RAIN wrecked the start of a league season for the second week running.

This time it was the turn of the Meller Braggins Cheshire League to suffer, with Oakmere the only Mid Cheshire side to beat the weather.

Fortunately both 1st and 2nd XIs beat Prestbury too, completing a double which warned their rivals of Oakmere's potential for the coming campaign.

Playing at Prestbury, the 1st XI were confronted with a soggy outfield which meant the boundary had to be reduced by some 20 yards.

But Oakmere's bowlers, aided by some spectacular fielding, managed to restrict their free-scoring hosts to 141-9, Chris Jacques taking 4-40 and Andy Norton 3-55.

Oakmere lost two wickets early in their reply, but that was the end of Prestbury's success as Mike Stafford (72 not out) and Alan Cope (51 not out) added an unbroken 104 to seal an eight wicket win.

The 2nd XI started their title defence with a 117 run win.

The champions were put into bat on a soft wicket and put on 37 for the first wicket, opener Ian Morgan going on to make 55 in a total of 144-6.

Prestbury resisted for a while but once Nigel Barrington-Smith made a breakthrough, wickets fell steadily until the visitors were dismissed for 27, Eddie Gibson taking 5-11.

In the Murray Smith County League, Oulton Park's 1st XI were rained off for the second week running. Their second string did manage to play, but had to settle for a draw against Heaton Mersey at Little Budworth.

It was only Oulton's covers, 'water hog' and hard work which enabled the fixture to go ahead at all.

But an opening stand of 97 between the top run maker in last year's league Mark Fitzgerald (62) and Steve Wright (68) allowed Oulton to take maximum batting points from a total of 197-6.

Visitors Brooklands chased victory to start with while home captain Paul Murray played his part, setting consistently attacking fields.

But with five overs to go, Brooklands decided to settle for the draw and finished their innings on 162-8.

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