After a top win away at Widnes, the Timperley Cricket Club first team faced Toft at home in a crunch late-season clash with both bidding to secure safety.

Playing in their new green kit, Timperley won the toss and elected to bat.

And after making a solid start, the standard rush for pads in the Timperley dressing room proceeded, leaving the hosts on 83-5.

From a tricky position, a below-par score looked likely, but up stepped the ever-dependable Nathan Brown, fresh back from his Mexican honeymoon, and youngster Dylan Parekh.

The pair scored 53 and 43 respectively in what was a great stand and an example of building an innings from a pressure situation, slowly getting themselves in, before they started to push the scoreboard along in a positive, but calculated manner.

For skipper Ed Galley it was especially gratifying to see Parekh show great resilience after a tough start in the firsts with three consecutive ducks.

He has turned that around with two really important knocks to help win the game.

With the help of this pair, and some good hitting from Aussie Caedence Kuepper at the end, Timperley finished on 216 - a good score, especially with the slow-ish nature of the ‘Beach de la Timperley’ outfield.

Galley has been stressing all season that what’s needed in the second innings of big games and high-pressure moments is a good start, and that’s exactly what big man Jono Fowler provided with an outstanding display of bowling to leave the visitors 18-4.

From there, the majority of the damage was done and Timperley took regular wickets to bowl Toft out for 129 in a comfortable - and massive - victory.

While mathematically his team still are not safe, Galley thinks this win just about secures Premier League cricket next season

He said: “The last couple of weeks have been exceptional from the boys, with plenty of people putting their hand up to help us win games”

For the second week on the bounce, all four Saturday teams were winners at the business end of the season

Mo Usman, who says adios to Stockport Road to move to Madrid, took four wickets for the second team as they rolled Heaton Mersey over for just 68.

Meanwhile, the thirds beat Woodford thanks to a solid middle-order effort, led by Pankaj Mishra with 74 and Will Cross took 6-23 for the fourths as they beat Rostherne

There is plenty to smile about as the season comes to an end with the junior teams involved in semi-finals and finals over the weekend as well.