Brilliant Banks keeps Hem Heath's survival hopes alive and drops Porthill

Park into relegation danger zone

- Chris Travers

PORTHILL Park became the latest side to find themselves in the NSSCL Premier A relegation zone following their defeat by Hem Heath.

Alsager are rock-bottom of the table - and 24 points from safety - but have had a number of different bed fellows in recent weeks as they battle for survival becomes a merry-go-round.

Longton, Audley and Hem Heath have all been in the bottom two since the halfway point of the campaignand now it's Porthill Park who have dropped into the danger zone with four matches of the season remaining.

It was the return of pink-ball action for sides to head towards the season's conclusion - which suited Hem Heath down to the ground as they banked the points on their road trip.

Porthill Park saw John Hancock make 16 and Tom Longworth and Louis Allison chip in with 15 apiece in the early stages of their innings at the weekend. But it required half-centuries from middle-order pair Ben Cotton, above, and Matt Coxon to propel them to 194-6 from their 45 overs at the Old County Ground.

Cotton hit four fours and three sixes in his 65, with Coxon’s unbeaten 65 featuring eight boundaries and one maximum. Greg Prime took a couple of wickets for the visitors.

Hem Heath broke the back of their target after the interval thanks to a 117-run opening stand between Liam Banks and Sam Wilcox.

Wilcox departed for 46, but Banks continued to a century as Hem Heath managed to wrap up a five-wicket win with more than three overs to spare.

Banks walked off unbeaten on 112, hitting 10 fours and three sixes, to give his side's survival prospects a shot in the arm.

Alsager remain rooted to the foot of the standings after losing at home to second-placed Stone SP.