Oxton benefiting from team spirit

Jul 16 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

OXTON have drawn level with Didsbury at the top of the First Division in The Right Move Abroad Cheshire County League and secretary Stuart Hirst claims the team are better equipped this season to succeed with their promotion bid.

Says Stuart: “The team spirit under Andy Birley is excellent and we are winning games we might only have drawn a year ago when we finished third and just failed to go up.”

Oxton bagged maximum points with an impressive display at Christleton, declar-ing at 220-5 thanks to a 150 partnership between Chris Davies (78) and Steven Stokes (76). Christleton were then dismissed for 162, Rick Moore 87, Stenhouse 4-45, Chandra Atram 4-57.

Didsbury lost their overall lead after taking only seven points from a home draw with Cheadle Hulme.

Cheshire cricket has been stunned by the news of the death of Hugh de Prez at the age of 56. He played for Warrington and Alderley Edge and in Minor Counties cricket for Cheshire from 1971-89, securing hundreds of wickets with his clever off-breaks.

Hugh, who became an umpire, was the grandson of former Lancashire and England wicket-keeper George Duckworth.