CHESTER Boughton Hall steamrollered Alsager by a massive 248 runs on Sunday to book a place in the third round of the National Knockout.
Skipper Alex Kegg won the toss and chose to bat on an excellent wicket, and Ed Roberts (29) and Warren Goodwin (83) raced past 50 in the ninth over.
Andy Bennion went on to hit 81 and Steve Ogilby 49 as Chester posted a towering 308-6.
Alsager were deflated and this showed as their reply never got going. Dave Atkin's (2-20) thoughtful variations and Kegg's (2-19) wily flight accounted for the top four.
Rob Fisher carried on his brilliant start to the season, grabbing 4-4, and the ever-improving David Shewring looked confident spinning 2-12 as Alsager reply closed on 60.
It was a result Chester needed following a crushing home defeat in the Murray Smith Premier Division by newly-promoted Poynton the previous day.
When the visitors batted, Fisher proved to be unplayable.
Gaining some turn and prodigious swing, his variations in flight proved too much for seven Poynton batsmen, and these for the cost of just 30 runs.
The runs kept leaking at the other end, however, and a competitive 185ao was posted.
This should have been attainable but all the rules on chasing were broken as big shots accounted for most of the Chester players.
Bennion (17) and Fisher (26) were the only double-figure scores except for Jack Yates, who reminded everyone of his talent with an assured 47no.
The total of 121ao was well short of the standards expected and improvement is expected tomorrow at Didsbury.
Chester seconds needed a good performance at Upton to make up for their failings in the field the previous week. They achieved the performance but not the result.
The injury-hit Chester's batting progressed well but not quite quickly enough to 169-6, led by Martin Thomas with 63, and good performances from debutants Dan Rigby (37no) and Mark Jones (33).
Upton immediately lost a wicket but two successive 50 partnerships began to take the game away from Chester and defeat duly arrived in the 40th over.
The third team was decimated by injuries and work or school commitments but were unlucky to be narrowly defeated by only one run at Irby.
Despite a sparkling batting and fielding dis-play, Oulton Park were unable to force a victory against last year's County League runners-up Nantwich.
Liam Buchanan (29) got Park off to a flyer and then followed a second-wicket stand of 74 between Paul Berry (64) and Danny Leech (53).
The third wicket put on 83 with Berry in commanding form and Jason Whittaker (49no) boosting the total to 221-4.
Nantwich were never in the hunt and with the visitors on 125-4, Park thought they could force a victory. But an unbeaten 57 by Paul Hampshire staved off defeat and Park had to settle for a draw with Nantwich closing on 197-7.
Park seconds declared on 229-6 (Steve Yates 61, Simon Torlop 51, Neil Moss 32no) against Irby, who were 89-7 in reply (Steve Wright 3-52).
Park are at home to champions Bowdon tomorrow.
After a 7-27 return on his debut, Australian all-rounder Tom Maher smacked a magnificent 109no to steer Didsbury to a two-wickets win at Neston.
Stan Clifford (62) and Chris Hackett (41) batted well for the Parkgate side in a total of 218-4, but apart from Chris Finnegan (4-84), the Neston attacked lacked bite and Didsbury got home with eight balls remaining.
Neston are at home to Macclesfield tomorrow. Christleton followed last week's home win with another solid Division One victory against Brooklands, who won the toss and made good use of a fine pitch to reach 80-2 from 20 overs.
At this point the wickets began to tumble. Maroof Khan (2-23) and Guy Newell (4-25) applied the brakes to such an extent they helped force a halfway declaration of 167-9, well below par on this pitch.
In response, the home batsmen also found runs hard to come by and were in deep trouble at 55-4. Nick O'Connell was joined at the crease by Gareth Jacobs and the pair set about turning the tide.
O'Connell struck the ball to all parts for an excellent 64 and Jacobs, on his home debut, impressed the pundits with an assured 36no.
Some lusty blows from Alex Barr finished the game as Christleton maintained a 100% winning start to the season for the loss of five wickets.
On Sunday, Christleton sent a team to Chelford in the first round of the Village Knockout and won by six wickets, Alex Barr showing a return to form with a solid innings of 62.
Tomorrow, Christleton have another home game against unbeaten Bramhall, skippered by Cheshire captain Andy Hall.
Christleton seconds had the best of a draw at Mobberley, posting 206-7 (Chris Hollindale 60, Richard Morgan-Jones 56, Norman Goodwin 31, Degsy Rogers 30) before Mobberley survived with 135-6 (Jimmy Dathan 2-19).
Tattenhall celebrated their first win of the season in Division Two in an exciting finish at home to Timperley
After putting the visitors in, there was another excellent early spell from Chris Fowell, who finished with 5-36. Mel Dobson, again bowled tightly - 2-7 from nine overs - and Australian leg-spinner Jim Dawson took his first two wickets for the club.
Only when Timperley's M Leathly was hitting the ball hard for his 35 runs did the visitors look as if a sizeable target was within their reach.
Tattenhall skipper Gary Forster let him off the hook with a dropped catch early in his innings, but when he was out, Timperley capitulated and were all out for 119.
Tattenhall were confident but another batting collapse reduced them to 58-7 against tight, accurate medium-pace bowling, Liddell finishing with 6-36.
Mel Dobson then came to the crease and steadied the ship, putting on 46 runs for the eighth wicket, before playing on.
At the other end was youngster Danny Ahmed, playing with patience and maturity beyond his years, watching wickets falling regularly.
It was then left to wicketkeeper Roy Sand-ford, who had a sterling day behind the stumps, and veteran Nigel Cox to provide the support for Ahmed.
With nine wickets down, the winning runs finally came thanks to Cox's inside edge down to the fine leg boundary. Ahmed finished with 55no, batting for 42 overs.
