ALEXANDRA Park kept their promotion hopes alive, with the bowlers rescuing another victory after a second successive slump with the bat. AP won the toss and opted to bat. The plan seemed to be working...

MIDDLESEX CHAMPIONSHIP

ALEXANDRA PARK (122) beat HANWELL (107)

ALEXANDRA Park kept their promotion hopes alive, with the bowlers rescuing another victory after a second successive slump with the bat.

AP won the toss and opted to bat. The plan seemed to be working as skipper Derick Cordy and Alistair Wilson shared an opening stand of 68, but the wheels then came off for the second week in a row.

Wickets fell as the change bowling proved hard to score against on a slow pitch, and Park's total of 122 looked 60 or 70 runs short of par.

To have any chance, AP needed quick wickets after tea and fast bowler Erik Van Dommelen struck early. Nigel Bagley (3-30) took two more and Bernard De Kock another two to have Hanwell 60-5 at drinks.

Spinner Munish Grover and Bagley put Hanwell in further trouble at 80-8 and, although the ninth wicket pair took the score past 100, a catch from Cordy and a leg-side stumping from wicketkeeper Mike McGowan ended the contest.