CRICKET - IT was a grrrrr-EIGHT weekend for Prestwich as they stole a march on their closest rivals with a dazzling double.

The side now stand eight points clear at the top of the Lees Lancashire County League, as their nearest pursuers slipped up.

Prestwich pace bowler Chris Humphreys returned to his best, taking 11 wickets over the two winning games, and professional Craig Duxbury continued his rich vein of form with a century at Roe Green.

Duxbury's innings provided the backbone of his side's score on Saturday when they reached a total of 206 for 8.

He raced to his 50 in 62 balls, but then renewed his determination by diligently working his way to the three-figure mark, taking another 90 balls.

After attaining his century -- his 14th for the club -- he smashed two sixes in the next three balls before being caught by Ali for 113.

A 129-run partnership with captain Steve Orrell, showing he was again in fine fettle with 41, ensured constant switching of the Roe Green bowlers.

Andy Bradley resumed his miserly ways with the ball in a mean opening 12-over spell, which gave away just 22 runs and claimed the wicket of Sackfield.

Humphreys had already had Higson caught by wicketkeeper Ian Walker for eight, but it was man-of-the match Duxbury who made the ultra-important breakthrough, forcing fellow pro Paul Green to slice a simple catch to Mike Hudson at gully, just two short of his fifty.

Humphreys in full rhythm was making life hard for the opposition and Ali fell to him as Paul Mercer beautfuilly judged a skier at extra cover.

Duxbury struck twice more, finishing with 3-26, before it became a battle to bowl out the tail end or, at least, prevent them reaching the three-quarter mark of 155, which would have given them a point and restricted Prestwich to three.

Alex Blake was given a belated call-up and he did the trick by bowling Williams and then forced Wright to loft a catch to that man Duxbury, giving Green the blues at 152 all out, and earning an elated Prestwich team five points.

Thornham provided the opposition at The Heys on Sunday, resulting in a magnificent seven for Humphreys.

He removed the free-scoring Phil Sutcliffe when his lofted cut was safely snapped up by the athletic Jamie McAndrew.

Bradley then bowled a peach to John Willman, who looked in good form.

With the score on 23 for 2, the pace of play changed as Walsh (11) and pro Chris Warren (18) dug in and it became a battle of attrition.

Bradley's opening eight-over burst finished with 1-8, including six successive maidens, while Humphreys began to whittle his way through the line-up.

Duxbury got in on the act, with a wicket in his six overs at a cost of just six runs, but the honours went to Humphreys whose 22 overs reaped figures of 7-37, and Thornham slumped to 83 all out.

A 35-run stand between Duxbury (21) and teenager Mike Hudson set up a comfortable success.

Hudson made a spritely 35 before he was caught behind with just five runs wanted, and when Matty Walsh cracked the next delivery, a no-ball, for four, another five points were safely in the Prestwich bag.