VICTORY on the ground of bottom team Bramhall tomorrow will earn Bowdon their third ECB Premier League title in four years.
After beating second-placed Nantwich by 69 runs at South Downs Road to register their 12th win of what is becoming a triumphant season, Bowdon need only 17 points to retain the championship.
They didn't have it all their own way against Nantwich and had Lancashire's Gary Yates not been dropped at slip in single figures and Jon Gray in the outfield on 10, they might not have attained their respectable declared total of 210-5. Yates went on to score 52 and Gray 47.
Nantwich started well and were 73-1 when spinners Yates and Dominic Ball were introduced. They turned the game, and apart from David Celep's 42, they struggled to reach 141, Ball returning 6-56 and Yates 3-11 off 15 tight overs.
Nantwich remain second, 59 points behind Bowdon, and Chester Boughton Hall stay in third place despite a third successive defeat.
Current form held sway when improving Oxton beat fading Neston in the Wirral derby by 59 runs at Parkgate, and only 14 points now separates the two clubs.
Teenager Simon Stokes (102) scored a maiden league century for Oxton in their 199-5, after which Neston were dismissed for 140 (Gareth Peers 33), Aussie leg-spinner Rod Stafford taking an impressive 5-57.
With Urmston showing further signs of fighting off the spectre of relegation, it was as well struggling Didsbury registered their first win since June 21 at home to Hyde in a match reduced to 106 overs by midday rain. Didsbury posted 171 (Jhangir Abbas 54, Mark Slater 40, Rudra Singh 4-58) after which the normally powerful Hyde batting collapsed to an all-out 104, Mike Jenkinson returning 5-47.
Alderley Edge won their mid-table battle against Macclesfield by three wickets, replying with 164-7 (Mark Currie 57) to their visitors' 161 (Mike Allen 44, Mark Warnes 4-32, Steve O'Shaughnessey 3-34).
In Division One, Poynton and Widnes both won and have all but clinched promotion. Poynton posted 236-6 against Winnington Park (Derwin Thompson 63, David Watkins 57, Damien Stringer 51, Stuart Hayes 3-81), after which Park were bowled out for a below-par 115 (James Bunby 40, Colin Stuart 5-41, Simon Turner 4-34).
Widnes beat off Toft's late challenge with a seven-wickets win at Beaconsfield Road after restricting their visitors to 180-7 (Manoj Roy 59, Bappa Mukherjee 4-52). Wicketkeeper Ian Spencer blazed away for an unbeaten 85 in Widnes' reply.
Bottom side Heaton Mersey lost at home to Upton by three wickets after managing only 146-8 (Nick Cantello 38). Upton's Lee Dixon topped with 34 for the Wirral men.
Warrington and Grappenhall won to keep alive their joint bids to avoid the drop. In a game reduced by rain to 80 overs, Congleton managed only 86-9 (Neil Thompson 6-46) and Warrington won by six wickets (James Hughes 27).
Grappenhall, meanwhile, chalked up their third win in a row by three wickets at Brooklands after looking to top 182-9 (Rob Edwards 48, Neil Titchard 5-79). Ian Jackson top-scored with 63, but the Broad Lane club's cause has not been helped with two points deducted for slow over rates.
Declining Alsager were bowled for 99 at Cheadle Hulme (Phil Balderston 5-13) and the Grove Parkers won with six wickets left.
In Division Two, Birkenhead Park won by 117 runs at Marple, who are beginning to look doomed to losing their league status after being founder members in 1975. For Park - just a point behind leaders Christleton who drew with Irby - John Costain scored 74 then took 7-21, while Aussie Damon Livermore failed by two runs to register his third successive century. He now has 1,194 runs, the sixth highest tally in league history with three more innings to come.
Birkenhead scored 202-7 and dismissed Marple for 85 (Garry Cash 31).
Mobberley moved alongside Marple into the drop zone when they lost by six wickets at Stockport Georgians after being bowled out for 153 (Nafees Din 80, Karl Martin 4-43). Georgians' pair of Vincents Mark (65) and Steve (34) helped knock them off.
Timperley also produced a timely home win over Bollington, after being set to top 174-6 (A Palazzo 59). With Tom Twinney hitting a fine 85, Timperley made it with six wickets to spare.
Another side needing points, Bredbury St Mark's collected 16 with their 12th draw against Cheadle. They declared at 209-8 (Chris Wood 94, Dave Dooler 4-65) after which Cheadle managed only 154-8 (Glen Wilkinson 72, Graham Barlow 4-34).
* Oulton Park reached the final of the League's Fred Graham Trophy for the first time when they won by seven wickets at neighbours Winnington Park on Sunday.
It was a close-run thing, Oulton only reaching their target in the 45th and last over, thanks to the skill of Danny Leech with 54 not out following an excellent stand with Mike Bentham, who scored 39 following the loss of three early wickets.
Winnington bowled and fielded well to defend a modest 151-5, which was never going to be enough. Their top scorers were James Lewis 33 and Danny's younger brother David Leech, 31.
The second semi-final is between Chester Boughton Hall and Bowdon at Filkins Lane on Sunday (1pm). The final is at Bowdon on Sunday, September 14 (noon).
* Bowdon's South Downs Road ground will also stage the Quinn Thomas Cheshire Cup final on Sunday, September 7 (1pm) when they host Toft, having won a toss of a coin.
