Ma THE Chester gain enough points from abandoned game to clinch League Championship … DAZZLER 149 Ashton-on-Mersey relegated to division two … Trinity win over Oxton is big step towards division two title as Kitzinger takes hat-trick … Leigh march on in division three … MCC at Ashton-on-Mersey this Wednesday … League Dinner tickets now available … Cheshire beaten by Derbyshire and Scotland … Ecclestone ends glittering Cheshire junior career while Mason sets new record CHESHIRE WOMEN’S LEAGUE Division One – August 21: Oakmere 111-8 (40; Kerry Hartnett 50*, Kate Coppack 3-21) (14pts) Chester Boughton Hall 53-2 (15; Lorna Starkey 25, Coppack 21*) (16pts) Chester Boughton Hall are the Cheshire Women’s League champions for the first time since 2013, and here the points they gained from an abandoned match at Oakmere were enough to see them to glory with fully two matches to spare. Captain Lorna Starkey and Kate Coppack have both had a superb season and again featured prominently here. This latest triumph comes just seven days after Chester were crowned Cheshire’s T20 champions. It all marks a significant turnaround from last season, when Chester lost their last four completed matches, and had Astley Bridge not forfeited on the final day, Chester would have been relegated last year and would have been unable to challenge for the big prize this time. This match was just the latest in a long line of fixtures in the damp 2016 season which were started but not finished due to weather, although perhaps surprisingly only one match in the top two divisions has been completely washed out. Ashton -on-Mersey 86 (38.5; Amanda Gettins 40, Anni Rashid 4-9, Nathalie Long 3-11) (5pts) Appleton 87-3 (22.1; Laura Jackson 40*, Emma Barlow 20, Gettins 2-19) (25pts) After struggling for runs all season, another low total and the resulting defeat for Ashton-on-Mersey ensures the Sale- based team are relegated to division two. Division Two – August 21: Oxton 52 (26; Rivca Burns 20, Jennie Kitzinger 5-9 incl. hat-trick, Gaby McKeever 3-15) (3pts) Stockport Trinity 56-4 (13.4; McKeever 31*, Burns 3-5) (25pts) Stockport Trinity took a giant step towards the division two title here. Despite a fine spell of 3-5 in seven overs from Rivca Burns, Trinity chased down their small target and now once again lead the division by 24 points. Although the Stockport-based side face a trip to second placed Wistaston Village on the final day, the title race may all be over by then. Trinity will officially be champions if they win at Didsbury on September 4 and Wistaston fail to beat Ashton-on- Mersey; or else if both teams lose and Trinity gain two more points than their rivals in doing so. In any case, a Trinity win on this day will all but guarantee the title regardless of Wistaston’s result. Division One / Two Cross Divisional Matches – August 21: Didsbury (25pts) w/o Hawarden Park (minus 10pts) Division Three – August 21: Stockport Georgians 115-2 (20; Natalie Bell 35*, Sharon Skade 34*, Louisa Wade 2-18) (25pts) Lymm Oughtrington Park 58-5 (20; Louisa Wade 11, Beth McKenzie 2-10) (4pts) Natalie Bell and Sharon Skade’s partnership took Georgians to an unassailable total and their second win of the year. Bredbury St Mark’s (25pts) w/o Didsbury 2nd XI (minus 10pts) August 28: Bredbury St Mark’s 74-9 (30; Abi Barlow 30, Kasey Bentham 2-8, Jess Hargreaves 2-10, Isabelle Blamires 2-19) (2pts) Leigh 78-0 (16.3; Daisy Mullan 41*, Nicky Deane 22*) (25pts) Leigh eased to victory as 13 year old Daisy Mullan, who already plays men’s second team cricket, had an excellent senior debut for the club. Matches that can still be re-arranged in Division Three. Clubs please advise of any new dates. Match Reason not played on Action if match not re- original date arranged Lymm v Didsbury 2nd XI Unfit ground Record as cancelled, 8pts each Lymm v Bredbury Lymm unable to fulfil Award to Bredbury fixture I have pleasure in unveiling the League XI team to play MCC at Ashton-on-Mersey on Wednesday August 31 at 1100: Laura MacLeod (Wistaston Village, captain), Alison Smith (Wistaston Village), Phoebe Cottam (Oakmere, wk), Natalie Lyons (Oakmere), Mary Priestner (Ashton-on-Mersey), Sammi Short (Chester Boughton Hall), Alexa Harrison (Oxton), Emma Barlow (Appleton), Lauren Smith (Didsbury), Emma Royle (Stockport Trinity), Carys White (Stockport Trinity). Fielding reserves: Becky Baldock (Ashton-on-Mersey) & Hannah Maybury (Ashton-on-Mersey). Scorers: Gill Short & David Kay. Coach: James Hendry. Umpires: Alistair Davies & John Bone. The most illustrious player in the MCC line up this year is England Academy batsman Evelyn Jones, who plays county cricket for Staffordshire and who is appearing in the Super League for Loughborough Lightning. Their team also includes four Cheshire-based players: Jennie Kitzinger (captain), Morganne Prince, Sarah Sutcliffe and Charlotte Williams. The bar will be open all day and look forward to seeing you there. The menu and details for the League Dinner, which this year is at Chester Boughton Hall CC on Saturday September 24, has been emailed to all main club representatives. As always please arrive by 1900 to sit down promptly for dinner at 1930. It's really important that team numbers and menu choices are with Alan Thomas no later than Thursday September 16 AND that you send your payment to Bob Halstead at the same time. Please email the menu choices for your club to Alan at [email protected], with a copy to Di Totty at [email protected]. Again there is a limit on numbers so places will be allocated on a first pay, first served basis, so while there is an official deadline of September 16, the dinner may sell out before this, so please book your place early to avoid disappointment. Any ticket not paid for by September 17 will be offered for re-sale. I am pleased to say that the cost has again been held at £20 per head which includes a three course dinner, presentation and disco, and again this year the League has generously agreed to subsidise tickets and therefore any club that buys six tickets can have up to three more free of charge. As Chester is staging a race meeting that weekend, those wanting accommodation are advised to book it as soon as possible. Now that Finals Day has been completed without the need for a reserve day, clubs are invited to arrange their own friendly tournaments should they wish to play on Sunday September 18. Any Division Three club with fixtures still to re-arrange should note that these matches should take priority over participation in any friendly tournament. CHESHIRE SENIORS Royal London Women’s One Day Championship Division Three – August 28: Derbyshire 273-4 (50; Rachel Hopkins 117*, Lia Kellogg 64*, Emily Marriott 29, Charlotte Horton 23, Sarah Glenn 22, Zehmarad Afzal 2-11) (18pts) Cheshire 73 (34; Charlotte Williams 19, Marriott 3-14, Glenn 3-19, Alice Dyson 2-13) (1pt) A heavy defeat for Cheshire who are now only playing for pride in division three, with the lower divisions of the Championship set to revert to a regional format next year. August 29: Cheshire 141-5 (50; Ellie Mason 62*, Briony Gillin 3-22) (3pts) Scotland 142-3 (36.4; Kirstie Gordon 33*, Kathryn Bryce 30*, Olivia Rae 23, Lauren O’Reilly 3-42) (15pts) Cheshire made a slow start to their innings, and ultimately were not able to post enough runs, despite Lauren O’Reilly causing problems for the Scotland batsmen. Cheshire: Kate Coppack (captain), Charlotte Williams, Ellie Mason, Sammi Short, Lauren O’Reilly, Phoebe Cottam, Kathryn Jackson, Morganne Prince, Zehmarad Afzal, Sami Fowler, Natalie Lyons, Sarah Worsdale, Carys White. Scorer: Katy Thomason-Stewart. CHESHIRE JUNIOR GIRLS’ TEAMS Women’s Under 17 County T20 Group 1 – August 17: Cheshire 132-6 (20; Carys White 35, Morganne Prince 27) Derbyshire 85-6 (20; Ellie Mason 3-9) Cheshire 103-6 (20; Kathryn Jackson 22, Beth Garnett 22) Derbyshire 104-4 (14.3; Sophie Ecclestone 4-9) Cheshire won one and lost one in this double header series. With her various cricket commitments at so many different levels, this was the only occasion during the season when Sophie Ecclestone was able to turn out for the Under 17 girls’ team. The wickets she took in these matches took her past 100 career wickets for the Cheshire senior and junior teams combined and ends her eight year career in the various Cheshire age group sides. Under 17 Taunton Festival – August 21: Cheshire 168-9 (35; Hannah Bratt 57, Ellie Mason 37, Carys White 27) Wales 169-5 (31.5; Sarah Worsdale 2-20, Mason 2-42) A half century from Hannah Bratt – albeit in defeat – was the start of a run filled series of matches on the King’s College pitches. August 22: Cheshire 209-6 (45; Ellie Mason 122*) Cornwall 180-8 (45; Charlotte Cross 5-34) Ellie Mason made her second century of the season for the Under 17s, to go with one for the senior team. This latest innings also means she has five career centuries for the various Cheshire age group sides, passing the previous record of four held by Hannah Gradwell. Mason will also have one more season of Under 17 cricket next year to score even more runs. August 23: Cheshire 176-7 (40; Ellie Mason 72, Carys White 40) Kent 157-9 (40; Emma Royle 3-10, Mason 2-13, Sammi Short 2-13) Emma Royle led an excellent all-round bowling display to pull off perhaps the best win of the season.