On Saturday they travelled to Lowerhouse for a battle of two teams who had lost their opening game of the season.

The home side won the toss and decided to bat – always something of a gamble at this time of the year – and must have instantly regretted the decision as Mo Bux rolled back the years with a fine spell of seam bowling.

He had home skipper Jon Finch caught at slip by Stuart Priestley and then trapped Hasan Abass in front – both for ducks – with the score on three.

Opener Driver followed for six and when Bux clean-bowled Charlie Cottam for the third duck of the innings he had figures of 4 for 13 and the home side were teetering at 17 for 4.

Tasmanian professional Brendan Drew watched the devastation from the other end but finally found a partner who would stay with him in the shape of Chris Bleazard.

Together they compiled a partnership of 44 runs – which would turn out to be the highest of the day – before Drew was adjudged leg before off Todmorden’s sub professional Bruce Martin for 31.

James Morgan bowled Bleazard for 21 and, despite a brief flurry by Stuart Grant, he and Martin polished off the home side for 105 – both ending with three wickets, the New Zealander having bowled unchanged for 23 overs.

Time was on Todmorden’s side and Stuart Priestley and the promoted Matthew Brierley made a steady start to the reply – although Priestley had to survive a big leg before shout off Jon Russell in the first over.

Brierley dominated the scoring as Todmorden reached 40 without loss but then he, Priestley and Simon Newbitt departed in the space of just three runs to set the nerves jangling in the visitor’s dressing room.

Martin is proving to be a very able deputy for Goolan Bodi – still playing in South African domestic cricket – and he showed a good understanding of early season conditions in England with an unbeaten 35 which, after Andy Sutcliffe had been dismissed for nine, allowed him to steer his adopted side home with 13 overs to spare, in the company of Ben Sutcliffe, 13 no.

Todmorden picked up maximum points from the win but would have needed a monumental recovery to add to them when Rishton visited Centre Vale on Sunday.

In all honesty the weather always looked likely to be the winner, even when Rishton won the toss and surprised no-one by asking the home side, captained by Jon Henderson for the first time this season following his suspension, to bat first.

Richard Rostron took the direct approach of bowling straight and letting the ball do the work and was rewarded by a return catch from Newbitt in addition to clean-bowling Brierley and Priestley. When he then had Martin caught by Shaun Wyse, Todmorden were tottering at 27 for 5 after 17 overs.

That, as was the story throughout the country on Sunday, was as far as it went, rain forcing the players to the pavilion and they never returned.