KNUTSFORD’S seconds got their hands on a trophy at the weekend as a reward for beating their Hartford counterparts.

Their 63-run success at Grange Park on Sunday secured for them the East Division Cup – a 40-over competition for teams that make up the 10-strong section.

Opener Shabaz Sarfraz (116) hit 18 fours and a pair of maximums while sharing a partnership worth 134 runs with skipper Rob Vaughan (50no) for the third wicket.

Atif Shah (36) chipped in too as the visitors ran up 228-4.

They restricted Hartford to 165-9 in reply, with Vaughan (3-11) and Samir Maluk (2-36) the most successful of Knutsford’s bowlers.

Abin Abraham ran out one of the hosts’ openers after he had raced to 27.

Knutsford’s seconds had played out a high-scoring draw with Mellor the previous day.

Darren Longden (116) and Vaughan (54) shared in a first-wicket partnership worth 132 runs at Mereheath Lane, where the hosts posted 225-8.

Tom Reeve took 4-42 for the visitors, who replied with 204-7.

Sim Hodgson (60) and David Baythorpe (61) put on 130 at the top of the order before Vaughan (3-56), Ashish Abraham (2-16) and Bhavishya Patel (2-41) slowed their run-rate.

Knutsford’s first team recorded a comfortably 112-run win at Bowdon Vale in Division Two.

Adnan Ghazanfar (82) and Shake Shimul (54) were their leading scorers in an innings that closed on 209-7 after 45 overs.

They then knocked over the home team for 97, with Adeel Bhatti (5-35) and Zeeshan Shah (4-34) combining to secure maximum points for their side.