Cheshire County League
Chester Boughton Hall are second at the halfway point of the Vivio Cheshire County League season after they stretched their winning Premier League run to three matches.
Hall cruised to a nine-wicket success at surprise strugglers Hyde on Saturday on what proved to be a perfect birthday for Alex Kegg.
The in-form Kegg (4-36), who was celebrating turning 50, and Will Owen (5-30) rattled through Hyde for just 70.
Warren Goodwin, having earlier contributed a fine run-out, then hit 44no to fire Chester to 74-1 in less than 10 overs.
NESTON were unable to do their neighbours a favour as they went down by 10 wickets at home to leaders Alderley Edge.
The defending champions cruised to 127-0 after skittling Simon Stokes’ side for 123.
David Hurst (36), Dom Smith (25) and skipper Stokes (25) were the only players to hit double figures for sixth-placed Neston, who welcome Hall to Parkgate this Saturday.
Chester will be without wicketkeeper Tom Wyatt, who has been ruled out for an undetermined amount of time after dislocating his knee playing for the Cornerhouse midweek team.
Wyatt, who has taken 20 dismissals in all competitions this season, was taken by ambulance to hospital and had his knee re-set under general anaesthetic.
Hall captain Ross Dixon: “It’s a huge blow for ‘Buster’, the whole team and club are wishing him well and a speedy recovery.
“He still has a massive role to play off the field over the next couple of weeks. Hopefully we will see him behind the stumps again this season.”
OULTON PARK had their Division One lead cropped from 22 to 12 points on Saturday after their six-match winning run was ended by promotion rivals Davenham.
Park, for whom it was only a second defeat of the campaign, were stopped 14 runs short on 134 (Elliott Ashwell 43no) in reply to 148 (Muhammad Kashif 4-19).
The table-toppers will look to return to winning ways at home to Urmston this Saturday.
Cheshire County League
A winning run that now stands at five matches means BARROW lead Cheshire County League Division Two by 41 points at the halfway stage.
Their latest success came at home to Northwich, who could not stop the table-toppers from reaching 192-5 in reply to 191-8.
Andy Metcalf (47no) and Iroshan De Silva (5-62) starred for Barrow. However, there were also telling contributions from David McClements (41), captain Alex Reid (36) and N Munford (2-46).
ALVANLEY are 11 points behind the promotion places in fifth after they won a tense, low-scoring encounter at Cheadle Hulme.
A dry, uneven surface encouraged Chris Charles to bowl first and the Alvanley skipper’s decision was vindicated as Cheadle Hulme slumped from 30-1 to 35-4 and eventually 98 all out.
Lee Ainsworth became unplayable as the innings wore on and his supreme spell resulted in five wickets for the loss of just 12 runs.
Man-of-the-match Ainsworth (27no) and Andy Bennion (20no) then showed their mettle to share a ninth-wicket stand of 56 to haul Alvanley up from 43-8 to 99-8 with two wickets and 35 overs to spare.
CHRISTLETON earned a winning draw at home to Lindow.
With captain Josh Morgan Jones (59) leading the way, the Swans set 147-9.
Zaighum Abbas (3-33) and Joshua Joseph (3-48) then took three wickets apiece to reduce the high-flying visitors to 94-9.
But Lindow’s last pair held on and took the score up to 132-9.
TATTENHALL remain in the bottom two after suffering an 89-run defeat at home to Stockport.
Only Max Harper (25) managed to score more than 20 runs as the Flacca outfit were dismissed for 113 after being set a best-of-the-day 202 (Melvin Dobson 5-62).
This Saturday, Tattenhall host Northwich, Christleton head to Alvanley, and Barrow entertain Bredbury St Marks.
Cheshire League
Saughall bounced back to winning ways in UKFast Cheshire League Division Five with a resounding 161-run victory at home to Kerridge.
The visitors’ opening bowlers exploited the seam-friendly surface brilliantly, reducing the hosts to 37-4 with Chris Andrews (21) the only batsman to threaten to break the shackles.
But not for the first time this season, Saughall profited after change bowlers were called into the attack.
Run-machine Adam Griffiths was once again the backbone of the innings, scoring 86no, while Shaun Watts notched a superb 56no as the pair added an unbeaten 152 fifth-wicket partnership.
Saughall finished on 189-4, a good total on a pitch that offered plenty of nip, and one that a Kerridge side that had plundered 297 runs the week before got nowhere near.
Skipper Alen Roberts (5-12) and Chris Andrews (4-15), aided by a well-judged and superb catches from Tate Beaumont and Griffiths respectively, shared nine wickets as the Macclesfield outfit were bowled out for just 28 within 17 overs.
The win move third-placed Saughall level on points with second-placed FRODSHAM.
Matt Williamson (103no) blasted a century and Nick Brimble (47) was also in good touch in Frodsham’s 152-run success at basement boys Rostherne, who were all out for 44 (Gregory Pidgeon 4-44, Richard Warburton 3-3) in reply to 196-3.
There was also an unbeaten ton for fellow opener Mike Parry (117no) in MALPAS’ draw at home to Hartford.
With Danny Lloyd (61), Keith Rickett (45) and Dave Hunt (45) also letting loose, Malpas would have been extremely confident after posting a huge 289-4dec.
But their fellow strugglers managed to hang on at 139-7 despite three wickets for Adrian Waddelove (3-34).
Cheshire League
Unbeaten KINGSLEY are 31 points clear at the top at the halfway stage of the UKFast Cheshire League Division Two season after their narrow success at home to Chelford ensured they have beaten every side in the first half of the campaign.
The runaway leaders recovered from being bowled out for 100 (Edward Leneghan 23) by stopping Chelford five runs short on 95 thanks to man-of-the-match Hayden Lanza (5-60), who earlier hit 22 with the bat, and Adrian Burden (4-11).
M Howard (4-26) and Adrian Stubbs (27) led the way with ball and bat as OAKMERE (66-3) made it three wins on the spin after recording a seven-wicket success at home to Stockport Trinity (63).
BUNBURY (120) were beaten by five wickets at Prestbury (121-5) despite good performances from N Ball (37) and Liam McMahon (2-29).
CHESTER COUNTY OFFICERS kept their Division Three promotion prospects alive with a two-wicket triumph at Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge.
Martin Flanagan (4-23), Steve Johnson (3-41) and Bradley Rudd (2-14) snaffled the hosts up for 101 before Alex Whittle (35no) guided CCO to 102-8.
Chairman Richard Cooke (5-22) and his son Frazer Cooke (26) combined as CHOLMONDELEY (134) made it three triumphs on the trot with a 74-run success at home to Wistaston Village (60).
Cheshire CCC
Cheshire suffered an eight-wicket defeat to Devon in their Unicorns Championship clash at Sidmouth.
Lee Dixon’s outplayed side saw the game slip away from them on the second day as Devon comfortably amassed a 107-run first innings lead.
And although Cheshire had hopes of an unlikely turnaround on the final morning with Wayne White digging deep, the hosts got home comfortably.
The visitors batted first in the seaside sunshine and set 251 thanks to Alderley Edge’s Calum Rowe (75), Neston’s Will Evans (47) and Leek’s White (38).
Devon replied with 385-7, with Chester Boughton Hall’s Jack Williams taking 3-104, and then had their opponents in all sorts of trouble with the bat.
But an outstanding knock of 88 from White, who spent four hours at the crease, lifted Cheshire to 184 and a 77-run lead.
However, that total proved no problem for Devon, who reached 78-2 inside 18 overs.
Cheshire captain Dixon, of Chester Boughton Hall, said: “Wayne was impressive throughout for us but obviously we’re really disappointed after such a good win last time out. We’ll now dust ourselves down, regroup and look forward to Wales in a couple of weeks.”
