SALE first XI suffered a narrow defeat against Oxton in their first home game in Division One of the Cheshire County League.

In a low-scoring affair at Dane Road, Sale went down by 10 runs in the failing light.

Sale had no hesitation in asking the visitors to bat first on a damp pitch following a week of wet weather.

After Tyrone Lawrence had removed skipper Jack Smith for 15, Ali Barrowman ripped through the Oxton top order as they slumped to 51-6.

Rich Adams then nipped out Alex Risk for a duck to leave the visitors reeling on 53-7.

Chris Williams and the experienced Chris Stenhouse then dug in for what would be the match-winning partnership, adding 65 for the eighth wicket.

Lawrence returned to dismiss Williams for 38 as Stenhouse finished unbeaten on 37 as Oxton closed on 141-9. Barrowman finished the pick of the bowling for Sale with 5-28.

The second innings followed a similar pattern to the first. Greg Gyves was batting fluently when he looked unlucky to be adjudged lbw for 10.

However, Sale had no complaints as Lawrence was caught plumb in front immediately after Stenhouse had sent Wilson’s off stump cartwheeling.

Chris Canning survived the hat-trick ball but Sale were now 12-3.

Canning led the counter attack, but wickets continued to fall, so when he fell for the top score on the day of 39, Sale looked in trouble at 54-6.

Skipper Keith Wellings and Barrowman then dug in take the score to 102 before the latter was bowled for 27.

Wellings marshalled the score to 127, but when he was ninth man out for 28, Sale could only add four more runs as the returning Stenhouse finished his match-winning performance to claim 7-45. Sale collected five points.

Sale second XI suffered a batting collapse of their own in the reverse fixture at Oxton.

From 123-4, Sale collapsed to 145 all out in the 43rd over.

Dan Newton (46) and Ben Watkins (39) seemed to be putting Sale on target for a challenging total before losing six wickets for 23 runs, including two run outs.

Oxton had problems of their own as Sasiraj Pushparajah took three wickets to reduce them to 96-5, leaving the game finely balanced.

However, the home side did not lose another wicket as they reached their target in the 46th over, Sale settling for six points.

On Sunday, the third XI made a belated start to their season in the T20 cup at Timperley, running out winners by 28 runs.

Most of the batsmen contributed as Sale posted 122 all out in the 20th over, Sandeep Yadala and Vic Sunderamanie top scoring with 20 runs each.

Timperley could only reach 94-7 in reply, Syan Siraj (3-12) and Insaf Jaweed (2-23) were the leading bowlers.

Earlier in the week Sale Silverbacks over-40s team, lost at last year's divisional champions Cheadle Hulme.

Skipper Rob Moore got Sale off to the perfect start with two early wickets, before a late flourish got the home team up to 95-3 in a game reduced to 16 overs per side.

Only Asad Khan with 31 retired got to grips with Cheadle Hulme’s battery of slow bowlers as Sale closed on 78-7.

The first XI host Timperley in the T20 cup tonight, followed by a trip to Bowdon on Saturday. 

The seconds play the reverse fixture, while the third XI head to Nantwich and the fourths host Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge on Sunday.