ONCE again the Ken Matthews trophy resides in its rightful place in the Ditton trophy cabinet!

As in previous seasons, Ditton have proved to be the team to beat and this time they have sewn up the title with two games to spare.

Last year's champions Parklands were batting first and got off to a good start with Price and Aigburth pro Negi making some good scoring strokes.

Disaster struck with the third over with the score on 12 with Price looping the ball towards extra cover and promptly getting caught to a good diving catch by Ditton skipper Rob Morris.

A few balls later, Negi, was run out following a tremendous chase and throw by Rob Magee for nine.

Paul Howard steadied the ship with some good strokes of the ball, hitting it to all parts of the field.

He was ably helped by D Smith and M Holland who gave as much of the strike to this in-form batsman, but with wickets falling and all thoughts of the title being forced from them, Parklands reached a modest 75 for the fall of five wickets.

Howard was 44 not out in the final analysis.

Ditton's response got off to a shaky start and with the score on eight, Les Atherton was clean-bowled by Smith for six. Rob Magee came to the crease but was soon on his way back to the pavilion having made three.

Gaz Hatton, coming in at number four, was to have a steadying influence at the crease, but with the score on 23, lost his batting partner, Morgan, playing the ball on to his stumps when on nine.

This brought the captain to the middle to play a major role in securing the result for Ditton.

Both he and Hatton scored freely and brought the asking rate down with each over that was bowled.

Hatton's wicket fell with the total on 67, having added a fourth wicket partnership of 44 with his captain.

He too went the same way as Morgan, playing on when on 22.

Dave Giles came in to aid his captain in the run chase but was run out taking a risky second, trying to give his captain the strike.

Billy Morris came to the crease in the final over with the pressure now on both sides with five runs needed for victory.

The Parklands' cause wasn't helped with the first ball of the last over being adjudged wide, a couple of two's tied the score, a draw sufficient for Ditton to take the title but with the field close in Robbie dispatched the ball to the boundary for four runs and much to the delight of the Ditton players, the first division title was theirs.

Rob Morris was not out with 26 valuable runs, whilst brother Billy was nought not out in the final total of 79 for five wickets.