So another Sunday and another quarter final success! Sandbach's Elworth Cricket Club is through to the semi-finals of the Talbot Cup.

Not only that they are also through to the semi-finals of the Cheshire Cup after winning a match last weekend.  

This weekend the visitors were Ashcombe Park who are currently mid-table in Division One following relegation from the Premier last year.

The Foxes made steady progress to 80/3 having lost Alex Banks (21), Russ Ballard (6) and Ryan Sloan (13).

But Eddie Parrish (6) and Bey Swanepoel (9) were both out with the score 80. Fortunately for Elworth, Thom Bamford was in belligerent mood and was soon in business.

With assistance from Joe Stephenson, he quickly added 17, including a four and a six, and when Stephenson was stumped by Phil Clowes off the bowling of Anis Raza for two, the score had advanced to 104.

Tom Seabridge was bowled by Irfan Khan for one and at 105/7 Chris Winter joined Bamford but departed one run later which heralded the entrance of Ben Holt.

Irfan's next over to Bamford went for 10, but he then played out a maiden from Anis Raza. Holt then laid into Irfan taking a six and a four in an over than yielded 12 for Elworth.

Anis was then hit for six by Bamford as the score reached 136 before Holt was bowled by Kashif Bhatti who had replaced the shell-shocked Irfan. Steve Morgan joined Bamford in adding seven more to set the visitors 144.

Ashcombe Park set about the chase tentatively with just two on the board in the third over when Holt bowled Haroon Mahmood for one.

Anis Raza and Phil Clowes set about the repair job diligently and had reached 22/1 when Holt struck a double blow with the wickets of Anis (bowled for 6) and Irfan LBW first ball.

When in his next over, Holt bowled Clowes (11) Park were struggling at 25/4. The introduction of Steve Morgan led to the downfall of David Proffit (LBW 0) and the depths of 27/5. Kashif Bhatti attempted a counter-attack and took two fours from Chris Winter's second over. But shortly afterwards he was bowled by Steve Morgan 13 and Ashcombe were 38/6.

The visitors' decline was terminal and Peter Farrow (0) went 0n 44, Joe Thompson (13) on 51, Tom Warrilow (3) on 57 and, after some last wicket defiance from Dan Sutton (15 not out) Eddie Parrish claimed the last wicket, that of Tom Finney (caught Bamford for two). This was Parrish's first wicket outside of T20 games since he took 2/3 in a Talbot Cup game against Meakins in 2017.

So the Foxes are in the semi-finals of both cup competitions. Opponents as yet unknown, but it promises to be an exciting few weeks.