THE much-anticipated match between Oulton Park and champions Bowdon never saw a ball bowled at Little Budworth on Saturday, and WINNINGTON PARK were also washed out at Brooklands.
Worse for Winnington was that Bramhall managed a full game, took 20 points and overtook them. The two meet this weekend.
The 2nds of both clubs saw action, however, and the Rec staged a thriller.
Winnington's 'warthog' system removed water from the wicket though the match was reduced to 76 overs.
Vishnu Bhardwa, aged 16, lifted the tempo with an excellent 55 not out and he was supported by Simon Newell (23). Winnington declared at 149-6, leaving Brooklands 38 overs.
After 30 overs the score was 116-3 and only 34 runs were required off the last eight overs.
Brooklands were 141-7 when the last, tense, over began and it ended with them on 148-7. Will Chambres and Stuart Moniz were backed up by sharp fielding.
Oulton 2nds made 117-9dec (Nick Jones 63), but rain took hold with Bollington 2nds 41-4 (Steve Wright 2-12).
MIDDLEWICH passed what they considered their first real test since returning to the County League.
In a rain-reduced 82-over game, hosts Congleton, who were relegated last year, batted first and immediately encountered another excellent spell of bowling from Stuart Price, although it was skipper Gavin Tomlinson who took the first wicket. Congleton had to regroup at 24-2 after nine overs.
Price bowled a 12-over spell for 2-24 to hold the league's third-placed side in check, but they accelerated on their small ground to finish on 204-6.
In reply, David Bates was inspired for Middlewich, getting the visitors off to the flying start they desperately needed and putting on 50 in just nine overs with David Parry.
Smashing his way to 57 in just 63 balls, Bates hit nine fours before being given out LBW when struck in the stomach sweeping.
But the Middlewich middle order did not rise to the occasion, losing three wickets cheaply. For the third week running, Stephen Parry played a near match-winning performance. The 18-year-old struck the ball cleanly, hitting eight fours, and built an innings that nearly took the newly-promoted Middlewich to an unlikely victory.
He and Broomfield worked the bowling well and got Middlewich in the position of needing 30 from the last three overs.
Broomfield was then run out, meaning that in the gloom and with the field on the boundary, the required 12 off the last over was not on and Middlewich ended on 197-6, Parry undefeated on 71.
WEAVERHAM find themselves at the foot of the first County League table, but both 1sts and 2nds were denied any play at all by the rain.
