CREWE continued their rich vein of form with an impressive eight-wicket win at second-placed Leycett on Saturday.
Nick Lange continued his hot streak with a scintillating 85 and a good all-round bowling performance. The win was spearheaded by skipper Matt Dawson who took 5 for 26.
Naveed Ashraf (2-48) made the first breakthrough, bowling Leicestershire Academy prospect Dan Redfern for 16. Lange (1-30) then dismissed Redfern's brother Tom to leave Leycett struggling on 22 for 2.
Williams and pro Sumitt Panda took the score to 53 before 16-year-old debutant Danny Colclough was brought on.
And the youngster made a dream start by bowling both in a highly promising spell of 2-27.
Dawson, with the aid of some fine catches by Ashraf and stand-in keeper Joe Boyle, reduced Leycett to 149 all out with a fine spell of bowling.
Lange and Mark Spencer put on 53 for the first wicket before Spencer was adjudged lbw. The recalled Neil Hurst then helped Lange put on a further 55 with Lange playing some fine shots while Hurst was content to play the anchor role.
Lange was finally caught in the deep for 85 which brought Ashraf to the crease and he cracked a rapid 35 not out to compliment Hurst's valuable 19 not out to clinch victory.
Crewe took home 20 points to put them in eighth position and they take their good form into a home game with Stafford this Saturday.
Elsewhere, Betley suffered a 17-run defeat at the hands of Kidsgrove. Batting first, Kidsgrove scored 132ao to Betley's 115ao. A Zaid was Betley's top performer with 46 runs.
Elworth lost by four wickets to Norton after earlier declaring on 176-5. Murray Ranger (57) and Dave Palin (36) had got them off to a good start. But, batting second, Norton fought back to claim victory with 177-6.
In Division Two, Weston (203-7) went down by 10 wickets against Oulton (205-4) after Saad Wasim and Adie Evans had chalked up 93 runs between them. Oulton's J Collett spearheaded them to victory with an unbeaten 85.
Also in Division Two, Haslington were given a hiding by Ashcombe Park. Ashcombe notched 249-6 with D Beswick and D Prof-fit scoring 130 between them.
Haslington could only manage a meagre 165 in reply and now lie in seventh place in the table.
