A STUNNING batting performance guided Colwyn Bay to a six-wicket home win over Liverpool and District Cricket League Premier Division rivals Bootle.

The Penrhyn Avenue side did their hopes of avoiding the drop a tremendous amount of good, and they are now 33 points above the bottom two with four games remaining ahead of their trip to basement dwellers Highfield on Saturday.

Bay made the perfect start to their time in the field when Ryan Holtby clean bowled opener Will Hale for a duck, but things looked bleak thereafter thanks to three outstanding knocks from Michael Farrell, Sam Kershaw and Vishal Tripathi to put the visitors in the ascendancy.

Farrell and Kershaw were both caught and bowled by Adam Campion after making 51 and 56, with Holtby superbly running out Tripathi on 54.

Another notable contribution came from wicketkeeper Neil Williams, who finished the day unbeaten on 54, with Campion claiming one more wicket to take his final tally to 3-91 as the away side set a formidable target of 261-8 declared.

The hosts got off to a positive start thanks to an opening stand of 79 from Zack Gidlow and Will Higginson until the latter was caught and bowled by Bharat Tripathi, with George Johansen soon following him back to the pavilion after contributing just six.

Gidlow got some much-needed time in the middle with a score of 61, before overseas star Dimeth Hawathanthree took over proceedings with a match-winning innings to lead his side to glory and score 91 not out for his efforts.

He was aided considerably at the other end by skipper Sion Morris, who notched an unbeaten 51 as the pair put on 116 partnership as they reached their required total after 52 overs in the middle.