Somebody up there must like us….The trouble is we don’t seem to care too much for heavenly gifts. Last week, we did accept the extra over granted us when we were bowled out early to beat Woodford. But the sandwich to that tasty filling has consisted of wretched failures to beat Mere and on, Saturday, Winsford. Victories at those strugglers, allied to Lindow’s own losses, would almost certainly have meant that our bid for the last Cheshire League Division One promotion slot was done and dusted. Instead, Saturday’s 61-run loss leaves us with a cliffhanger of a final game against Lindow to decide our fate. The result of our carelessness is that our nearest competitor come to Birch Vale Drive on Saturday(12.30 start) back in second place and with real hope of hijacking our bid to join champions Winnington Park among the League’s elite when they should have been planning their Second Division itinerary for 2012. We shall also need to keep an eye on fourth-placed Cholmondeley, 13 points adrift, whose final game is at relegated Barrow……...
Winsford had only won three games this season, but ran out deserved winners. And the only good news we had on a gale-blown afternoon was when told that Lindow were 26-run losers at Woodford. But the seven points they did earn were enough to put them back into second place which we squandered by gathering just four, leaving us two behind. We did little to deserve our reprieve. For the second time this season, we found Winsford hard to winkle out.  And for all the efforts of Alex Barber, again our leading bowler, they were allowed some 40 runs more than they should have been. At the half- way point, we were in control,  restricting them to 56-3. But slow left armer Paul Garner failed to master the gale blowing straight into his face and Winsford were granted a momentum which they never lost. It might have been different had Garner managed to hold on to a sharp return from Clarke, who went on to top score with 50. Even so, with our batting strength, 185 ought not to have been the severe problem it proved to be. All looked well when openers Rick Holt and Tommy Rolph serenely eased to 20 in a little over five overs. Then Rolph(12) was thrown out chasing an ambitious run and, within another 10 overs, an ordinary looking attack had somehow dismissed Holt(9). Rob Booker(8), Andy Bashford(8) and Barber(2) for 25 more runs. Eddie Nickson (28) and Jack Kelly(10)  fought back but found ways to get out, and Sam Astley, batting with some comfort, deservedly finished unbeaten on 20. But, in the end, we could not even nail the two runs which would have given us a second and precious batting point. Now it’s nail-biting time…..
Scores: Winsford 184-6(45 overs; Clarke 50; Barber 4-50, M Flattley 1-33, Kelly 1-12). Romiley 123(39 overs; Nickson 28; Beswick 4-31).