Stuey Milne has blasted some memorable knocks since bursting on the Romiley scene a couple of years back. But none has been more spectacular than Saturday’s when he took apart Barrow’s previously mean bowlers with devastating hitting despite a pancake of a track.  He came in when 27overs were gone and we had lost emergency opener Billy Flattley(4) and David Badrock(27) for a paltry 51. Sixteen balls and 23 explosive minutes later, Stuey had transformed the innings, hitting 45(six sixes and two fours) in a third wicket-stand of 60 with Tommy Rolph. Skipper Alex Barber(25) and Andy Bashford(20) carried on the aggression and by the 42nd over we could declare on 195-7. Stuey’s day wasn’t quite finished.  Just to round it off, he achieved a delayed had-trick, his first- ball wicket following the left-armer’s two against Cholmondeley the previous week. We didn’t know how valuable his effort would be until we heard that Winnington Park had thrashed leaders Lindow by eight wickets. Lindow, unbeaten not long ago, took only one point from the battle of the top two and, coupled with our fourth 25-pointer in a row, the gap between us is reduced to just six points with five games left…… Stuey was far from our only hero. Rolph was the glue that kept us together with 61 hard-earned runs that included his fifth 50 of the season. And Flattley, again fast and furious, achieved his first five- for of the season, three of them clean bowled. David Badrock also produced two stunning catches, one off a ball swirling over his shoulder and the other when having to dive forward to take the dropping ball at cover. Barrow’s only real resistance came from Fernando and the free-swinging No 3 could easily have gone cheaply, several times squirting the ball between fielders. He had survived to hit 67 out of 86 when he was sixth out and the innings ended on 122 in the 35th over.
Scores: Romiley 195-7dec(41.5 overs; Rolph 61, Milne 45; Mumford 3-46). Barrow 122(34.2 overs; Fernando 67; Flattley 5-34, Milne 2-2, J Badrock 2-18, Barber 1-26)