IN A never-to-be-forgotten weekend, OULTON PARK won the ECB Premiership on Saturday and the Cheshire Cup on Sunday.

'It has taken 20 years' hard work for us to be an overnight success,' said chairman Roy Ramsbottom.

'It was a fantastic weekend, very satisfying. There were people hugging each other.

'We knew half-way through our league game against Neston that Bowdon had lost and if we won, we would take the title.

'It was appropriate our captain Stewart Eaton and our longestserving player John Davies were at the crease to make the winning runs.

'There was a big crowd on Sunday and huge excitement and it must be remembered the Bowdon we beat is the side that has dominated cricket in Cheshire in recent years.

'I don't know how we can cap this season, but sometimes holding on to trophies is harder than winning them the first time.

'We have come a long way since our days in the South Cheshire Alliance.'

Only two clubs - Bowdon and Dids-bury - have done the double before, but Oulton won the trophies on successive days.

Neston had made a challenging 239-8 on the Little Budworth track. They had been 22-3 after Danny Jones (3-70) had removed both openers and Eaton (1-24) Lancs allrounder Andy Crooks for two.

They were also 149-7 before escaping a second time.

Aussie Andy Robinson (70) and Steve Selwood (82) put on 107 and Nathan Dumelow (42) took the score on, leaving Eaton and Davies (23no) to put a power finish to the innings, Oulton winning on 242-6.

There was a crowd of 300 to witness the eight-wicket win over Bowdon in the Cheshire Cup final, thus making Oulton the first team in Mid Cheshire to win the competition.

The visitors made 190-9 after being 98-1. Dumelow (1-18), Chris Jones (1-27) and Selwood (4-26) imposed the restrictions.

Oulton made short work of the target. Selwood (97) put on 77 with Leech and 85 with Paul Berry (38no) and it was Berry and Dumelow (28no) who saw the Little Budworth side home at 192-2.

And the 1st XI weren't the only winners at the weekend: Winnington 2nds 191-8 (Steve Yates 4-37) Oulton 2nds 192-2 (Jimmy Guest 57no, Steve Yates 53no, Jonny Kettle 36).

WINNINGTON PARK lost but were full of smiles after putting further distance between them and the second relegation place in Division One.

Current occupiers Upton picked up only four points, Winnington 13, from a game they were unlucky not to win.

They scored 186-9 through the efforts of Michael Caldecott (46), Aidan Baker (39) and Simon Newall (37) and then bowled tightly and fielded energetically. But Dids-bury crept home at 187-9, with Stuart Hayes taking 3-36 and Jamie Cowell and Tom Pilling two wickets apiece.

Skipper Hayes said: 'We still have a lot to fight for.'

MIDDLEWICH scored only their second win of the season in their survival fight in Division Two.

They can still catch second-from-bottom Irby after winning comfortably at Brook-lands, when Jack Shepherd (5-24) and Keith Hallam (3-25) were the match winners.

Middlewich had made 182-7 via Phil Parry (48), Chris Ainley (47) and Stephen Parry (40).