Alex Barber rose from his sick bed to help drive Romiley within eight points of the Meller Braggins Cheshire League Div.3 lead on Saturday(June 12). The skipper, suffering all week with a chest infection, took four of the first five wickets as leaders Woodford were bowled out for 106 and finally crushed by seven wickets. It was our fifth successive league win and our most decisive. Woodford had won six matches out of seven, but never got off the back foot from the first over when Alex snared Evans, athletically caught by Andy Bashford, plunging in from square leg. Billy Flattley hung on to a spectacular one-hander to reward Nick Fithon’s trademark steadiness and when Barber dismissed Gilliatt, half their wickets had gone for 49. Metcalf, alone, offered much resistance, carrying his bat for 46. He had scant support. Only one other reached double figures and four of the last five did not bother the scorers, one falling to Stuart Milne’s superb slip catch off Paul Garner. If they were in any doubt,  they knew it wasn’t their day when Garner‘s long hop to Weir ended with the slow left-armer’s finger tips deflecting a flat bat shot onto the stumps, running out Weir. Woodford’s troubles could have been worse. Twenty- five of their runs came in extras and catches were dropped or missed in a mixed fielding performance.
Woodford desperately needed a quick breakthrough to give them a sniff, but were not allowed it. Openers Rick Holt and Tommy Rolph , batting with easy control, fed freely off the pace attack. Burns went for 24 in his four overs and Evans for 34 in five and we were more than half way to victory by the 10th over. The openers looked like going all the way when, with 13 runs to get, Rick was adjudged lbw despite getting a long way forward. His 44 included eight fours and the 94-run stand was their second 50-plus partnership in successive weeks. Rolph’s bright, stylish knock ended at the same score when he reached 39 and Tommy Roberts was quickly and unfortunately run out. But Jack Kelly (12) and Ben Allcock(1) saw us to victory without any more alarms. But losing those three wickets allowed Woodford, who were looking at a nil point return, to take three.
Scores: Woodford 106(37overs; Metcalf 46no; Barber 4-25, Fithon 1-23, Flattley 2-23, Kelly 1-4, P.Garner 1-11). Romiley 107-3(26.3overs; Holt 44, Rolph 39; Owen 1-33, Clarke 1-11).