In a tribute to Phil Roberts, the Heaton Cricket Club stalwart who died last week aged 72, Heaton official and long-time friend Warwick Milne recalls a game from yesteryear which sums up 'Big Phil' as a person and a player

THERE are some occasions when the true measure of a man shows.

So here are my memories of one of Phil Roberts’ greatest hitting exhibitions.

The innings was played under the stress of bereavement – his father, Harold, having passed away during the week.

Many would have taken the opportunity to have a day off and reminisce.

Not Phillip Leonard Roberts. He turned up without as much as a mention of things.

I can’t exactly remember the year, probably in the mid-1970s.

Heaton were to entertain Walkden. The usual rules applied, we weren’t great and they had one or two serious players, notably the sublime Mike Bissex as pro.

The weather had been unkind during the week and in the days before mops, rollers and covers, the pitch could best be described as hazardous.

Of course, we lost the toss and were invited to take first use of a green and sticky track.

Six of us came and went while master technician Phil Entwistle stood firm at one end.

Bissex’s left-arm spin was close to unplayable and we cannot have been more than 40 before ‘The Big Man’ rolled to the crease.

We were then treated to an hour or so of unparalleled violence between bat and ball.

Those fielding within 30 yards of Phil had their life cover temporarily removed as he single-handedly dismantled the Walkden attack.

Opening batsman Entwistle was given the best part of 30 start and Phil roared past him to reach the 50 milestone first.

Fielders may well have been better posted in the Knowles playing field or the ring road.

This was truly one of the original big-hitting innings.

Phil was a batsmen given more to comfort than speed, and his dismissal, almost inevitably came by way of a run out.

Phil turned to recover his ground, saw the ball coming in from the outfielder and realised his cause was lost.

"Take ‘em off," he bellowed to the fielder and set off back to the pavilion with 80 or so to his name.

We stood by the steps to applaud him in, many of us patting him on his lathered shirt.

He took the plaudits with a smile and made only one comment.

"That’s for’t th’owd chap," he said.

And that’s for you Phil. RIP big man.