OULTON Park won the Cheshire and North Wales Knockout Cup in the same weekend their step up to the ECB Premier took another giant stride.

On Sunday, they overcame Cathedral, one of two teams Chester Boughton Hall entered into the competition, by 50 runs, a day after a thrilling final over win against Brooklands.

The cup final was made up of two innings, each of 15 eight ball overs, and Oulton Park emerged from the first with a four-run lead.

This was mainly due to Paul Murray, who clean bowled Chester's dangerous Australian Heath Pritchard as they were reduced to 139.

Another Aussie, Greg Dimery, showed how it should be done in Park's second innings as he smashed 98 not out in the 161 total.

This set Cathedral 166 to win, but they fell to 115 all out.

On Saturday, fifth placed Brooklands made 193-7 at Little Budworth, cheered on by Oulton Park's promotion rivals Bramhall, whose entire team came to watch the game after being washed out.

But their support was to no avail as Roger Thompson, in the absence of Paul Berry, set about the winning target by making 54.

Dimery (37), Steve Dublin (46) and John Davies (22) kept with the run rate, but Dimery and Whitehouse were run out as the pressure grew.

However, experience won the day as David Tattersall and Andy McIlroy, who had earlier taken two wickets, saw Oulton Park home with four balls to spare.

Urmston are Park's visitors in the league this Saturday (12.30pm).

On Sunday, another big cup match awaits, as Nantwich are the visitors in the semi-final of the County League Cup,

Mark Fitzgerald was again the star man for Oulton 2nd XI, his unbeaten 109 taking them to 205-7 on Saturday. They then bowled out Stockport Georgians for 146, Eddie Farquhar 4-34, Steve Wright 2-24 and Fitzgerald 2-21.

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