A STUBBORN last-wicket stand by Ian Hart and Tom Wilkinson gave Frodsham a well-earned draw with Grange at Latchford, maintaining their unbeaten start in Division Two.
It was an absorbing clash between the two early pacesetters in the division with more than 400 runs scored on the day.
Grange won the toss and took advantage of the warm, dry conditions with McCue and Fletcher ripping into the Frodsham attack of Williamson and Wilkinson, sending various balls fizzing to the boundary across the fast outfield.
The dismissal of Fletcher, bowled by Wilkinson, only served to bring Ian Turner to the crease, and the big former Durham right-hander promptly continued the onslaught of fours and sixes.
The game changed with the introduction of Ian Hart, who had the ball swinging like a sixties disco and arrested the flow of McCue and Turner.
Hart, despite taking no wickets on the day, completely shut up shop at the pavilion end and allowed Ben Large to attack from the other.
The precious wicket of Turner (37) was claimed by Large, caught superbly by Burton at mid-wicket, and was followed in rapid succession by Downes, White, Mason and skipper Mike Antwoon - and Grange were suddenly on the ropes at 144-7.
At this stage, opener McCue (121 not out) regained control for the home side, steering them through calmly to 216-9 declared with brave support from Andy Brogan and Des Salmon.
After tea, Frodsham soon found themselves 27-3 with the early dismissals of London, Sandbach and Abram. Again it was Nick Corless (36) and Large (66) who bravely altered the course of the game and put Frodsham back in with a winning chance with a partnership of 85.
85. Large hit a massive six over the fence and into the park and Gav Houghton (24), nursing a damaged right shoulder from a first-innings fall, showed great courage to move Frodsham nearer to the demanding total set by the home side.
However, Grange responded again with a flurry of wickets and suddenly Frodsham collapsed from 146-5 to 167-9. Frodsham's chance of a win had effectively disappeared and with 10 overs still to face, Grange were fancying themselves for a crucial victory over the league leaders.
Yet Hart (7no) and Wilkinson (25no) had other ideas, combining in an un-broken partnership of 37, to gain a draw and save the match against one of the best sides in the competition.
Frodsham seconds successfully chased 105 against Mossley to record their first win of the season. Andy Graham (48no) and Phil Stubbs (25) were the key run scorers for Frod-sham. nChester County Officers were narrowly beaten at Chelford with two balls left but had the consolation of collecting 14 bonus points.
Skipper Steve Johnson won the toss at last and had no hesitation in batting first. However, ideas of a run-glut were soon dispelled when the opening bowl-ers had the ball swinging and seaming everywhere.
The innings was in ruins at 39-4 after 16 overs, 20 of which were extras as the wicket-keeper struggled to keep up with the ball's late movements.
Gradually, though, the wicket calmed down and Mike Pownall (27), Ian Barlow (23), Mike Clarke (40) and John Coppock (23no) took Officers to maximum batting points with a respectable score of 178-8.
After tea, there was little of the earlier devil in the wicket and the bowlers had to work hard to get life out of the surface. Andy Barlow bowled two batsmen in his opening spell of nine overs for 30 runs, but the Chelford opener Dickenson was batting serenely.
Sambrook launched an amazing assault on the bowling, hitting two balls out of the ground before going lbw to Pownall, not playing a shot.
Then Aussie star Weston was run out by Graham Wilks to leave the Chelford reply at 87- 4 with 17 overs left. It was the next 10 overs that saw Officers lose control of the game. Dingle joined Dick-enson and this pair took the score rapidly to 152 before they were separated, a brilliant run-out by Ian Barlow sending back Dingle for 32.
The next man was then run out by Johnson as the fielders looked to defend every run. When Dickenson became the seventh wicket out, bowled by Pownall for a tremendous 79, the score was 167 with 12 needed.
Phillips was then brilliantly stumped down the leg side by Tony Hattersley with nine runs required and only two overs and two wickets left.
But Chelford had an experienced pair left at the death and a couple of smashed boundaries clinched the match with two balls remaining.
The seconds featured a belligerent 94 from skipper Steve Holland, who enjoyed a century partnership with Alan Roberts (39) in a total of 178-8, in reply to Aston's 224-8.
Chester CO entertain neighbours Ellesmere Port at Upton tomorrow.
Bunbury collected their first win of the season by three wickets at Rad-broke Hall who posted 200-3. Bunbury got home for the loss of seven wickets with Ryder top-scoring with 61.
The outcome of the local derby between Kingsley and Northwich was in the balance until the final ball, with Kingsley snatching a dramatic victory.
Batting first, the visitors were initially pegged down by accurate Kingsley bowling, until Shaw hit them out of trouble with a powerful 47.
Young paceman Andrew Storey (3-16) removed him to shift the advantage back towards Kingsley, until a late-order revival from Evans (26) took North-wich to a respectable 161.
For the second week in a row, veteran opener John Elliott (73no) benefited from his winter weight loss to bat throughout the Kingsley reply.
None of his team-mates were able to stay with him until number 10 Alex Hatt announced his arrival at the crease with a six. With four needed for victory from the last ball, the 17-year-old repeated the shot off the unfortunate Wrench (3-65) to give Kingsley victory by two wickets.
Saughall climbed the third division with an impressive win at Heaton Mersey Village, where a solid opening part-nership and a medley of attacking strokes from their opening duo of twins James (38) and Martin Huxley (30) paved the way for a total of 143-8 (Chris Andrews 29).
Saughall had Heaton in trouble at 34-5 but, after some stubborn resistance, brothers Chris and Mike Andrews both picked up a wicket apiece and when James Huxley (4-21) took the final batsman's leg stump out of the ground, Saughall could celebrate victory and a hard-earned maximum 25 points.
Pete Tunnicliffe was the pick of the bowlers and deserved more than his 2-25 as HMV were dismissed for 90.
