RAMSBOTTOM pulled off another unlikely victory when they defeated Milnrow by five runs in the Inter-League Cup at Acre Bottom on Saturday.

Once again asked to bat first, they made an excellent start by putting on 51 before David Bell, who looked in good nick, was adjudged lbw for 25.

Two quick wickets then fell before John Harrison joined Keith Webb at the crease, and runs started to flow freely.

The partnership took the score into the 120s with plenty of overs in hand, when Harrison unfortunately ran himself out. This precipitated a rapid fall of wickets which left the Rams in a perilous position at 135 for seven, with all the main batsmen back in the shed, bar professional Kartik, who was severely restricted by a recurrence of an ankle injury.

When he succumbed with the score of 151, things looked bleak but skipper Richard Hevingham, and Michael Haslam swung the bat to good effect and took the score onto 177 at the close.

Ramsbottom's hopes of an early breakthrough were dashed when the normally reliable Haslam and Eardley were put to the sword by the opposition South African professional Wingfield, and his fellow opener Dawson.

With 45 runs on the board after just eight overs, skipper, Hevingham, was forced into making a change and Simon Read was brought into the attack in his first senior game of the season. The move paid immediate dividends with the skipper, taking a brilliant catch, stood up to dismiss Dawson. The run flow was halted as the Rammy professional, despite bowling off only two paces again, joined Read in the attack, and the amateur added the scalp of the dangerous Wakefield, with the score on 61.

With the bowlers restricted to a maximum nine overs each, and the opposition pro' not looking troubled, Milnrow were still strong favourites but the Rammy lads kept chipping away as first Bobby Horrocks then Mick Haslam, bowling a much better line in his second spell, took valuable wickets.

When Kartik got in on the act, taking a wicket in his final over, the score stood at 125 for six but there were plenty of overs available and Wingfield was unbeaten on 76.

It should have been plain sailing for Milnrow and it looked that way as, despite losing a wicket at 140, Whiteman had joined his pro' and looked a much more accomplished batsman than any of his predecessors. These two had pushed the score along to 161 when Brian Taylor, brought on as a last throw of the dice, produced a beauty to clean bowl the amateur. When he got the No.10 batsmen lbw next delivery, it was game on but should have been a signal for Wingfield to see his side home.

Amazingly, he contented himself with reaching his century and giving the strike to his No.11 partner at the beginning of each over. When Taylor bowled the worst ball of his spell, an inviting long hop the tail ender could not resist and tried to smash it for four, succeeding only in putting it straight down David Bell's throat at mid on to give the Rams an unexpected but welcome victory.

After somewhat fortuitously scraping past Milnrow, the Rams travelled to Alexandra Meadows on Sunday to take on an East Lancs side boasting one of the strongest amateur batting line-ups in the county, and produced their best bowling and fielding performance for four seasons.

Michael Haslam set the wheels in motion in a brilliant opening spell in which he claimed the wickets of Pearson and Turner, both of whom have the distinction of having scored more than 1000 league runs in a season.

He was ably supported by sub-professional, Asif Mujtaba, standing in for Kartik who was injured.

It was Asif who claimed the third wicket, deceiving the opposition professional friend in flight and having him stumped. Opener Bolton, and Lomas, then dug in and took the score to 70 before the former was lbw trying to sweep the Pakistani spinner.

A brilliant run out by Webb and a diving slip catch by Eardley reduced the opposition to 71 for six before the home skipper, Kelly, decided the best form of defence was attack. He saw the score along to 92 before he was well held in the deep by his own player, Pearson, who was temporarily sub-fielding for the injured Alex Bell -- a sporting act which went down well with the away supporters.

Bell then returned to the field to take a sharp slip catch as Chris Eardley took the final three wickets in an excellent spell after taking over from Haslam.

A total of 95 was never going to be enough and although the home side managed to whittle out four wickets, the ultra-consistent Mujtaba, and John Harrison, saw the Rams home with plenty of overs to spare to produce the shock win of the day in the Lancashire League.