A CLASSY century from Maroof Khan saved a youthful Chester Boughton Hall side from a derby defeat on Saturday and left Oulton Park facing an uphill fight to retain their Premier Division crown.
The visitors, featuring five players under 19, were in all sorts of trouble at 122-7 in reply to Park’s 280 total, but Khan kept his cool as all around him lost theirs as he flayed 14 fours and four sixes in a 111 stand that earned his team a losing draw.
The defending champions took 17 points to Hall’s 11 but that was no consolation to inspirational captain Nathan Dumelow, whose men have now gone four games without a win and are currently 68 points behind top spot.
Dumelow did all he could to stop the rot with a blockbusting knock of 94 off just 53 balls that included 10 sixes and five fours.
With the not fully-fit Ric Moore having earlier hit 66, Park, despite the best efforts of Khan (4-50) and new Indian overseas ace Ajit Ranjan (4-95), would have been confident of their first victory since May 1.
And that confidence would have soared once Guy Emmett (2-39), Dumelow (3-47) and Robin Taylor (3-48) got to work, but thanks to star man Khan, Jim Gillson’s boys held out on 198-9.
NESTON moved 34 points clear at the summit by earning a winning draw from their top-of-the-table clash with Alderley Edge.
The third-placed hosts got as far as 225-8 (Chris Finegan 4-87) after captain Jack Smith (94) and Sam MacPherson (82) fired Neston to 253-5dec.
A man-of-the-match display from John Hope could not stop TATTENHALL from crashing to a 56-run defeat at Division Two pacesetters Marple on Saturday.
The opener carried his bat superbly for an unbeaten 100, but apart from number nine Andrew Morris (35), he was given no asistance as Tatts were skittled for 175.
Craig Williamson (4-97), supported by Morris and Melvin Dobson, had earlier battled bravely as Marple declared on 231-6 at the 50-over mark, a total that would have been lower had Brendan Cauchi not escaped two dismissals on his way to 75.
CHRISTLETON slipped to second from bottom in Division One on Saturday as a result of their four-wicket loss at home to in-form Poynton.
Only Iftikhar Naseer (42) really got going with the bat as Paul Allen’s team posted a modest 175 before Poynton made it three triumphs on the trot by reaching 176-6.
