. So it was another early finish with the game wrapped up before 4-30 p.m..
Sunday’s game against Church was a much better contest. Colne, once again, won the toss and this time skipper van Schalkwyk decided to field. A wise decision. The Church openers struggled under some tight bowling from van Schalkwyk and Matthew Walker. The Colne professional tasted early success when he removed Wolfenden and Holt with just 34 on the board. Lloyd Aspin and the Church pro, Saeed Anwar, then made a defiant stand putting on 80 for the third wicket before Anwar was lbw to Tayib Jamil. He had made 21.
Jamil soon had another wicket when Muhammad Jamil was excellently stumped by Sam Tillotson. Wickets then fell fast and furiously as Church collapsed from 114 for 2 to 130 all out. Van Schalkwyk took 6 for 48 and Tayib Jamil 4 for 10. At last the Colne bowlers had given their batsmen a reasonable target to aim for.
The Colne opening batsmen struggled from the off and Matthew Wilson (5) and Lewis Rimmer (0) were soon back in the changing room. Kurrum Nazir and van Schalkwkk then made steady progress but when the pro was dismissed with the score on 40 Nazir soon followed, having made 13.
There was a spirited stand from Nathan Whitehead (10) and Joel Duerden (13) and then Whitehead and Saleem Qureshi (16). But, to the frustration of the home crowd when they thought that the batsmen had “got their eye in” they then got themselves out!
Jamil was then left stranded on 14 not out as he ran out of partners and Colne were all out for 124. So near and yet so far.
It is another double-header weekend with a home fixture on Saturday, against East Lancashire and then away against Church on Sunday.