PHIL Parry hailed the fighting spirit of his players after Middlewich recorded an eye-catching success at in-form Stockport Trinity in the Cheshire League last weekend.

A seven-wicket win is their third this season, and a single defeat in their past half-dozen Division Two matches is proof the men from Haddon Field are making forward progress.

“I’m made up with the upturn in our form over the past month or so,” said the captain.

“We’ve battled hard, and also started to show the quality that we have in the team.

“The challenge of course is to keep putting in match-winning performances.”

Their opponents scored swiftly initially after winning the toss, although Kieran Boyle’s dismissal of opener Richard Higginbotham (34) caught and bowled proved key.

He went on to take 4-25, while Parry weighed in with 4-67, as the final six wickets fell for just 31 runs.

“It seemed like we might have a tough day at the office at first when they got off to a bit of a flier on a flat track,” reflected Parry.

“But some excellent fielding stemmed the flow.”

Middlewich, chasing 107, faltered at 22-3 before Boyle (49no) and Steve Parry (34no) shared in an unbroken partnership for the fourth wicket worth 85 runs to settle the outcome in the 21st over.

Middlewich seconds fell to a six-wicket defeat against their Lymm counterparts last weekend.

Skipper Craig Johnson (52) fought a lone battle as the hosts succumbed for 101, a total their opponents bettered despite the best efforts of Gavin Twigg (4-31).