ALDERLEY Edge sprang a surprise at Filkins Lane, condemning Chester Boughton Hall to their second County League defeat of the season.

The two sides spent the 2011 campaign at opposite ends of the Premier Division table – Boughton Hall fighting for the title while Edge finished one place above the relegation zone – but the underdogs won by a surprisingly wide margin on Saturday.

Chester, who have now won two and lost two of their opening four league games, lost Mike Robinson early but new signings Lee Dixon and Mark Rowland knuckled down and bought up their 50 partnership, before Rowland (17) was caught off the bowling of Jason Whittaker.

Aussie pro Kumar Sarna came to the wicket and set about building another good partnership with Dixon who was next out for a positive 47, leaving Chester at a promising 93-3.

Sarna (56) then went about batting with class and good stroke play before two run outs saw himself and Olly Thompson back in the pavilion.

Steve Ogilby (25) and Matt Griffiths (30) then notched up Chester’s second useful 50 partnership, before a batting collapse left the hosts all out for 216 .

When Edge began their reply soon after tea, Alex Kegg (3-60) made a big breakthrough, trapping the experienced Mark Currie LBW.

Kegg removed two other Alderley Edge batsmen soon after and the game was on a knife-edge with the score 81-3. But then a match-winning stand between Alan Day (99no) and wicket-keeper Adam Worrall (78no) carried the away side to 217-3.

In Division One, CHRISTLETON had the better of a drawn game against Heaton Mersey at Little Heath where the return of Indian all-rounder Varon Sood had a calming affect.

He took 3-39 to help restrict Mersey to 140-8 (Rashid Amin 59) after his own side’s batsmen had put together an improved 189-7, opener Iroshan de Silva top-scoring with 87. Matthew Astbury (33) and Ben Paterson (25) made useful contributions.

A superb century from Ric Moore was not enough for OULTON PARK as they lost by eight wickets at home to Sale.

Moore (104no) was the rock of the Park innings as wickets fell at regular intervals, the hosts finishing their innings on 146-7 after 50 overs.

In reply, Sale (150-2) did little wrong as they passed the total in only 33 overs. Guy Emmett (1-36) was the only Park bowler to take a wicket having Calvin Flowers (7) caught at gully.

The other wicket was a run-out.