RAOW'S President's Cup final challenge didn't so much perish as wither as the Halton Bayer League's first knockout trophy went to Stanley Arms.

Anthony Withers scored an unbeaten 37 while brother Peter took 5-10 in five overs as the Stanley convincingly triumphed by 52 runs.

Ex-Rocksavage stalwart Reg Knight's choice as man-of-the-match, however, was their team-mate Darren Tymms, who hit an excellent half century.

Stanley Arms, batting first, started cautiously - only three runs coming off the bat in the first three overs.

Tymms and Peter Sharpe, opening for Stanley Arms, had initially played a waiting game but in the fourth over, they launched their attack.

Sharpe played the anchor role, allowing Tymms the majority of the strike which he exploited with some fine attackings shots.

Sharpe was stumped for 12 with the score on 51 in the eighth over but White helped Tymms to push the score along at a good pace.

With a change of bowlers, RAOW's luck seemed to improve. Ollerenshaw bowled White for 13 with the score on 89 in the 13th over.

Just three more runs had been added when L Gallagher was bowled for two.

Tymms, trying to push the score along, fell on 58 to a fantastic catch from Bebbington on the long-on boundary.

The dismissal came with the score on 95 and Beddingfield, in at six, was adjudged lbw first ball.

Anthony Withers came in to partner brother Peter and soon got into his stride.

Peter Withers, endeavouring to increase the rate, went in similar fashion to Tymms - caught by Bebbington once again on the long-on boundary for five.

Paul Withers fell victim to another tremendous running catch with Cahill taking the ball low on the long-off boundary in the 19th.

Anthony Withers blasted a massive last-over six over the trees at the scoreboard end of Beaconsfield Road, making the end-of-innings score 140-7 to finish on 37no. Ollerenshaw was the pick of the RAOW bowlers, taking 3-23 runs from five overs.

RAOW's start was promising, 21 runs coming off the first three overs, but they lost their first wicket in the fourth with Yates being bowled by Anthony Withers for six. After an enforced bowling change, due to Gallagher being injured, Peter Withers had Williams trapped lbw for 10 with the score on 29.

Ollerenshaw, Hill, Bebbington and Cahill - the latter to a tremendous short-extra-cover catch from Sharpe for eight - were all out relatively cheaply to leave the Runcornians in deep trouble.

Woolley, batting at seven, offered some resistance but soon fell to another tremendous catch from Sharpe for six.

Weston batted most sensibly - waiting for the bad ball and despatching it to all parts in defiance of some tight bowling.

He top scored for RAOW with 22, becoming Peter Withers' fifth wicket from the last ball of the game. Hampson was not out 11 as RAOW were left stranded on 88-8.

A delighted Peter Withers picked up the trophy for Stanley Arms.