Hayfield captain Russ Evans breaks league record with 266

Little did Evans know what was about to unfold when he won the toss at home to Hollingworth and elected to bat.

Evans and opening partner Anthony Ebbrell set about the Hollingworth attack, their partnership racing past 100, then 150, with Evans especially taking no prisoners as the runs accumulated.

Evans is a self-confessed statistics geek and, having hit an unbeaten 196 against New Mills in 2015, his first personal target was to collect a double century.

He did that with more than 14 overs to go and soon turned his attention to the individual league record, which he knew to be held by Glen Draper, of Dinting, at 239 .

He reached this target and then set his sight on another record, attempting to hit six sixes in an over.

But having launched the first two deliveries for maximums he perished attempting the third for a truly magnificent 266.

Hayfield weren’t finished as they also passed the previous innings total record, which had been held by Dove Holes who had scored 405-6 at Buxworth, with Evans declaring on 409-2 with four overs remaining in order to give his side the maximum amount of overs to bowl out their opponents.

Hayfield completed their day to remember by dismissing Hollingworth for 139, Gaz Davies taking 3-9.

It was a much more sedate game at Hazel Grove where the league leaders entertained Chapel.

Winning the toss and batting, the home side scored 187-3 thanks to 75 from Geoff Noden and 46 from Nick Hayward.

Mark Clayton then took 8-60 as Chapel were bowled out for 144.

Birch Vale chose to bat at High Lane, but were bowled out for 123, Tom McIlvenney top scoring with 31 as Damien Paul took 3-22.

Paul then made 41 as High Lane surpassed their target with six wickets down.

Stalybridge were put in to bat by visitors Offerton and made 217 all out< M Mallett finishing 53 not out, D. Collins hitting 40 and A. Harwick 35, while J. Thelwell took 5-58.

Offerton then collapsed to 61 all out as M. Mallett took 4-15.

Charlesworth won the toss at Woodley and elected to bat, a decision they may have regretted as they were all out for just 87.

Elliott Morley scored 30 as P. Turner took 6-22 and C. Hayes 3-37. B Qasim hit 35 in the Woodley reply as they closed 88-3.