OULTON Park boosted their own hopes of avoiding relegation when they dented the survival chances of a rival last weekend.

A 71-run victory against Marple is the Little Budworth outfit's third from their past four completed matches in the Cheshire County League's top-flight and leaves them 29 points clear of the bottom two.

Captain Martyn East (19) and Matthew Jamieson (25) contributed at the top of the order but the home team were indebted to Tom Hyslop (77 off 72 balls) for his contribution after arriving at the crease with the score on 54-4.

The all-rounder struck nine fours and five maximums to take his side to 153 before he was last man out off the bowling of Paul Wood (4-27).

Liam Brown, with 5-81, was the visitors' best bowler.

Marple folded for 82 in their reply after young Cheshire pace-man Ben Gibbon (4-14) knocked over their tail to return impressive figures from an 11-over spell that included seven maidens.

East (3-27) and an in-form Hyslop (3-16) shared the rest of the wickets to fall.

Davenham, who sit seventh, were denied an opportunity to make up ground in Division One when their meeting with promotion-hopefuls Bramhall at Butcher's Stile fell victim to the wet weather.

Northwich could not follow a first league win of the campaign seven days earlier with another when they suffered a nine-wicket reverse at Hale Barns in a Division Two encounter.

The men from Moss Farm were knocked over for 111 after losing the toss after Joe Cooper (6-42) helped himself to a sixth five-wicket haul of the summer.

Skipper Gladwin Cherian (20) offered most resistance.

That was never likely to be a big enough total to defend and Khurram Hussain (67no) and Mike Hunter (38no) shared in an unbeaten century partnership after Jordan McDonough (1-34) dismissed Cooper early on.

Northwich remain bottom of the table, more than 100 points from safety with five games left.

Results

Vivio Cheshire County League

Saturday, August 10

ECB Premier Division: Chester Boughton Hall 106-4 Timperley 104; Grappenhall 180 Widnes 235-8; Oulton Park 153 Marple 82; Toft 124 Neston 128-5.

Cancelled: Cheadle v Nantwich; Hyde v Alderley Edge.

Division One: Macclesfield 167-7 Oxton 168-5; Romiley 163 Upton 132; Sale 104-9 Didsbury 122-8; Urmston 106-4 Brooklands 107-3.

Cancelled: Bollington v Bowdon; Davenham v Bramhall.

Division Two: Alvanley 144-8 Congleton 145-8; Barrow 174-9 Lindow 172; Christleton 178-8 Warrington 181-9; Hale Barns 113-1 Northwich 111.

Cancelled: Mobberley v Stockport; Stockport Georgians v Tattenhall.