CHESTER Boughton Hall have set their sights on fourth place in the Premier Division after coming within six runs of victory against table-topping Alderley Edge on Saturday.
Hall travel to Toft tomorrow knowing that if results go their way then they could leapfrog into fourth, even closing the gap considerably on third-placed Hyde.
Captain Steve Ogilby said: “Fourth is definitely our target for this season, the point at which we can say it has been a good year. But if we get ourselves in contention for third, that would be excellent.”
Ogilby’s men showed against Alderley Edge that they have the grit as well as the ability to launch a bid for the top three.
Warren Goodwin embodied the spirit of the team, returning early from a broken finger to bowl 12 overs in which he took 2-39 before scoring a spirited 26 with that bat.
Alex Kegg (3-41) and Darron Cruickshank (2-64) inflicted some pain as Edge declared on 175-8.
Boughton Hall, having lost their first two wickets for no runs, needed 19 off the final over to win but managed only 12, including an opening six for the over from Goodwin, as they finished on 169-5 (Jim Gillson 57, Ogilby 49).
Ogilby added: “It is good we show we can mix it up with teams who pay a lot of their players.
“We are mainly amateur and we are giving them problems and proving we are not far away from their level.”
Third-placed Hyde strengthened their position with a six-wicket win at Little Budworth over fading champions OULTON PARK, who mustered only 154-9 (Jonny Kettle 74). Hyde replied with 157-4 to win.
This was the second league defeat in four games for Nathan Dumelow’s team. Within that time, Park have also been knocked out of the Cheshire Cup.
NESTON came out on top of an exciting game against bottom club Heaton Mersey at Parkgate after recovering from 42-5 to reach 163ao (Chris Finegan 44, Chris Hackett 32).
Heaton Mersey needed eight off the final over with their last pair together at 156-9, only for Aussie all-rounder McDonald (56) to get caught on the boundary by compatriot Jack Smith (Finegan 5-52).
