Cheshire County League

Iroshan De Silva produced a masterclass as Barrow won their Vivio Cheshire County League Division Two derby at Christleton on Saturday.

The experienced all-rounder hit a unbeaten century and took six wickets to inspire a 120-run victory that took Barrow one point clear at the top after three matches.

After winning the toss, home skipper Josh Morgan-Jones chose to bowl on a typically good Christleton wicket.

But Barrow openers de Silva and captain Alex Reid got off to a positive start, sharing a first-wicket stand of 78 before the latter edged to slip for 44 off the bowling of Shavaiz Saif (4-74).

Useful contributions from the middle order, including 34 from new signing Maneesha Nissanka, took Barrow to an impressive total of 248-5 from 50 overs.

But those knocks were overshadowed by de Silva, who finished with 121no from 152 balls against one of his former clubs.

Christleton’s reply got off to the worst possible start when they lost two early wickets to the guile of Mal Barrow (2-23).

A period of rebuilding from Tom Wells (25) and Atif Bajwa (21) lifted the hosts to 56-2.

But, once spinner Silva (6-20) claimed the prize capture of Bajwa, the wickets began to tumble.

Indeed, only Joshua Joseph (32no) managed to stay at the crease for a meaningful period of time, as Christleton were bowled out for 128.

Alvanley suffered their first defeat of the season as they went down by four wickets at Brooklands.

Alvanley got their wish at the toss and elected to bat. But, while openers Ste Charles (nine) and Mike Rowlands (11) made a decent start and Jonno Whitley (21) played some fluent drives, wickets fell at a rapid rate and at 50-7 the game looked over.

Chris Charles, batting for the first time this season, was not going to give up without a fight, though, and his excellent 40 hauled Alvanley up to 117.

That was a total Brooklands surpassed when reaching 118-6.

But, after choosing to come out swinging, their reply was not without scares, and with Rowlands taking 3-28, they were at one stage 55-5 and then 75-6.

Tattenhall lost a thriller at Lindow by one wicket.

After losing debutant Joe Prince, skipper Stuart Sadler (34) and Glenn Coppack (22) steadied the ship before South African Connor Windell (74) upped the ante as he shared an 128-run partnership with Dylan Reeves (55), for whom it was his first half-century for Tattenhall.

With Sam Green (19no) once again providing impetus at the end of the innings, the Flacca outfit finished their 50 overs on 220-5.

It was a total second-placed Lindow chased down when reaching 222-9 (Andy Styan 3-54, Alan Brock 3-56) with two balls of the match to play.

But the outcome may well have been different had catches and run-out opportunities being taken earlier on.

Eighth-placed Tattenhall host basement boys Tattenhall this Saturday, sixth-placed Alvanley entertain fourth-placed Stockport, while table-topping Barrow welcome third-placed Brooklands to Station Lane.

Alvanley and Tattenhall are in Village Cup action the following day, away to Hawk Green and Broadbottom respectively.

Cheshire County League

Harry Killoran top scored and took 4-39 to help Chester Boughton Hall return to winning ways and condemn Didsbury to their third consecutive defeat in the Vivio Cheshire County League Premier Division.

Killoran’s innings restored some semblance of order to a fairly lame batting performance that saw Hall falter to 97-7 at one stage in Saturday’s Filkins Lane encounter.

Batting at nine, the all-rounder’s unbeaten 58 and 55 from Will Owen turned things round against some useful bowling, with Simon Normanton taking 4-71.

In the circumstances 218 looked a reasonable total against an inexperienced side and so it proved.

Didsbury’s reply started well but nagging bowling began to bite, with Killoran and Warren Goodwin both in fine form, and 65-1 soon became 74-7.

Goodwin’s devastating spell earned him 4-18 and there was a wicket each for Sam Mallows and Jack Williams.

The newly promoted visitors were eventually bowled out for 114, 104 runs short of their target.

Lancashire starlet Rob Jones (94) was again in magnificent form for Toft but he fell six runs short of his third century in eight days before Neston went on to force a draw at Booth’s Park.

Ash Davis took 4-66 for Neston, who responded with a solid 258-8 in reply to 309-7.

Centurion Will Evans (104) was the star of the show, flaying 15 fours and a six in a third-wicket stand worth 165 with Dom Smith (85).

Ninth-placed Neston host 10th-placed Hyde on Saturday before entertaining Chester on Sunday in the ECB National Club Championship.

First up for fourth-placed Hall, though, is a league trip to second-bottom Bramhall.

Oulton Park are up to second in the First Division despite having to settle for a losing draw at Oxton last weekend.

Oxton batted well to post 228-7 (Matt Parkinson 3-50) with Dane Williams (94) leading from the front.

The visitors battled modestly in reply to reach 150-3 with the usually adventurous Danny Leech unbeaten on 51 from 134 balls.

Park host seventh-placed Warrington on Saturday.

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Cheshire League

Saughall won a low-scoring thriller at Frodsham to make it three wins out of three in the UKFast Cheshire League and move 11 points clear at the top of Division Five.

Frodsham batted first and were bowled out for 75 in 22.5 overs.

Lawrence Gotts (1-14) and Mike Andrews (2-31) made the early inroads but it was the nagging accuracy of veterans Tony Roberts (3-11) and Alen Roberts (4-16) that saw the innings unravel, with the last six wickets tumbling for just four runs.

Frodsham’s top five batsmen all got into double figures but the top scorer was Sam Johnston, who made 16.

Despite the low target, victory wasn’t assured on a pitch that demonstrated variable bounce throughout.

Ben Salisbury and Nick Ballard both fell for ducks as Gregory Pidgeon (3-15) ruffled a few top-order feathers and, when Martin Huxley (3) was caught at square leg, Saughall were 14-3.

Adam Griffiths (27) and Tony Roberts (8) steadied the ship with a 28-run partnership but a two-wicket maiden from Matt Deakin (3-19) put the game in the balance once more.

Mike Andrews (13) looked like he would see Saughall over the finish line before he became the eighth LBW victim of the contest and Tate Beaumont (6) was bowled just two balls after smashing a four that gained one of the largest cheers of the day.

At 68-8 nerves were jangling but an ice-cool Lawrence Gotts (9no) hit two glorious boundaries to ensure victory for Saughall.

Skipper Aled Roberts said: “We really had to dig deep but we got home and it’s an important 25 points.

“Hopefully we can keep the run going on Saturday at home to Bowden Vale who themselves have started the season in fine form.”

In Division Four, Westminster Park suffered a three-wicket home loss to Knutsford, who made their way to 95-7 (Saad Q 4-19) in reply to 92.

Cheshire League

Kingsley lead the way in UKFast Cheshire League Division Four after maintaining their 100% winning start with a 187-run success at home to Heaton Mersey.

Ben Stoddart (78) and Haris Yassin (63) let loose as Kingsley set 267-7 before the in-form Adrian Burden (5-22) and Steve Kitchen (2-20) ripped through Heaton for 80.

Oakmere were also in big-hitting form.

They recorded the highest ever first XI score in the club’s history in winning by 127 runs at home to Bunbury.

Cj Van Der Walt (110no) cracked a century and Craig Phelan (51) and Adrian Stubbs (45) were also in the runs as Oakmere posted 267-4 and then bowled Bunbury out for 140 (S Lamb 58; Nick Guest 4-23).

Chester County Officers got up and running in Division Three with a 41-run success at Aston, who were all out for 127 (Steve Johnson 6-45, Kris Green 4-26) in reply to 168-8 (Graham Dodd 22).

Cholmondeley are still waiting for their first win of the campaign after going down by two wickets at table-topping Maritime, who hit 195-8 (Charlie White 3-40, Patrick Gada 3-57) thanks to a Julian Morris (119) century, having been set a challenging 194-4 (Ben Pearce 73no, Simon Gardiner 50).

Cheshire CCC

Cheshire’s 10th-wicket partnership of Wayne White and Danny Woods saw them home in dramatic fashion against Wales Minor Counties at Newport.

The one-wicket win from the penultimate ball gives Cheshire a great opportunity to move through to the knock-out stages of the Unicorns Trophy with games left against Herefordshire and Staffordshire.

Staffordshire lead the way with three wins and if Cheshire can beat Herefordshire at Alderley Edge on Sunday, it will be a straight shootout between the two to top the group and get home advantage in the quarter-finals.

That looked some way off last weekend with Cheshire perched precariously on 190-9.

But, with nine required from the final over, White and Woods held their nerve to see the county to 201-9.

White finished unbeaten on 60 following on from 63 from Neston’s Will Evans.

Cheshire had restricted Wales to 200-9.

Earlier in the week, a sterling innings of 76 by captain Lee Dixon helped Cheshire make a game of it in their 50-over friendly against a strong Lancashire 2nd XI at Chester Boughton Hall.

Man of the match, however, was Toft’s Rob Jones with a brilliant knock of 119 that helped the Red Rose men reach 278.

Apart from Dixon and Chester Boughton Hall team-mate Warren Goodwin (43), none of the Cheshire batsmen impressed in a response of 216.

Cheshire Women's League

Defending champions Chester Boughton Hall have recorded their first win of the Cheshire Women’s League season.

Hall edged their way to victory at home to Didsbury, who fell 21 runs short on 79-9 (Sammi Short 3-8) in reply to 100 (Short 29).

Oakmere made it three wins from three by negotiating a tough-looking trip to Appleton, who were bowled out for 116 (Jane Tarpey 3-17) in reply to 182-2, Dawn Prestidge (97no) and Raffaella Rodighiero (52no) making hay.