IMPRESSIVE Widnes made it two wins in two games to become early pacemakers in the ECB Premier Division of the Chapel Press Cheshire County League.

After Chester Boughton Hall had posted a daunting 252-7 declared at Beaconsfield road, Hayden Butterworth scoring 63 and Matt Griffiths 56, Tom Evans 4-52, Widnes set about their reply with relish.

James McCoy and Tony Hurdley (35) opened up with a stand of 116, Zia ur Rehman went on to score a classic unbeaten 51 and McCoy eventually smashed a match-winning 125 including 15 boundaries as Widnes won by seven wickets.

Reigning champions Alderley Edge narrowly won a splendid game against Neston at Parkgate and have also posted two victories. Thanks to skipper Jack Smith who carried his bat for a classic 113 and Chris Finegan (39), Neston recovered from 46-6 to post 198, Cheshire paceman Jason Whittaker taking 8-43 off 17 overs.

Alderley’s reply wobbled in the middle before being saved by wicket keeper Adam Worrall, 71, as they scraped home with their last pair together.

Finegan completed a fine match with 6-55.

Oxton came near to beating Bowdon at Townfield Lane after being bowled out for 224, Lee Dixon 46, Mark Rowland 41.

Bowdon held out at 190-9, Carl Hey 56 and Lancashire’s Gareth Cross 53, while Neil Cross, back from a two-year teaching stint in New Zealand, claimed 5-60 off 20 tight overs of off-spin.