Gary Forster took a solitary wicket, but Damien Lewis and Mel Dobson failed to make a breakthrough.

Rob Mulvihill took four wickets but saw hard-hitting Iqbal (64 off 29 deliveries) blasting several boundaries as Hale Barns finished on 229.

John Hope and John Gibbon both scored strongly on both sides of the wicket, but the first wicket fell with the score on 75.

A mini-collapse followed as Paul Kettle, Graham Harper and Paul Ferriday were all given leg-before for just two runs between them.

Lewis (39 not out) then supported Hope (69), and with it the chance of a win with the score on 125-5.

Tattenhall eventually batted out the overs to secure a draw, with Mulvihill and Lewis putting on 49 to finish on 179-6.

ALVANLEY battled their way to a draw at runaway leaders Brooklands.

Chris Charles and James Wheelahan helped reduce the hosts to 25-3, before Brooklands fourth wicket pair hit 131.

Wheelahan returned to bag another scalp but Brooklands ended on 207 for 4.

Alvanley saw Andy Bennion, Ben Pearce, Simon Gee, and Nick Geddis sent packing, before Mark Szymura (27) top-scored.

Wheelahan and Pete Pearce calmly guided their team to a draw.

A century from Martin Huxley made it five wins out of five for SAUGHALL as they retained top-spot in the Cheshire Alliance League.

Fourth-place Trinity saw an 83-run second wicket partnership despite Mike Andrews (2 for 55), Les Perkins (4 for 26), and Lawrence Gotts (2 for 41) restricting Trinity to 216-8 overs.

Dipak Jena (23) set Saughall's reply in motion, before Martin Huxley (103) pushed his team within 33 runs of victory with seven overs left.

But the dismissal of in-form skipper Chris Andrews (4) shortly afterwards, allied with several tight overs, turned up the pressure.

Adam Griffiths (49 not out) gave a lesson in composure as Saughall won with ten balls to spare. Saughall ended on 217 for 4 to pick up 20 points.

CHESTER COUNTY OFFICERS lost their match at Alderley Park.

Tony Hattersley (55) and Mike Rowland (80) put on a stand of 130 for the first wicket which enabled Officers to declare on 175-4, having achieved maximum batting points.

However, a missed run out and two dropped catches cost the Officers dear, as the first three Alderley Park batsmen set up a solid platform as the home club reached their target for the loss of seven wickets.

Mike Pownall and Graham Wilks took two wickets apiece, and Chester took 14 points, but remain in the bottom two in Division two of the OFFICERS seconds' hopes of promotion faded with a defeat against Trafford.

Steve Holland (66) and James Blaxhall (36) provided hope for Officers, and skipper Alan Roberts reached his 50, to declare at the end of the 43rd over with the score 187-5.

Callum Price (3-68) and Declan Hickey (1-7) failed to save the match as Trafford chased down the total with two overs to spare.

ALVANLEY seconds won by two runs against Over Peover.

Alvanley declared on 159-7, with Andy Senior (88), before Over Peover were skittled all out for 157, thanks to Ajith Hettiarachichi (4-22),
Lee Ainsworth (4-37), and Mark Leadbetter (2-29).