AFTER losing on Saturday to the powerful unbeaten Lowerhouse outfit, the Rams finally got their season on track with a six-wicket win over Enfield on Sunday, courtesy of a magnificent bowling performance from their professional, Kartik.

The visit of the Lowerhouse side, packed with batting and containing new recruits Tripathi and Benbow, who have both played County II XI cricket, was always going to present a difficult challenge to the Ramsbottom side, which was missing vital players. They were dealt an immediate blow by losing the toss and being asked to bat on an Acre Bottom pitch which, when damp, offers assistance to the swing bowlers early on, before flattening out as the day progresses.

To their credit, the Rammy amateurs performed well, led by Mark Dentith with a fine 50. Keith Webb looked in good nick until being brilliantly caught at short cover. With Chris Wood and Bobby Horrocks helping to make the tail wag, they posted a total of 179, which gave them a fine chance of an upset.

With professional, Kartik, making his debut and taking the new ball with Michael Haslam, it was vital to keep it tight early on. This was achieved with great success with the Indian spinner bowling with guile. Such was the frustration created that only 34 runs were on the board after 20 overs, with both openers back in the pavilion, having unsuccessfully trying to hit Haslam over the top of the infielders.

The pressure was maintained until the amateur bowlers started to tire and the giant New Zealander, Fulton, began to get into full flow, hitting the ball to all parts of the ground.

The game seemed to be running away from the home side until Kartik produced a beauty to get the opposition paid man caught behind. When he immediately picked up another wicket, the balance had swung firmly back in Ramsbottom's favour, with 80 runs required off the last 16 overs.

Nobody had read the script to Benbow and Cottam, however, and they started to lay into the Ramsbottom bowling, chancing their arm with a lot of airborne shots which avoided the fielders and eventually brought their side a victory in the penultimate over.

The following day, the Rammy faithful were treated to one of the finest exhibitions of spin bowling in years, as professional Kartik turned on the style. Helped by winning the toss, skipper Hevingham had no hesitation in asking the home side to bat first.

A steady start was made before Kartik deceived the home skipper, Mas Ahmed, with his arm ball. The home professional, Trainor, then joined Windle and although progress was slow, they took the score to 61 before the Rammy pro completely bamboozled his opposite number, trapping him plum lbw. This proved to be the start of the Enfield collapse, as none of the home amateurs seemed to know how to play the Indian spinner, who constantly teased them with a variety of deliveries.

His final figures of 9-30 off 23 overs showed his superiority over the batsmen and would have read better but for four overthrows. A total of 117 was always going to be well within Rammy's reach, but when Keith Webb fell to a shooter early on, the batsmen were forced to proceed with a certain amount of caution to reach the target.

Both Bell brothers made important contributions to this and it was left to Mark Dentith and Chris Wood to see the Acre Bottom side over the winning line, to record their first victory of the current campaign.