CHESTER County Officers collected their first trophy since 1996 on Sunday when they beat Ellesmere Port neighbours Castrol Tessuti in a thrilling League Cup final encounter at Audlem.
A vibrant atmosphere greeted the start of this game as Chester and Castrol fans settled down for this eagerly-awaited derby match on a postage-stamp ground.
Chester were inserted and openers Tony Collard and Tony Hattersley looked to post their third successive 50 partnership. The Castrol opening bowlers had other ideas and their pace caused problems, before Collard guided a short ball to deep gully for an edgy eight with the score on 19.
John Taliana came in and took the fight to the bowlers, scoring 25 before missing a straight one from Martin Flanagan. Hattersley held the innings together again before falling at 128 for a well crafted 45.
Ian Barlow was going well but he was also out shy of 50, caught off a skier for 46. Mike Caulfield took the score up to 181-6 in the allotted 40 overs with 16 not out.
This score was 20 short of the desired total, but a solid start by the CCO bowlers put the pressure on. Steve Johnson bowled four overs for two runs, while Andy Barlow kept it quiet at the other end.
Castrol had a boost when Flanagan was bowled off a no-ball and brother Steve was dropped off a caught and bowled chance. However, just as Castrol were gaining the ascendancy, both brothers were out, Steve caught by Mike Caulfield at long-on off Andy Barlow, and Martin miscuing to Gilbody at mid-wicket off Mike Clarke. Tony King was out first ball, brilliantly caught behind.
The score was 41-3 at this stage but the next partnership took the score up to 164 and seemed to have clinched the match with 18 needed off five overs and seven wickets in hand.
Amazingly, Mike Garvey, having played so well for 54, lobbed one up to Johnson at long-on off John Gilbody. His replacement, Damien Walters, smacked another big shot but holed out at mid-wicket, caught by Clarke for two.
Johnson returned for a final burst and with 10 needed off two overs, he had Darren Green lbw for a tremendous 70.
Andy Walters lasted two balls before being run out and the match boiled up to the last over, to be bowled by Gilbody, with eight needed.
Two dot balls were followed by a slogged four, but the last three balls eluded the batsman and Castrol finished on 178-7 as Chester snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Skipper Johnson took the plaudits with 1-16 in his eight overs, while Gilbody stayed calm, bowling the last six overs for only 23 runs and two wickets.
Officers can now focus on promotion but their hopes of the title were dented in Saturday's clash with leaders Parkside, when some indisciplined bowling was heavily punished.
Earlier, Officers' openers Collard (28) and Hattersley (38) had added 70 in 20 overs, but the acceleration was missing against crafty spin-bowling by Patterson and McLoughlin.
Ian Barlow (14), Gilbody (21), Johnson (12) and Andy Barlow raised the total to 157-8 , but this did not seem enough.
Johnson (2-45) and Andy Barlow (2-22) gave the Officers a good start but Parkside had wickets in hand. And when they launched their assault, they knocked off 120 in the last 20 overs to take 20 points and increase their lead at the top of the table with a five-wicket victory.
There are five games left and Officers need to concentrate on winning these to stay with the front-running teams. Radbroke Hall are the visitors tomorrow and Chester need 20 points.
A five-wicket haul from Lawrence Gotts almost inspired a vastly depleted SAUGHALL to the most unlikely of fightbacks against table-toppers Kerridge.
After being put in first, Saughall, missing six regulars, struggled with early dismissals against an impressive seam attack. James Huxley was the first to perish, edging a drive through to the keeper for nine, then his brother Martin was adjudged lbw for seven.
Rebuilding was needed but Chris Andrews continued his disappointing form, top-edging a pull straight to the fielder for two, and when Ben Salisbury edged to slip for six, Saughall were on the ropes at 39-4.
Some mid-order resistance came from Mark Tunnicliffe (10), Lawrence Gotts (11) and Mike Andrews (18), but it couldn't help Saughall to more than a disappointing total of 91. Kerridge's bowling attack impressed throughout, but some injudicious shots resulted in a season's worst batting performance.
Saughall needed early breakthroughs in the visitors' reply and they duly arrived with excellent opening spells by the new-ball attack.
Gotts produced a terrific yorker to claim the opening wicket and then a well-disguised slower ball to send the other opener back to the pavilion as Saughall made early inroads.
James Huxley deservedly got his name in the wicket column and when Gotts grabbed three wickets with the score on 44, including a terrific diving catch at point from Brian Rowland, Saughall had the leaders reeling at 44-6.
Gotts ended with the excellent figures of 5-30 while James Huxley (1-47) passed the outside edge on countless occasions, especially off Kenyon (44 not out) who went on to hit some lusty blows as Kerridge reached their modest target without further loss.
