WITH Widnes losing at home to Grappenhall and Winnington Park defeated at Brooklands, Poynton extended their Division One lead to 20 points in the Murray Smith Accountants Cheshire County League, even though they only drew at Cheadle Hulme.
Poynton picked up 15 points in a high-scoring draw after posting 251-4 (Derwin Thompson 101). Cheadle Hulme got to 228-6, Nick Nurrills 73, Matt Beckley 75.
Widnes lost a remarkable game by one wicket off the last ball against bottom team Grappenhall after scoring 185 (Adam Landry 44). All the Widnes batsmen struggled against the spin of Neil Titchard, whose 9-56 return was a divisional and personal best.
With former Lancashire batsman Richard Green scoring 47 on his first appearance after a major back operation, Ian Jackson adding 46 and skipper Will Sharp 35, Grappenhall reached their target with nine wickets down thanks to four byes off the final delivery. Bapa Mukherjee took 6-72.
Winnington Park posted 184-9 (Craig Little 57), but lost by six wickets at Brooklands, for whom former Wythenshawe batsman John Birchall (83) and Mike Cassidy (51) played match-winning innings.
Toft moved level third with Park after beating Warrington by six wickets. Neil Thompson top-scored with 75 in Warrington's all out 171, Toft replying with 175-4, Richard Hardstaff 68, Lewis Nunn 3-40, Manoj Roy 4-28.
Alsager moved into mid-table with a 35-run win at Heaton Mersey who go bottom. Gary Pickford scored 66 and James Warrington took 4-42 for the winners.
Upton collected 13 points from a draw at Congleton after posting 200-6, Chris Camden 72. Congleton hung on at 127-9, Keith Jones 3-33.
Christleton put paid to Bollington's second division title challenge with a 44-run home win over their rivals after scoring 185-8, Lee Crowley 69. Bollington were all out for 141, Raj Sehn 52, John Ashcroft 4-17.
Christleton lead second-placed Birkenhead Park by 26 points after Park only managed 17 points from a draw at Bredbury after amassing 232-6. Damon Livermore cracked 128, to take his tally to 983, while Tom Hunter contributed 55. Bredbury responded with 171-5, Gareth Evans 4-21.
Stockport Georgians moved up to fourth place with a 10-run win at home to Sale which keeps Sale in 11th spot. Ben Pinwill took 7-57 for Georgians.
Irby's batting suffered another failure and Dave Newman's team were again dismissed cheaply - this time for 77 - by Cheadle, who won by seven wickets.
Tattenhall did their survival hopes a power of good with a three wickets win on the ground of bottom club Marple, replying with 179-7 (Tim Salt 74, John Hope 59) to Marple's 178-8, Alan Clark taking 3-3.
Timperley shaded their home draw against Mobberley by 15-9 and there are still only 11 points separating the bottom four clubs, two of whom will be relegated to the Meller Braggins Cheshire League at the season's end.
