MIDDLEWICH completed a weekend double that brought them one trophy and took them nearer another.

They defended the Quinn Foden Cheshire Shield on Sunday, having beaten Runcorn the previous day to keep Weaverham at bay at the top of Division One.

They hosted Runcorn, who took only 122-8 against left-arm spinner Phil Davies (6-34) and Stuart Price (2-20), whose effect was only from 75-1 onwards.

With regular opener David Bates missing, Nick Lee was promoted to the top of the order and responded in style with 43 runs. Andy Cole joined Dave Parry and saw his side home without further loss. Cole finished on 29 and Parry 51 in the home side's 123.

Davies (3-27), Jon Shepherd (3-18) and Stephen Parry (2-15) destroyed Parkfield on Sunday in the Cheshire Field final, bowling them out for 118 to set up an easy victory. Middlewich scored 119-3.

WEAVERHAM hung on to Middlewich's shirt-tails with a fine victory at DAVENHAM.

The home side were dismissed for 107 (Dave Bryant 30, Ben Gough 28) with Colin Lewis (4-27), Alan Bell (3-26) and Rob McMillan (2-5) the form bowlers.

Ben Wingfield (45no) and Jamie Allen (39) steered Weaverham to 111-3 and they remain 14 points behind Middlewich.

Henryk Kazmierczak, Alan Holcroft and Rob Holcroft all took three wickets but Holmes Chapel 2nds held out at 91-9. Richard Goodier had scored 31, Steve Pinnington and Kevin Douglas 30 in Weaverham 2nds' 181-7.

Knutsford 2nds 97ao (Chris Latham 3-33, John Cwiklinski 6-15 in 16.5 overs) Davenham 2nds 98-4 (Mike Butters 42). OAKMERE's hold on a First Division place is increasingly tenuous. They lost at Hale Barns and are now 40 points behind second-bottom Davenham.

Chasing 176, Oakmere performed creditably through Peter Jones (34), Paul Guilford (24) and Jon Haslam (26), but a big score eluded them and they were all out 146, an lbw off the seventh ball of the penultimate over denying them a draw.

Bowdon Vale 116-7 (Eddie Gibson 3-24) Oakmere 2nds 117-2 (Matty Tait 63, Saeed Kara 41).

WINSFORD's Division Two relegation worries deepened in defeat at Burnage, where they were bowled out for 141, the home side making 145-8.

BARNTON's promotion bid was given a boost with a winning draw at home to Norbury.

More importantly, third-placed Knutsford were beaten.

Barnton scored 178-5, Matt Bebbington anchoring the innings for 63, Nick Yarwood scoring 42 and Mike Cross 24.

When Nick Yarwood took two early wickets, including dangerman Stuart Twibell, Barnton were favourites for a win, but Norbury are fighting for their league survival and Pete Hodge dug in for a marathon innings. Finally, Norbury decided they had to hit out but Barnton kept their heads to pick up a few wickets, Mattie Bebbington taking 2-28 and Nick Yarwood 3-45 as Norbury finished on 154-7 with Hodge on a valiant 71no.

Barnton 2nds' title hopes suffered a disastrous blow - they failed to find enough players for their trip to lowly Lymm.