ASHTON-on-Mersey produced an impressive team performance to record a comfortable win at Stockport Trinity in Cheshire Cricket League Division One.

Being asked to bat first on a scorching day, Ashton started slowly with Mark Timms and Peter Hatzoglou playing watchfully on a pitch which lacked any great pace or carry.

Some fine bowling by Zohaib Khan accounted for both the Ashton opening batsman, but Tom Scott and Ed Faulkner came together to post a 70-run partnership which turned the game decisively in Ashton’s favour.

The Trinity bowlers stuck to their task, with Zaheer Khan producing an excellent spell of spin bowling which troubled all the Ashton middle order.

But with a mixture of solid defence and a willingness to attack anything loose, Ashton kept the scoreboard moving. James Marshall and Josh Knowles played aggressively, allowing Ashton to finish on an above-par 180-9, while both Zohaib Khan and Zaheer Khan picked up three deserved wickets.

In reply, tight bowling from Matt Bradshaw and Hatzoglou made run-scoring hard for the Trinity top order.

Zaheer Khan threatened to lead a counter-attack, but when he fell to Knowles it left the door open for Faulkner to work his way through the rest of the Trinity line-up.

The home side had little answer to the spinner and the home innings fell away to 107 all out.

Faulkner finished with season-best figures of 6-32 in a fine performance from Ashton that keeps them second in the table ahead of a crucial game at third-placed Cheadle Hulme.

Ashton second XI fell to defeat at The Beets in a close game against Alvanley.

Alvanley were 212 all out (Jon Alberquerque 73, Jordi Matthews 5-52) before Ashton fell short on 184 all out (Harry Vogt 54, David Bergstand 6-38).

Sunday saw a disappointing double for Ashton as the third XI went down to a seven-wicket defeat to table-topping North East Cheshire, and the high-flying Ashton ladies were brought down to earth, losing by 61 runs at Upton.