BROOKLANDS first team showed much improvement in their two matches last week.

The first match was the Joseph Holt Brewery T20 match against Toft – a side two divisions above them.

Brooklands restricted the Premier League leaders to 147-6 with Christian Potter and Rob Leach kept it particularly tight despite only getting one wicket apiece.

Brooklands fell just two runs short on a firm but low pitch with Richard Palmer (42) the top scorer.

Next up in this competition is the derby against Sale (at Brooklands) on May 28 with a 6.15pm start.

The second match was a four wicket league win at home to Bredbury St Marks on Saturday.

The visitors batted first and struggled with the wickets shared between Tom Mitchell (3-12) and Mark Law (2-26).

Veteran Law also picked up two run-outs as Bredbury scored 147-9 in their 50.

Brooklands stumbled to 37-4 but Doug Whyley (38) was instrumental in a 50-run partnership with captain Dave Madden (19) before the game was finished by Dino Jones dominated by scoring 40* in an unbeaten partnership of 53.

The victory moved them up to fifth in the table.

Next week, sees Brooklands travel to Alvanley who are bottom of the league.

Elsewhere, the second team threw away a winning position at Oxton to draw, captain Ben Atkinson (73) the top scorer.

The third XI comfortably beat Didsbury by eight wickets and the fourth XI were even more comfortable in a nine-wicket victory against Woodford, with 50s for promising youngsters Will Baxter and James Robinson.