GRAPPENHALL secured their Premier League status for 2018 in comfortable fashion at Timperley on the last day of the season finishing a creditable 8th place in the table.
Grappers needed 6 points to guarantee safety and they knew scoring 190 batting first would do just that with the points scoring system in the league.
Grappers lost a couple of early wickets but James McCoy carried on his excellent form since his return to the team scoring an excellent 88 to push Grappers on to that magic number. Skipper Adam Roylance chipped in with 31 as Grappers had a late innings wobble.
The nerves were settled right at the end of the innings as the team crawled to 190 for the loss of 9 wickets off the last ball of the innings. Tea tasted that much sweeter knowing the pressure was off in the final 55 overs of the season but apart from a rain break mid innings Grappers made short work as they rolled Timperley for 120 with 20 overs to spare.
Matt Titchard did the damage has he picked up 5 wickets and Arran McCabe 3 wickets.
A great end to a good season as Grappers did what they set out to in April and retained their place in the Cheshire County League ECB Premier League at the expense of two much more illustrious sides.
Meanwhile already relegated Warrington went down by one wicket at Widnes.
Warrington put in to bat had Mally Agar (54) seeking a partner until Aaron Soni (23) arrived as they reached 157 all out.
Widnes were made to work for their victory as the seam bowling of Aaron Soni 4-22 and Isaac Webster 4-31 pinned them down as the visitors relied on a fine 75 from Marcus Fourie to see them home.
