VICTORY at Kingsley on Saturday ensured Cheshire Cricket Alliance leaders Castrol completed the first half of the season un-beaten.

Stand-in captain Mike Garvey said: 'We didn't play our best today but again we have come away with a win. We have won some high-pressure games recently chasing well.'

On a damp looking wicket, Garvey lost the toss and was asked to field first.

Walters (4-41) took his first wicket early on, having Leneghan (6) caught by S Flanagan.

Elliott went on to make 30 before Walters sucked him in with a slower ball, a good catch being taken by King.

Skipper Ollier hung around to make 29 before being caught well on the boundary by Ball off M Flanagan (1-28). At the other end, Garvey (2-50) trapped Butcher lbw on 18 and the Kingsley innings collapsed.

Walters then returned to mop up the tail as Kingsley finished on 175-9 off their 48 overs.

In reply, Steve Flanagan went first, bowled by Burden on seven but Martin Flanagan and King moved the score on to 46 before the former was caught at square leg off the tricky M Ollier. Garvey fell on 26, caught at mid-wicket, while Green made just one before being caught at mid-off. Garratt looked a little out of sorts making 15 with only one boundary, before being bowled.

King made 46 before getting caught off the bowling of Alderman (3-33), but Hutchinson (0) was bowled by Burden (3-44).

With Castrol on 159, Walters and Taliana (19) were involved in a terrible mix-up, leaving both players in the middle of the wicket and Taliana ran out.

Needing six runs off the last over, Walters (12no) cracked a four off the third ball and then a single off the next to give Ball (11no) the strike with one run needed, two balls remaining.

He made it look easy and knocked a single off the very next ball to give Castrol the victory, finishing on 176-8.

Kingsley took 14 points and Castrol 20. Castrol travel to Chester CO on both Saturday and Sunday for a crucial league match followed by the league cup semi-final clash between the two sides. Castrol seconds secured a double victory at the weekend, defeating Kingsley in the league on Saturday and reaching the cup quarter-finals by beating Heaton Mersey Village on Sunday.

Kingsley seconds were bowled out for 118 with spinner Steve Aldcroft taking 4-12, Tidman 3-27, Piercy (1-17), Hodgson (1-9) and Morrisey (1-19).

In reply, Castrol finished on 122-5 with Tidman making 36.

On Sunday, Castrol seconds posted 162-6 with Jones hitting 38 and Tidman 33no, before the Oilmen dismissed Heaton Mersey Village for 133 with Piercy (3-18), Morrisey (3-29) and Aldcroft (2-27). Ellesmere Port suffered defeat at Stretton on Saturday after being bowled out for 98 in 41 overs. Rick Parkin made 27 while Dom Green and John Cheesbrough both hit 23.

The visitors knocked off their victory target in just 18 overs, finishing on 99-2 with Sayers 2-29 for Port.

Stretton took 20 points, Ellesmere Port three.