AFTER going down in the final over at Prestbury, Alvanley prop up the Meller Braggins Cheshire League Division One table.
Stand-in captain Mark Szymura won the toss and decided to bat on a soft, green track which clearly wasn't going to improve.
Alvanley limped to 20-2 off the first 10 overs but Ian Charles and Andy Senior took the score to 43.
Charles made 41 runs of the 64 on the board in the 22nd over when he fell to a great catch.
Senior and Mark Szymura accelerated against the change bowlers but, at 119 off 31 overs, the opening bowlers returned.
Prestbury's captain Chris Lester picked up three quick wickets - bowling Senior for 53.
He also skittled out Szymura (28) two overs later and had Phil Jones caught for two.
At 152-6 off 39, Nick Hawking and Chris Fletcher took up the challenge. Lester was smashed out of the ground in each of his last three overs, for 38 runs.
This lifted the total to 209 off 45 overs with Hawking's 41no coming off 31 deliveries, and Fletcher made 21 off 15.
Prestbury's opener Constable played outrageous shots to exploit the small ground.
He crashed 60 off 55 balls before being stumped by Fletcher off Hawking. Despite fellow opener Thompson (34) being bowled by the same bowler, the hosts looked good at 112-2 off 22 overs.
Peter Pearce, using accurate away swing, had Julian Cheetham stumped for 37.
James Rowlinson returned to bowl batsmen five and six and Prestbury were worried at 169-5 with six overs left, before winning off the fourth ball of the final over.
