GRAPPENHALL earned a comfortable and very welcome victory over Bowdon at Broad Lane to widen the gap between themselves and the Vivio Cheshire County League premier division relegation zone.
Bowdon batted first and posted a challenging total of 236-6. Sam Guest bowled a marathon spell of 17 overs to claim 4-40.
In reply, Grappers lost a couple of early wickets but then Luke McCoy hit a fantastic 93 not out to see the side home with 10 overs to spare. Skipper Adam Royhlance, 41, and Gaz Burns with a powerful 48, gave good support.
Grappenhall 2nd also enjoyed a comfortably win at Bowdon.
The home side batted first and hit 208-6 off 50 overs. Grappers chased down the total in style with Jamie Bye hitting a fine 80 and Ben Bodha, fresh back from university, hitting 60.
Grappenhall 3rd were beaten in the last over in a high scoring game at home to Cheadle.
Batting first, Grappenhall posted 236 in 45 overs, with most batsmen chipping in and James Jenkinson and Richard Holden top scoring with 45 each.
Cheadle reached their target with one over to spare.
Warrington went down by nine wickets at Oxton after being dismissed for a disappointing 135. But it could have been worse – Warrington were at one stage 67-6 and it took some late hitting from Liam Heaphy, 48, with five fours and two sixes – to give the total some respectability.
Aaron Soni, 1-21, took an early wicket but Oxton cruised to victory at 139-1.
Warrington 2nd hammered 245-1 declared at home to Oxton, skipper Simon Swain hitting an unbeaten 127 and Tom Higham 76 not out.
Oxton were 176-6 at the cvlose, Simon Hewitt taking 2-48, Robert Dempster 2-32 and David Lee 2-4.
Wgton 3rd were bowled out for 94 at Oxton and then saw the home side hit off the runs without loss and Warrington 4th also lost by 10 wickets at home to Pott Shrigley.
Lymm Oughtrington Park went down by three wickets to Hale Barns in a Cheshire League first division game at Oughtrington Lane.
Batting first they were struggling at 96-7 until Matthew Bradshaw came in at number nine and hammered an unbeaten 68. Jonathan Fletcher contributed a useful 52 and Lymm were all out for 203.
The visitors reached 204-7, Bradshaw showing some form with the ball also as he took 3-61 and Andy Hossack taking 2-37.
Lymm Oughtrington Park 2nd earned a draw at Hale Barns after the home side, 242-5 declared, had set them a challenging target.
Tom Spaven was the pick of the bowlers with 2-46.
Lymm reploied with 229-6, Richard Hughes 74 and Vish Maharaj 36.
Appleton declared on 162-8 against Langley at Lyons Lane. Sam Cooper top scored with 43. But the visitors made short work of reaching their target, for the loss of only one wicket.
Appleton 4th hung on for a draw after Europa Exiles hit 201-5, batting out the match on 96-8.
Stretton travelled to Cholmondeley and snatched a two wicket victory after dismissing the home side for 146.
But Stretton 2nd went down by three wicketgs to Barrow at home. They batted first and set a reasonable target of 193-8, Richard Taylor 44, Prasant Nanda 58 and Jason Taylor 40. But Barrow replied with 194-7, despite Umer Zeb’s 4-54 and Mick Metcalfe’s 3-15.
Glazebury’s home game was called off after the umpires ruled that the Hurst Lane outfield was unfit for play.
But Glazebury 2nd got the better of a drawn game at Ashley after declaring on 202-4, skipper Wayne Hargreaves retiring on 100 and Jordan Carroll hitting 48.
Ashley wer 140-8 at the close, David Nicholson taking 2-34, Frank Pedigrew 2-29 and Hargreaves rounding off a great deal with 2-20.
