MILNROW’S league match against Norden at Ladyhouse on Saturday was billed as a dress rehearsal for the following day’s encounter in the Wood Cup.

So it proved, as the visitors who started as favourites suffered an alarming batting collapse and stumbled to defeat.

Milnrow had posted a respectable 199 for nine in their allocated 50 overs, Max Power (50), Steve Dryden (30) and a late flurry from Greg Jennings (23) providing the backbone to the innings.

On a hot, sunny day on a good wicket it looked a below par score, and with a required run-rate of four an over Norden’s hopes of victory were high.

But those hopes lay in ruins as Stephen Lane and John Storey blasted out the top order. The visitors were in dire straits at 17 for five.

Stand-in professional Ammar Mahmood bowled the battling Paul Morrell (18) with his first delivery and it needed a 51-run partnership from Greg Tattersall and Phil Collinson (23) to add some respectability to the scoreline as Norden were dismissed for 104.

Lane, with six for 47, was the pick of the Milnrow bowlers.

The hosts took first knock and wicket-keeper Denny Hulme posted his intent with a scorching straight six off Harvey Fitton.

But with 17 on the board, Hulme (9) tamely chipped Zane Arthur to Jean Symes at cover.

Mahmood was next to go as, with the score on 40, he smashed a long-hop straight to Dexter Fitton - the only fielder in front of the wicket on the on-side - at short mid-wicket.

When Simon Brierley was bamboozled and bowled by Oliver Makin, with the score on 62, Milnrow looked to be in trouble. But Power and Dryden set their stall out to play each ball on merit.

The good deliveries were treated with respect, the bad ones despatched to the boundary.

Phil Collinson struggled to find his length and conceded 28 runs in three overs while still managing to break the partnership when he bowled Dryden round his legs as the batsman attempted to sweep.

Mark Fraser didn’t last long, bowled by Dexter Fitton for one. Power then brought up his half century, and having done so abandoned his patient approach only to be stumped next ball.

John Storey and Jennings kept the scoreboard ticking over until the former stepped down the wicket, missed, and saw Nick Brierley whip off the bails. Lane (3) then gave Brierley his third stumping success.

Milnrow weren’t quite finished, and one or two lusty blows from Jennings, who was eventually run out, and Tremlett (11no) saw the innings close one run short of the 200-mark.

Norden’s reply started badly as, without a run on the board, Hashum Malik was trapped leg before by Storey.

Symes, who hadn’t played for two months, soon followed, also for a duck, prodding a full-length delivery from Lane to Brierley at cover.

Harvey Fitton (2) was out leg before, and Nick Brierley (0) was far from pleased when he was given out stumped. The consensus of opinion around Ladyhouse - among both sets of supporters - was he had made his ground.

Things got worse when Dexter Fitton played on and Morrell was bowled. Collinson and Tattersall fought hard, but when the latter holed out at mid-wicket, Tremlett taking the catch, the writing was on the wall.

Makin (0) and Arthur (1) became victims number four and five for Lane, both out leg before, and Tattersall made it a round half dozen for the Milnrow spinner who rattled the timbers to seal victory for the hosts.