ASHTON-on-Mersey pulled off a memorable final-ball win on a dramatic day at Haslington in Cheshire Cricket League Division One.

Winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, Ashton’s stand-in skipper Andy Roscow led from the front with a fine opening spell.

In a good contest between bat and ball, the home side looked to press on, helped by a lightning-fast outfield.

But Ashton’s bowlers took wickets at regular intervals to peg back the run rate.

Well thought-out bowling changes helped break any partnership that threatened to build a challenging total and, with good support in the field, Ashton kept control of proceedings.

Roscow was not flattered by his figures of 4-30, as Ashton bowled the home side out in the 44th over for 166.

In reply, Haslington showed why their bowling has been respected all season.

With two lbw decisions removing the openers, Ashton had to rebuild through Ed Faulkner and Conner Kearney, who put on a well-crafted 60-run partnership before Kearney fell to a catch on the boundary.

The Ashton middle order struggled to come to terms with some excellent bowling by Tom Gledhill and wickets tumbled, including Faulkner for 39, and at one stage Ashton were reduced to 116-8.

But Josh Knowles played a vital innings to keep them in the hunt.

Together with Ben Johnson the score reached 139, before Johnson departed to give Gledhill his sixth victim.

But last man Roscow showed the depth of Ashton’s batting by supporting Knowles.

The pair mixed caution and aggression to move the score towards the target.

With any result possible going into the final over the Ashton pair kept their heads, and chalked up a victory with a scrambled three off the last ball as they closed on 167-9.

The second team fell to a heavy defeat against a strong Bollington side, making 121 all out before Bollington reached 123-1 (Matt Dawson 83 not out).

The thirds battled to a draw in a high-scoring game against Disley, their opponents making 261 all out and Ashton totalling 233-6 .

The ladies' XI recorded an impressive victory at Oxton, bowling out the home side for 121 (Amanda Gettins 4-11) before knocking off the runs for a four-wicket win.