DEPRIVED of the services of professional Daniel Marsh, Todmorden maintained their 100 per cent start to the season with a maximum haul at the Horsfield.

But Todmorden captain Stuart Priestley wasn't getting carried away or making any rash predictions.

"Basically, we did this last year and faded, but I think we have more of a chance this time," said Priestley.

"A lot depends on Dan getting fit. We rely on him and Ibrahim Ali a great deal. With two left-armers of their quality a lot of teams will struggle against us."

Marsh, hoping to be fit next weekend, picked up his injury in bizarre circumstances, damaging a knee boarding the plane from Australia and, despite picking up five wickets on his debut, had to pull out on the eve of this encounter.

Marsh, a man of moderation, was at pains to affirm that his injury hadn't been sustained in any assault on his famous father Rodney's one-time in-flight Australia-England "tinnie-consuming record".

So the anticipated battle of the South Australian team-mates didn't materialise. But sub Brad Hodge, a Victorian drafted in from Farnworth, proved an able deputy and contributed an aggressive cameo of 36.

But the bedrock of a respectable total for the Yorkshiremen was a fine 62 containing 11 sparkling boundaries, from vastly-experienced Brian Heywood. Heywood posted his 50, and his sides' 100, with the 10th of those boundaries, his half-century coming off 94 balls.

Heywood survived a fierce chance to John Lambert on 12, but after Hodge disappointingly spooned a catch to mid-off he found another useful partner in hard-hitting wicket-keeper David Whitehead.

When the opener departed in the 39th over, playing on to Colne professional Ben Johnson, he was immediately followed back to the pavilion by Whitehead, taken brilliantly by stand-in keeper Dave Swarbrick.

A useful unbroken stand of 33 from Andrew Barker and Mark Clayton took Todmorden to a respectable final total on a day when thankfully, despite weather conditions elsewhere, an interruption never looked likely.

It looked an uphill struggle for the home side when Clarke departed second ball of the innings, but Colne scored briskly with paid man Johnson looking a class act, particularly severe on anything on his legs.

Left-hander Johnson's main problem was finding a partner as wickets at the opposite end tumbled at regular intervals. Gideon Foster removed Andy Roberts' furniture and struck a crucial blow by doing likewise to skipper Gary Hunt, without scoring, in his next over. Stephen Woods went to a run-out that might have made intriguing viewing on slow-motion cameras, and when the impressive Ali trapped Lambert attempting a rash stroke it looked a mountainous task.

Johnson finally found a patient partner in Nigel Rimmer, adhering to instructions to stick with the Aussie, but with Ali giving nothing away he finally edged a wide one from the recalled Barker to Whitehead.

Rimmer's defiant vigil, Colne's last hope, ended after two huge sixes off Ali when Whitehead made yards to claim a mis-hit attempt for a third, with Ali and Barker wrapping up the tail with more than a dozen overs unused.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.