Cheshire Cup

CHESTER BOUGHTON HALL are through to their fifth Cheshire Cup final in six years after beating New Brighton in front of a big Filkins Lane crowd on Sunday.

After Chester scored 177 the New Brighton reply sat at 77-6 from 23 overs when rain brought an end to the last-four clash.

Having battled on through poor weather, conditions eventually became unplayable and the umpires had no option but to lead the players off the field.

Chester won on a faster run rate and go on to play familiar foes NESTON in the final next month.

Lee Dixon (37), Alex Money (32) and Jack Williams (32) top scored with the bat for Hall with Warren Goodwin (2-15) the pick of their bowlers.

Neston booked their place in the final with a four-wicket win at Vivio Cheshire County League rivals Timperley.

Hall captain Lee Dixon is aiming to bounce back this weekend
Chester Boughton Hall's Lee Dixon

Chris Hackett (37) and skipper Simon Stokes (35) saw the Parkgate outfit to 153-6 after Ash Davis (5-28), Matt Stewart (2-27) and David Hurst (1-27) restricted Timperley to 150-8.

The final will be held at Neston’s home on Sunday, September 3 after they won the coin toss.

The previous day Chester’s table-topping Premier League clash at Alderley Edge was rained off.

Nantwich took full advantage, winning at home to Toft to move above defending champions Alderley into second and within 12 points of Hall.

Neston’s encounter at Didsbury also fell victim to the weather.

This Saturday, Chester host basement boys Bowdon, while sixth-placed Neston entertain ninth-placed Bramhall.

Cheshire County League

ALVANLEY were denied the chance to take over pole position in Vivio Cheshire County League Division Two on Saturday by neighbours TATTENHALL.

But, with the table-topping clash between Romiley and Barrow rained off, the 13 points Alvanley accrued for the winning draw was enough to move level with second spot and within eight points of the top.

After the hosts lost the toss Tattenhall skipper Stuart Sadler took the correct decision to bowl first on a very flat pitch.

The slow outfield suggested a score of 170 would be around par and, after Mike Rowlands (27) and Ste Charles (13) shared 35 for the first wicket, Alvanley looked on course to achieve that.

But Charles’ dismissal to the persistent Alan Brock (3-42) gave Tattenhall’s under-strength attack confidence and, with Sadler (2-71) also getting in on the act, the promotion pushers were wobbling at 46-4.

However, an excellent 70-run stand between young Ben Aveyard (33) and Chris Jones (36) lifted the score to 124-6 with 12 overs to play.

Alvanley bat deep and a big-hitting, unbroken partnership from Andy Bennion (40no from 50 balls) and captain Chris Charles (44no from 47 balls), worth 81 runs, enabled them to post a healthy 207-6.

Tattenhall began cautiously but, after Sadler hit 28, they were in a good position to challenge at 84-3.

Andy Bennion hit 40no from 50 balls for Alvanley on Saturday

However, after Glenn Coppack (20) was trapped LBW, somewhat controversially, by the excellent Lee Ainsworth (2-17), the focus of the chase changed.

From then on Tattenhall looked to shut up shop and, with Rob Okell (27no) digging in, supported by Martin Sharp (9no), they held out at 143-6.

CHRISTLETON’S trip to Mobberley was cancelled because of a waterlogged pitch.

This Saturday, eighth-placed Christleton host fourth-placed Stockport, third-bottom Tattenhall entertain leaders Romiley, third-placed Alvanley travel to second-bottom Bredbury St Mark’s, and second-placed Barrow welcome basement boys Cheadle Hulme to Station Lane.

OULTON PARK, meanwhile, face another massive match in Division One.

The leaders host second-placed Macclesfield on the back of a tense losing draw at third-placed Widnes.

Widnes, who started the day in second before being leapfrogged by Macc, set 177-6 from their 37 overs.

Matt Parkinson took 3-53 for Park, who then went tantalisingly close on 174-7 before they ran out of time.

Fresh from his century for Cheshire, Danny Leech cracked 63, while there was also a half-century for skipper Pat Roberts (50).

Cheshire League

SAUGHALL drew a thrilling UKFast Cheshire League Division Five encounter at home to MALPAS.

James Huxley (11) was an early casualty for Saughall, gloving through to the keeper, but Martin Huxley (54) and Ben Salisbury (18) counter-attacked impressively to take the score up to 73-1.

Both players were then caught off the bowling of S Warrington (2-30) and, with Chris Andrews (9) following soon after, the hosts dipped to 95-4.

But an elegant 77-run stand between Nick Ballard (31no) and Tony Roberts (37no) lifted Saughall to 172-4 before declaring.

Sanil Bharti then took a sharp one-handed catch at slip and the dangerous Keith Rickett (11) pulled straight to square leg to reduce Malpas to 23-2.

Dave Hunt (45) used his experience to repel Saughall before he popped one up to cover as the sun belatedly shone over proceedings.

Saughall batsman Ben Salisbury couldn't prevent his side slipping to another defeat
Saughall batsman Ben Salisbury

With Nathan Ackerley (25) looking solid as the overs ticked by, the draw seemed odds-on.

But when Tony Roberts (4-41) bowled Ackerley in the 38th over, Saughall sniffed an opportunity.

Lawrence Gotts (3-28) found an edge in the penultimate over and, when spinner Andrews (2-43) struck in the final over, the score was 156-9.

Saughall had three balls to find the final wicket. However, R Young (20no) successfully blocked out.

FRODSHAM are now 40 points clear at the top after they cruised to an eight-wicket win at Hartford.

Gregory Pidgeon (3-22), Nick Brimble (2-5), E Wright (2-15) and T Haliwell (2-26) skittled Hartford for 101 before Sam Johnston (32no), Brimble (32), Matt Williamson (24) and skipper Tom Wilkinson (13no) saw Frodsham to 103-2.

Cheshire League

CHESTER COUNTY OFFICERS boosted their outside promotion hopes with a 101-run win at home to Wirral on a day when all the games involving the teams above them in the UKFast Cheshire League Division Three table fell victim to the weather.

CCO were restricted 162-9 despite good knocks from Martin Flanagan (39) and Paul Hickey (33).

But, with Buhr Advirkar (4-26), Steve Johnson (3-8) and Bradley Rudd (3-25) in fine form with the ball, that proved too big a total for Wirral, who were bowled out for just 61.

In-form WESTMINSTER PARK moved up to second in Division Four after a 99-run triumph at Winsford.

Park, who are now unbeaten in 10 matches, posted 145 (Vaishak S 30, Sayad Ahmed 28) and then ripped through Winsford for 46 (Saad Q 3-2, Sai Bharath Kumar Reddy Vanteddu 3-5, Vaishak 3-24).

Kingsley's Adrian Burden was in the wickets

Division Two leaders KINGSLEY had to settle for a thrilling draw at home to Winnington Park.

Opener Ben Stoddart flayed 77 as Kingsley set 153, a target Winnington went close to chasing down as they finished on 148-7. The league’s leading wicket-taker Adrian Burden (3-43) added to his haul.

BUNBURY recorded their second draw of the season, this time at home to Ashley.

Vinny Chorlton (51no), captain N Ball (51) and S Lamb (44) scored well as the basement boys put on 204-8.

But Bunbury’s hopes of a first victory of the season were dashed by Ashley, who clung on at 87-9 in spite of James Ackerman (4-18).

Cheshire Women's League

CHESTER BOUGHTON HALL hosted the triple-header Cheshire Women’s League Finals Day - and took home the trophies in both of the showpieces they were contesting.

Many of the Chester players produced fine performances but the star of the show was acting captain Kate Coppack.

She reached the retirement score in both deciders and took a combined 5-15 in the eight overs she bowled during the day.

In the Senior Knockout Cup final Chester Boughton Hall Deemons beat Didsbury Swordettes by 33 runs.

Didsbury 2nds had earlier overcame Stockport Georgians to claim the Development Knockout Cup crown.

But the Swordettes were unable to make it a club double as the Deemons produced an impressive display to win the Knockout for the seventh time in the 11 years the competition has been played.

While Coppack was the only Chester player to reach the retirement score (25), all of their top six scored rapidly, most notably Nadia Wheeler (21), and the run rate only dropped in the final overs.

Cullimore Dutton Solicitors has agreed a two-year sponsorship deal to support women's and girls cricket development at Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club

Dawn Prestidge (3-15) snaffled three early wickets in the reply as Didsbury attempted to chase down 101-8.

And, with Coppack taking four wickets for just seven runs, it was a target that eluded them.

The Deemons then recorded a 16-run success over Southport Trinity Fire in the Twenty20 Divisional Competition final that rounded off the day’s action.

Prestidge (26 retired) and Ali Cutler (26no) kept the run rate around six per over in the initial stages of the first innings before wickets began to fall regularly.

However, Coppack blasted 26 in just 14 balls to haul Chester up to 107-7.

Fire ensured it was a competitive contest, especially given they scored 38 runs between the seventh and 11th overs of their reply.

However, the Deemons attack proved just too strong, with Nadia Wheeler (4-18), Prestidge (2-19), the excellent Coppack (1-8) and Cutler (1-24) restricting Stockport to 91-9.

It was Chester’s fifth Twenty20 Divisional title.