Todmorden CC have been rocked by injuries with THREE first team players suffering damaged fingers within the space of 13 unlucky days.
Seam bowler Gideon Foster, in good form on his return to the club this season, was the first casualty when suffering a compound fracture to a finger against Burnley early in the month.
Foster required six stitches but bravely returned to action against Haslingden in last Sunday’s Worsley Cup exit.
By that time Tod had two batsmen on the sidelines, opener Simon Newbitt and middle-order man Elliott Gilford.
Newbitt, a prolific runmaker down the years, broke his finger the weekend before last and in-form Gilford suffered the same fate in the nets last Thursday evening.
Skipper Andrew Sutcliffe described the situation as a “shocker” and said he expected Newbitt and Gilford to be missing for the next few weekends.
Last Saturday’s Lancashire League match at Ramsbottom was rained off, with the sides taking three points each, and Tod lost by five wickets to Haslingden on Sunday.
Sutcliffe thought it had been a disadvantage to bat first, having lost the toss, but said the better team had won on the day.
He also praised the efforts of the players who had stepped into the breach.
Sutcliffe added: “It was a huge blow losing Simon and Elliot during the week to injuries but the guys who came in stepped up to the plate with the bat.
“Freddie Priestley scored a first XI best of 60 not out and Kristian Garland scored 33 not out with one big hit into the park.”
Those knocks lifted the Todmorden total to 169, after they had been 25 for three, but a drying pitch made life easier for the visiting batsmen.
Skipper Graham Knowles made 72 not out at the top of the Haslingden order, hitting five fours and two sixes from 139 balls.
He and professional Brenton Parchment (56) put on 98 for the second wicket to pave the way for a comfortable victory.
Sutcliffe added: “As the sun was shining on the track it dried out and became easier to bat on but in reality they out-performed us in all departments.”
Todmorden return to league action on Saturday with a home game against Bacup, who also bowed out of the cup last Sunday.
They went down by 13 runs against Burnley in spite of skipper Joe McCluskie’s 52 from 77 balls, which included four sixes and two fours.
Saturday’s visitors have also made a poor start in the league with only eight points from four games while Tod have 22 from five and lie seventh.