Losing their third game in a run of five, reigning champions Chester Boughton Hall continue to forfeit ground in the Vivio Cheshire ECB Premier League and have dropped to fourth place - 45 points behind runaway leaders Hyde - after their latest reverse at Urmston.
Chester bowlers took a mauling from Sumit Panda, 88 not out, Chris Turner, 83 (putting on 166 for the fifth wicket) and Adam Turrell, 47 in a mammoth tally of 254 for five.
Chester’s reply was interrupted by rain, but they had a go with Lancashire’s Jordan Clark (64) and the returning Jim Gillson (45) leading the way.
But with teenage Staffordshire spinner Matthew Parkinson taking 5-55 they were bowled out 33 runs short at 221 with eight balls remaining. Urmston have now won three of their last four games after a bad start.
There’s no shaking the consistency of Hyde as they continue to rack up the victories, their latest being by five wickets at Nantwich chasing a modest 153 by the Dabbers, Chris Tipping and Matthew Hanna doing the damage with 3-23 and 3-56 respectively. Skipper Danny Berry was not out on 72 when Hyde passed the finishing post at 154 for five.
Plaudits to Marple whose upsurge sees them take second place following a seven wickets demolition of Neston at Bowden Lane. Neston, whose batsmen cannot get going this season, slumped to 24 for six after opting to bat first before Luke Camden, 37 and James Hawley, 23, raised the final tally to a modest 91.
They had no answer to the wiles of veteran Andy Greasley, who took 4-22 off 16 accurate overs. Marple stuttered to 44 for three, but won without further loss, with Paul Wood, 27 and skipper Mark Bennett, 22, both not out.
Grappenhall upped to third place thanks to a three wickets win at Alderley Edge where rain hung about most of the afternoon. Alan Day top-scored with 69 in Alderley’s all out 175, John McClelland 3-35.
Grappers made short work of that with a response of 176 for seven in 35 overs, thanks to an unbeaten 64 from skipper Richard Green, and 45 from McClelland. Andy Windle took 4-54 for the losers.
If Neston are having their troubles, what about their Wirral neighbours Oxton who have to look back to August 31, 2013 for their last victory. They mustered only four batting points from a nine wickets home defeat at the hands of Bramhall after totalling a modest 169, Marc Debrabender 55, Simon Wilkinson 4-47, Vishal Tripathi 3-29.
Tripathi turned in a fine performance with the bat after tea, his 83 in an unbroken second wicket partnership worth 165 with Matt Begbie, 81, helping Bramhall respond with 172 for one in just 34 overs.
The only batsman to score over 30 in the Toft v Bowdon game was England Under 19s all rounder Rob Jones, whose fine unbeaten 74 clinched a five wickets win for Toft.
Visitors Bowdon suffered more batting misery with a below par tally of 115, Mark Phelan 30, Jimmy Lomas 3-6, debutant Jack Goode 3-9.
There was a strange incident in this game when police entered the Toft ground and ordered play to be stopped until the driver was found of a car which had parked on the main road verge. It turned out to belong to one of the umpires!