THE Groves endured a nervy day before finally having their Meller Braggins League survival confirmed.
They went into Saturday knowing they were one of five sides who could join Glazebury in being relegated from Division Three.
A heavy home loss to Pott Shrigley then put Groves even more at risk. Then tension set in as the team waited for news of the other day’s results to filter through.
Relegation rivals Wirral and Disley won, but CH Ladybridge and Stretton lost – and it was Stretton who dropped into the Cheshire Alliance.
Relieved Groves skipper Martin Flanagan said: “We’re obviously delighted to survive but we’d rather have made sure ourselves. I didn’t want to go through the hour or so like we had, waiting for news from other games.”
Flanagan won the toss and elected to bat on a good pitch. Mark Evans and Mike Garvey got the home side off to a blistering start, adding 46 for the first wicket in just 12 overs.
But Groves failed to build on their promising start and collapsed from 92-4 to 112 all out (Byron Ward 44no).
Things did not get any better for The Groves with the ball as Pott Shrigley replied with 116-0.
Groves finished the season in ninth place, four points clear of the relegation places.
The final day of the season was more straightforward for Ellesmere Port as they won to secure their place in Division One of the Cheshire Alliance.
They needed nine points to guarantee their survival – but a convincing win at Appleton gave them 25 and a seventh-placed finish.
Batting first, Port were in trouble at 12-2 but Himayun Khan then came to the crease and more than made up for his golden duck the previous week, scoring 103no.
Gareth Boys weighed in with 76 as Port posted 227-8.
In reply, Appleton were all out for 113 (Fahad Khan 2-35, Dwayne Bernard 2-25).
Port skipper Chris Gatrell said: “Himayun applied himself brilliantly to the situation and deserved his 100, supported brilliantly by Gareth who showed his true class with a typically aggressive innings.
“Considering we had more games than anybody in the league called off, finishing seventh is a real credit to the lads.”
