NANTWICH were denied by a dogged Neston tail as they were forced to settle for a draw in their clash on Saturday.

Dabbers skipper Ray Doyle lost the toss and his side were asked to bat first, with wicketkeeper Ryan Brown leading the recovery from 37-2 with a fluent 72, which included five sixes.

However, no-one else could stay in for long enough to make a truly mammoth score, with opener Chris Simpson (24), Andy Newton (23) and Oliver Griffiths (28) all failed to convert their good starts into big runs.

Nantwich set their hosts 219 to win from their 55 overs, with Louis Cameron striking early to get rid of opener Cameron Lea-Swain for 6.

However, fellow opener James Claybrook and Jonny Crick recovered with a partnership of 76, but two quick wickets for Griffiths and one for Shaneil Patel sparked a mini collapse to 125-4.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals and went Claybrook finally fell for 74, the visitors sensed the chance to win, but a counter-attacking 23 not out from Tom Thorne helped Neston to finish on 194-8, batting out their overs to secure the draw.

Griffiths finished with bowling figures of 4-52, while Cameron chipped in with 3-61 for Nantwich, who face Timperley at Whitehouse Lane on Saturday before travelling to face Chester Broughton Hall on Sunday.

Nantwich’s seconds won their match with Grappenhall by 41 runs on Saturday, with their total of 212-3 after 50 overs having been put into bat being dominated by a superb 98 from opener Robert Howell.

Henry Hine also smashed an unbeaten 42 from just 26 balls as Nantwich set an imposing total, which they quickly set about defending by reducing the visitors to 85-4.

Jamie Bye resisted with 48 for Grappenhall, but he had little in the way of support as Sam Cork finished with 5-39 to dismiss the visitors for 171.

The seconds travel to Cheadle Hulme on Saturday, while the club’s thirds travel to Macclesfield in high spirits after a brilliant 74 from skipper Jake Pearson helped them to a four-wicket victory away at Wilmslow.