ROCHDALE Home2 Home made it three consecutive league victories when they beat Crompton by six wickets at Glebe Street on Saturday.

Chasing 155 for victory Dale were marshalled home by deputy professional Tofiq Urmar who followed his four for 39 with an expertly compiled 71 not out.

But, unfortunately, the beautiful cloudless weather and an ideally situated ground with an attractive Pennine vista were not matched by the mood of the players.

This was a rancorous affair which simmered for much of the afternoon and finally boiled over during Rochdale’s innings.

Andrew Dawson had just been given run out when one of the Crompton fieldsmen made contact with the back of Urmar’s head.

Urmar was naturally not too impressed, and neither was captain Dominic Ayres, on the field as Urmar’s runner.

Just as the row looked likely to escalate common sense took over and the game proceeded.

Although it left a nasty taste, Urmar refused to be unsettled by the brouhaha. In fact, it seemed to strengthen his resolve as he patiently and inexorably steered his team to victory.

The day started benignly enough. Crompton won the toss and batted , although it became quickly apparent that the lowish bounce would hardly encourage a run fest.

Very quickly the team was having to make reparations after Scott Butterworth had accounted for Steven Wright and professional Zaman Khan, lbw to one that nipped backed and kept low.

Simon Wright gradually took charge. Interspersing intelligent pushes for singles with thunderous straight drives he put his team in the ascendency, giving Ayres much food for thought.

The Dale captain had been forced to remove Butterworth from the attack after six overs as per the directive on young fast bowlers, and since his two wickets in this impressive spell had cost only nine runs it was a bowling change he would have rather not made.

However, his replacement, Derek Faulkner did make the crucial breakthrough when Crompton’s South African opener Col Boschoff played on.

Boschoff had played second fiddle to Wright but had been largely untroubled, and their wicket partnership of 56 had taken the score to 70 and given Crompton a base from which to press on.

By this time though Urmar, with his off-spinners had replaced the out of sorts Harry Clough, and his nagging line helped keep the scoring rate to manageable proportions.

It was the dismissal of Glen Dawson, thanks to a neat bit of fielding by MacKenna Gibson, with the score on 101, that precipitated a clatter of wickets.

Andy Kershaw, Mo Khan and Aqeeb Zulfiquar all failed to provide Wright with any support, and as a consequence he began to stall.

Having reached his 50 in only 54 balls he slowed down to such an extent that he managed only 23 from the next 64, and it was a breezy 18 from Fletcher that took the final total to 154.

Dale’s start began as poorly as Crompton’s when Ayres became the final victim of the low bounce in the third over.

Fortunately for Dale, Zulfiquar, who had accounted for Ayres, was sufficiently inconsistent to allow Adam Smith and Urmar some respite. Consequently they settled nicely.

The left-handed Urmar appeared in control from his first ball. He only played at the ball when necessary, content to move the score along with offside pushes and occasional drives.

There was some concern when he appeared to tweak a leg muscle, but the appearance of a runner for him failed to produce the chaos that usually prevails in such circumstances.

These two took the score to 55 with little alarm before Smith was judged leg before, sweeping at Zaman, the ball appearing to pitch well outside his leg stump.

Daz Cryer provided the perfect foil for Urmar, and the partnership put on 74 for the third wicket before Cryer edged Mo Khan to slip.

Rochdale then needed only 21 off 10 overs. It was a position Urmar was not going to let slip, and he duly guided his team home.