OVERSEAS batsman Campbell Vadlja registered his maiden century for Hale Barns as the first XI produced an emphatic all-round performance to beat Tattenhall by 96 runs at Brooks Drive.

Joe Cooper was the star with the ball, claiming a five-wicket haul to lead Barns to their second victory of the season which lifted them up to sixth in the Cheshire County Cricket League Division Two table.

Hale were inserted by the visitors and made a rapid start thanks to Cooper, who continued his impressive form with a fluent 42 from 36 balls, which included nine boundaries, before his breezy innings came to an end with the score on 49.

Aamir Afzal removed the top three batters to reduce the hosts to 73-3, with Mike Hunter falling for 17, but the hosts grabbed the initiative after a spectacular knock from Vadlja.

The Aussie recorded a partnership of 66 with Tommy Smith (25) and then added another 45 alongside Ben Hicks, who scored a run-a-ball 22, to put Barns in prime position to accelerate the scoring in the latter stages.

Christian Dodson hit three maximums in a destructive 30 from just 13 deliveries before Afzal (4-58) secured his fourth victim, but he was unable to remove Vadlja, with the number four batsman reaching three figures for the first time since arriving at the club, eventually finishing on 104 from 87 balls as the home side posted 252-6 before declaring with three overs to spare.

In reply, Hicks struck early with just eight on the board, but Muhammad Umer (36) and Ben Pearce (18) frustrated the bowlers with a partnership of 58 before Cooper ripped through the top order with three wickets in quick succession, while Joe Fretwell-Walsh got in on the act to leave Tattenhall reeling on 84-5.

Glenn Coppack and Waqar Hassan provided some stern resistance, taking the score on to 121-5, but that quickly turned to 123-8 as Cooper made Hassan (24) his fourth scalp and Fretwell-Walsh (3-22) added two more to his tally.

Coppack’s wicket proved elusive as he edged towards a half century, but a fifth dismissal for Cooper (5-57) put Barns on the brink of victory before Hicks (2-23) cleaned up the final wicket, leaving Coppack stranded on 39 not out.

The firsts followed that result with a successful display in Round One of the Cheshire Shield, with Vadlja scoring his second unbeaten century in two days as Barns made 285 before bowling Disley out for 176 thanks to five wickets from youngster Dan Martin.

Elsewhere, the second XI produced a tremendous performance to overcome Lymm Oughtrington Park by 10 wickets, with Chris Colley hitting an unbeaten 96 and Clive Collins finishing with 68no as they comfortably chased down 180.

The club’s proud production line of the junior section was also in evidence this weekend, with 14 of the 22 players involved across the two teams on Saturday being classed as home-grown having progressed through the age groups.