MIDDLEWICH will be buoyed by their fourth win of the season in the Cheshire Cricket League.

And that will be a help as they prepare to host second-placed Hawk Green, beaten only once this season, at home on Saturday.

The weekend’s victory came at struggling Appleton, the Warrington side being sat second from bottom with only one win to their name so far this year.

The success was built on a strong bowling performance.

Appleton were all out for just 88 runs.

The wickets were shared, with eight falling to just three bowlers.

Matt Ryan (3-23), Phil Parry (3-25) and Kieran Boyle (3-29) helped to make life comfortable for their own batsmen when it was their turn at the crease.

The Appleton batsman putting up most resistance, Ali Sharif, was bowled lbw by Phil Parry after 28 runs had been assembled by the opener.

Connor Dennison will have been pleased with a personal haul of four catches.

In the chase, Middlewich did lose some wickets fairly cheaply.

James Prime (7), Matt Allen (13) and Kieran Boyle (21) were all caught.

It was left to the Parrys, Phil (24 not out) and Stephen (18 not out) to steer their side home in the 27th over having reached 92-3.

This fourth win, to go with this season’s five losses, four draws and five abandoned outcomes due to poor weather, leaves Middlewich in ninth place.

Winsford, whose match against Malpas in Division Four was abandoned due to an unfit pitch, have a crunch bottom-of-the-table contest at Kerridge this weekend.