GRAPPENHALL could not build on the previous week's first win of the season as they went down to fellow strugglers Brooklands in the Murray Smith Cheshire County Cricket League.

The Broad Lane side were asked to bat first and were soon in trouble at 48 runs for seven wickets.

Captain Will Sharp, 17 and a defiant 29 not out from Neil Titchard moved Grappenhall's final total towards respectability but defending 82 was always going to be difficult.

Bowlers Ian Jackson, with two for 19 and Andy Hards, 3-36, stuck to the task and bowled well under the circumstances to take five of the Brooklands wickets before the game finally slipped away.

Grappenhall's second team were also unable to sustain winning ways as they went down to Alderley Edge but still remain top of the Premier Division.

While Grappenhall set a good target of 235 runs for four wickets it was always reachable on a hard track with a short boundary.

The silver lining was undoubtedly the excellent maiden century for Allan Brady, reaching the milestone with a superb six.

Alderley set off at a cracking pace and the Grappenhall bowlers were unable to restrict them sufficiently well as the target was reached with three overs and eight wickets to spare.

David Roberts put in a superb bowling performance returning figures of one for 19 off seven overs.