Alderley Edge have played the last two Saturdays against the team that on the morning of the match was leading the Premier League with Alderley firmly rooted to bottom spot.
The combined points total over those two games has gone Edge’s way, by 40 points to 15after the Moss Lane side thrashed Chester Boughton Hall by an emphatic margin.
Chester won the toss and decided to bat first on a fantastic, sunny day for cricket but never looked comfortable against a pace attack of Jason Whittaker and Tom Atkinson who caused a host of problems with their line, length and swing.
Only Chester number three Ollie Law made any real impact with some tremendous off drives which brought up a deserved half-century for the visitors.
Three wickets for Whittaker and five wickets shared between spinners Charlie Reid and Mark Warnes left Chester in a parlous state at 132 all out, a score which looked well short of par giving Alderley a great chance of a maximum points victory in their bid to avoid relegation.
Edge openers Mark Currie and Alan Day set about making quick inroads in to the target despite facing some hostile bowling.
A superb century partnership put the match beyond doubt as Currie really hit form with an unbeaten 71 as Edge eased home by the emphatic margin of nine wickets with 36 overs in hand.
This was the second season in succession that Edge had beaten Chester at Moss Lane by such a margin, a remarkable record given the visitors’ title ambitions over the last two years.
The result not only took Edge off the bottom of the table but out of the relegation zone itself.
However, with seven matches remaining the relegation battle looks certain to go to the last game of the season with at least eight clubs still involved.
The Cheshire Premier League now shows three clubs battling for the title and not much to choose between the other nine.
Next week Alderley make the short trip to Toft.
