Only the hardiest of enthusiasts ventured to Redbrook on Saturday to see Rochdale Home2Home defeat Radcliffe. And it was as easy as the seven-wicket margin of victory suggests.

A cold grey, blustery day greeted the teams but fortunately heavy overnight and morning rain was adequately managed by Redbrook’s drainage system and the game started only 75 minutes late with the allocation of overs reduced to 37 per side.

Rochdale captain Dominic Ayres wisely chose to field on winning the toss, no doubt encouraged by a damp patch on the middle of the wicket which promoted extra bounce.

And although Radcliffe openers Rob Farnworth and professional Umar Tariq gave their team a decent start, putting on 37 at around three per over both were regularly discomfited by Harry Clough, whose high action enables him to benefit from that wet area.

It was no surprise that Clough eventually accounted for both. And both were taken at second slip by Taufeeq Umar, despite his movement being restricted by the layers of wool he was encased in.

Having topped last year’s averages with nearly 1,400 runs, Tariq was naturally the prize scalp, and although the visitors gamely played in an attacking vein thereafter they missed the quality of Tariq to provide a match winning total.

Mind you, a number of their batsmen were unfortunate in that clean strikes into the deep seemed to go unerringly straight to fieldsmen. Mark Burns was taken by a fine running catch by Daz Cryer on the edge at long on, while Andrew Dawson, running speedily round at wide mid-wicket held on to a slog from Pilejko moments after spooning a far simpler chance.

By this time, Ayres had entrusted his attack to the off spinning pair, Neil Avery and Umar, whose bowling duties had forced him to divest himself of several plies of garments, and it was these two who whittled through the Radcliffe order. And when Avery’s neat caught and bowled to dismiss last man out Robinson, it brought the innings to a close and completed his umpteenth five-wicket haul for the club.

Radcliffe’s 138 all out was no better than a moderate total and a nothing other than a sensible approach would have been Ayres’ request from his charges during the tea interval.

And the skipper led by example. His instinct has always been to attack, in the past recklessly at times. However, captaincy has imbued him with greater common sense and Saturday provided another example of the born again batsman.

He lost Adam Smith, on 44, when the youngster played on to Burns, and then more worryingly, Umar when the left hander drove fiercely but straight to mid off for 11 with score on 67.

But Andrew Dawson, whose season so far has been a something of a stop start affair began to produce something like his best form and he and Ayres kept the board ticking nicely, despite the latter twice slipping back into old habits with a couple of ugly hoiks at flighted deliveries. He escaped, though, to pass 50 for the second time this season and when he clipped Burns straight to deep mid-wicket with the score on 111 his men were more or less home. And with Dawson, now joined by Daz Cryer, continuing in his own untroubled way, Dale passed their target with nearly seven overs to spare.

Including their Wood Cup victory at Littleborough, this was Dale’s fifth consecutive win. The teams at the top of the table are now in sight and with new professional Kaushalya Weeraratna’s arrival imminent, spirits at Redbook are high.

Elsewhere in the league, Heywood took maximum points from their away clash at Ashton. The hosts totalled 102 all out, Mohammed Abid top-scoring with 45. Will Purser (3-22) and Tom Hardman (3-23) did most of the damage, Hardman going on to score 44 as Heywood knocked off the required runs, skipper Bobby Cross registering 41.

Middleton’s game against Clifton and Monton and Weaste’s clash with Crompton fell victim to the weather, all four teams picking up two-point draws.

Kristian Garland (56) and James Rawlinson (54) helped Walsden to 165-6 in their victory over Werneth - despite a fine effort from Rasika Priyadarshana (6-53) - who were all out for 132. Werneth’s deputy professional Ryan Broad hit 50, but Allan Durose’s 4-16 proved crucial.

Radcliffe

R Farnworth c Umar b Clough 32
U Tariq c Umar b Clough 16
S Gibson b Avery 11
S Mahboob c Faulkner b Avery 5
M Sayeed c Dawson b Umar 13
M Coates c Cryer b Umar 9
D Pilejko c Dawson b Avery 5
M Burns c Cryer b Avery 21
D Cain c Avery b Umar 4
M Robinson c & b Avery 3
S Dalton not out 0

Extras 19
Total (36.2overs) 138

Bowling: Butterworth 6-1-24-0; Clough 9-2-24-2; Avery 12.2-1-42-5; Umar 9-0-45-3

Rochdale

D Ayres c Burns b Tariq 55
A Smith b Burns 15
T Umar c Cain b Tariq 11
A Dawson not out 34
D Cryer not out 16

Extras 11
Total (for three, 30.1 overs) 142

Bowling: Mahboob 8-0-45-0; Dalton 3-0-20-0; Burns 4.1-0-34-1; Tariq 9-0-23-2; Sayeed 6-0-16-0.

Rochdale (5pt) won by seven wickets