GRAPPENHALL missed out on the Cheshire County Cricket League Division One title on the final day of the season.

Having already secured promotion to the top flight, Adam Roylance’s side needed to win at Oxton and hope league leaders Didsbury lost to Bollington.

Grappers did their bit, beating their hosts by four wickets, but their rivals also won to deny them silverware.

After losing the toss and being asked to bowl first, Roylance and the rest of the Grappers bowlers set about giving their batsmen an easier target to chase.

The hosts enjoyed a solid start but wickets came in clusters as Iain Wright took two wickets in the higher order before Roylance took over.

The skipper ripped through the middle order, taking 6-34 to put his side in command.

Marc de Brabander resisted manfully for Oxton and finished unbeaten on 91 as his side closed on 150-9.

Roylance and James McCoy departed early in the Grappenhall chase and Albert Pennington’s wicket left them perched perilously on 30-3.

However, Pete Barnes steadied the ship and guided his team home with an unbeaten 72.

The seconds also beat their Oxton counterparts by six wickets after restricting their visitors to 179-5 from their 50 overs at Broad Lane.

In response, Will Sharp made 80 while Joshua Hayes finished on 62 not out as Grappers cruised home with more than 12 overs to spare.