Nantwich cut gap on leaders to nine points with three games to go (From Crewe Guardian)

Nantwich cut gap on leaders to nine points with three games to go

7:00am Friday 31st August 2012 in Sport

A comprehensive eight wickets victory over leaders Macclesfield at Whitehouse Lane opens up the possibility of Nantwich completing a hat-trick of ECB Premier League titles.

Macclesfield’s advantage has been cut to nine points over Nantwich whose final three games are against relegation-strugglers Widnes, Urmston and Toft, while the Silkmen have tougher assignments versus Oxton, Chester Boughton Hall and Neston.

Macc were undone by superb swing bowling by Jimmy Warrington, whose personal best 8 for 53 made him the first premiership bowler to 50 wickets.

They were bowled out for 99 in 43 overs. The only player to show enough technical ability to blunt Warrington was, appropriately, the league’s leading batsman Khalid Sawas with a gritty 45.

Louis Bentley, 50, and Jonny Kettle, 39 not out, hurried Nantwich to victory inside 20 covers to complete a 25-0 points victory.

Cheshire Cricket Alliance Division One contenders Wistaston and Sandbach changed places in the league standings after Sandbach made the most of their rivals' loss to Rylands with a 36-run victory in Bowdon Vale.

Sandbach now trail league leaders Trinity by only two points, meaning that the title is likely to go to the wire as all three sides battle it out for the top spot.

Sandbach only scored 105 in Bowdon Vale after the hosts' N Hasan grabbed an incredible 8 for 49, but it was still enough to secure victory as N Ackerman's 5 for 22 was enough to skittle Bowdon out for 69.

But Wistaston's title chances took a dent when they suffered a 21-run defeat to mid-table Rylands.

Wistaston's bowlers were on form, with M Kingdom taking 5 for 56 and K Thornhill 4 for 29 as they reduced Rylands to 138 all out.

But their batsmen could not match their teammates, with R Buck's 6 for 53 helping to remove the Wistaston order for 117.

Haslington cut the gap at the top with a convincing 80-run victory over Frodsham, scoring 121 before dismissing Frodsham for 41 thanks to a lethal spell from Tom Gledhill, 4 for 15.

In Division Two, Audlem drew their match with Knutsford, despite scoring a decent 210 for 5 thanks to a century from R Wilson.

After tea, Knutsford scored 171 for 7 with N Arshad making 50 and J Sheldon 47 as N Humphries took 3 for 55.

Sandbach's seconds beat local rivals Wistaston's seconds by 23 runs in Division Three.

There was also a heavy defeat for Haslington’s seconds, who only reached 50 all out before opponents knocked out the total for the loss of two wickets.