TOFT Cricket Club’s first XI have three matches in which to avoid relegation from the Cheshire County Cricket League Premier Division.

They host Neston on Saturday, visit Bowdon on September 10 and then conclude their campaign at home to Widnes on September 17.

Toft, without a win in their last three matches, currently occupy the cellar position but it is all very tight between the bottom four sides, with two to drop down to Division One at season’s end.

Bowdon are second from bottom on the same amount of points as Toft, while Oulton Park are only three points better off and Brooklands also under threat with only a seven-point cushion.

Looking at what is to come, the clash with Bowdon on September 10 is a potential crucial one – a chance for either side to pull away from the other and leave their rivals in deep trouble.

Toft collected five points in their second draw in three outings away to Oxton at the weekend.

The hosts racked up a huge score and then their guests managed to hang on to their final wicket to avoid defeat.

Oxton finished 53 overs to declare on 349-2 and Toft responded with 239-9 at the end of their 57 overs.

Jimmy Lomas and James Hodgson were the ones left at the crease at the death. Neither scored a run from the 10 balls they faced between them but the most important thing was that they did not end up being out.

O’Shay Reddy, 80 runs, Henry Hughes, 47, Phil Raikes, 35, James Scott, 30, and Ben Staniforth, 26, led the scoring, while Jordan Collier was the main threat with the ball as he took five wickets.

For Toft, Lomas took the wicket of Luke Filer after the opening bat had racked up 163 runs from 182 balls, including 19 fours and six sixes. Reddy was the man to make the catch.

And it was Lomas who ran out number two batsman Joe Mennie when he had clocked up 96 runs.

Toft tried seven different bowlers to try and find a way through but it was an expensive afternoon for each of them, with Lomas’ 1-73 from 16 overs being the best economically.