FURQAN SHAFIQ was the bowling star and Grant Hodnett shone with the bat as Timperley beat Bramhall comfortably in the Cheshire County Cricket League Premier Division.

Looking to extend their lead at the top of the division, Nathan Brown’s men won the toss and elected to bat first. 

Top-order batting has been a key strength of late for Timperley, with all of the top four contributing significant scores in recent weeks.

This week it was the turn of Hodnett to stand tall and be counted – his patient 147-ball 80 an excellent example of getting in, before then accelerating with some clean hitting.

That said, this was a team effort as he was ably assisted by Shafiq (27), Abhihek Kulkarni (26) and Brooke Guest (33), before Nathan Olivier provided the fireworks with a 14-ball 40, including three sixes and four fours. Timperley posted 250-8 from their 55 overs.

While the top order have been strong, Jack White (3-17) has undoubtedly been Timperley’s bowling talisman.

The Cheshire paceman made short work of the Bramhall top order in a devastating opening spell, reducing the hosts to 22-4.

But, like the batting, this was a complete team performance and opening partner Chris Page (1-26), Ed Galley (1-13) and skipper Nathan Brown (1-25) all kept the pressure on the Bramhall batsmen.

Shafiq will go down as the pick of the bowlers, with his off spin mopping up the lower order to yield impressive figures of 4-15 from just four overs.  

With Bramhall all out for 102 in just 31 overs, this was another impressive performance from the first XI.

This weekend Timperley host 10th-placed Didsbury at Stockport Road from 12.30pm.