Winning run comes to end
TODMORDEN'S run of form dried up as they crashed to defeat at Centre Vale.
While home professional David Wiese had starred last week, it was another professional, Narved Arif, who put the home men to the sword with both the bat and ball.
It brought an end to a winning run of six straight victories and meant Todmorden slipped down to fifth place in the Lancashire League after losing by 80 runs to Rawtenstall.
Arif made an unbeaten 81 in Rawtenstall's 223 for five and he then took five for 47 as Todmorden were dismissed for 143.
Arif was well supported by John Hayman (42), Andy Clough (31), Andy Payne (23) and Josh Rushmore (16).
Ben Sutcliffe went for a duck as Arif's first victim with the score at two in Todmorden's reply.
The Barker brothers Nick and Steve steadied things, putting on 28 before Nick became the first of Keith Roscoe's four victims. He ended with figures of four for 27.
Steve went on to make his maiden half century before Clough picked up his only wicket of the innings.
But things got worse as the home side collapsed with five batsmen making a total of six runs between them.
Four of them fell to Arif and the other to Roscoe.
Late resistance by Oliver Wood, who made a career best 40, and Danny Brown (19 not out) made the score look more respectable after seven wickets had fallen for 56.
Acting captain Andrew Sutcliffe said: "It was a very disappointing result on the back of six straight victories.
"In the first innings we did not help ourselves by missing five or six chances in the field and if we had taken these they probably would have been restricted to less than 180, which is what we were aiming for.
"In our innings there was some poor shot selection and the only positives to come out of it was Steve Barker's first 50 for Tod and Oliver Wood's personal best score.
"But you have to give credit to Rawtenstall. Hanson's men came with a lot of fire, got a score on the board and Arif and Roscoe bowled in good areas and they were far better than us on the day," he said.
Next weekend Todmorden will welcome back skipper Simon Newbitt and other players after holidays.
"We will be doing our best to get back on track with a victory," said Sutcliffe.
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Weather for Halifax
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North west
