LEE Evans’ century for Northwich was a batting highlight over the past seven days for cricketers at clubs in mid Cheshire.

However Mobberley’s lower-order ensured it wasn’t a match-winning one in a Cheshire County League Division Two fixture at Moss Farm.

There was plenty of bowling prowess on show too, including six-wicket hauls for Jonny Wales (Winnington Park) and Geoff Sharp (Hartford) in Cheshire League matches for their respective sides.

Here’s a round-up of the best displays:

Lee Evans (Northwich) (scored 105 against Mobberley)

A maiden century for Northwich formed a significant part of a total that was the Moss Farm outfit’s highest of the campaign to date in a league fixture.

It also came a fortnight after he scored 64 against Tattenhall.

Captain James Plant will be optimistic too he can rely on Evans to score more runs in the weeks ahead as they try to break into the top-half of the table.

Richard Smith (Oulton Park seconds) (took 6-45 against Alderley Edge seconds)

Smith is enjoying a fine season with the Little Budworth outfit’s second team, and his latest haul is a third five-fer of the campaign.

It’s also his second this month after taking 6-40 at Didsbury.

His latest return increases to 34 the number of wickets he has taken in 2018 – more already than in the whole of last year.

It is fitting that his latest was the one that clinched an emphatic 130-run success against Alderley Edge seconds last Saturday.

Phil Parry (Middlewich) (took 5-25 of 14 overs against Irby)

The Middlewich captain has rightly praised his team’s fighting spirit during an improved run of results, and he is leading by example.

Irby were knocked over for 82 thanks to his second five-fer of the campaign, continuing a productive June that has seen him take 15 wickets in four matches.

The men from Haddon Field have risen to sixth in the Cheshire League’s second tier as a result, losing only one of their past seven matches.

Nick Guest (Oakmere) (took 5-29 off 13 overs against Wilmslow)

A heroic effort from Guest , who accounted for almost all of the Wilmslow lower-order, took unbeaten Oakmere to the brink of a ninth successive league win.

He finished with 5-29 off 13 overs, including four maidens, as the defiant visitors to Overdale Lane held on for a draw.

Captain Craig Phelan tried seven different bowlers in a bid to break their resistance and Guest, who claimed four wickets the previous Saturday too, was easily the most productive of them.

Jonny Wales (Winnington Park) (took 6-62 off 14 overs against Woodford)

Winnington are attempting to become less reliant on Wales, at the crease and also when he has the ball in hand, and it is a policy that is having some success.

However he remains one of their most potent players, a fact proven by a six-wicket haul that facilitated a 55-run win away to Woodford last weekend.

They were all out for 143 after being set a target of 199.

Harry Waring (Kingsley seconds) (scored 100 off 86 balls against Rostherne)

Kingsley, top of Division C North, dispatched struggling Rostherne by a huge 205-run margin.

Waring struck 13 fours and two maximums on his way to reaching 100 off 86 balls as the visitors amassed 254-7.

It concluded a seven-day stretch that had started with him making 62 against Europa Exiles – a first half-century of the campaign – in the previous game.

Alex Wilson (Kingsley seconds) (took 5-5 off 9.3 overs against Rostherne)

He ensured that Rostherne’s innings ended early following Waring’s impressive form at the crease, taking five wickets in little more than nine overs.

The hosts had failed to score in six of those.

Like his teammate, a catalyst was perhaps a four-wicket return in the previous fixture a week earlier.

Geoff Sharp (Hartford) (took 6-55 off 13 overs against Mossley seconds)
Sharp had bowled only once previously for the men from Grange Park this season, and without success when three overs cost 34 runs at Holmes Chapel last month.

However Mossley’s seconds were dismissed for 162 in large part because of his return of 6-55 off 13 overs.

It will be interesting to see if captain Matthew Stokes turns to him sooner when they next play.