Following back to back victories, Houghton played host to high flying Whiston Parish Church. On a sunny day, captain Brown won the toss and elected to bat. Ian Simon and Michael Brown the usual opening pair strode to the crease to be greeted by Richard Spurr and overseas spinner Ahmad Abdullah.

Houghton picked up a number of runs from the typically aggressive Ian Simon early on before the customary early wicket fell, Brown wrapped on the gloves by Abdullah sending the ball spooning up to slip. Brown departing for 5. One became two very quickly with Khurram Javed offering no shot to a Spurr inswinger, trapped LBW without scoring. Ian Simon continued to pick up boundaries but became Abdullah's second victim, caught behind for 33. 56 for 3 became 66 for 4 when Jake Hardcastle was bowled for 13 by Jack Moran.

Tahir Nawaz and Hamzah Younis offered some fight for HMCC, Nawaz being his usual aggressive self against the Whiston spin pairing. Younis' resistance was ended, bowled by Moran for 10, David Merryweather was trapped LBW for a duck by the same bowler, shortly followed by Simon Ward collecting the third duck of the innings, caught off the bowling of Abdullah to leave the hosts reeling in an all too familiar batting hole at 112 for 7.

With three balls remaining to see off Abdullah who had been ripping it square all day, Nawaz decided it was the perfect opportunity to be stumped by half a pitch length after making a brisk 38 from 36 balls. Jonty Wall and Michael Bates hung around for a brief period before Bates was caught and bowled by the returning Spurr who then trapped Ernie Heseltine LBW first ball to be the fourth member of the duck pond, Wall ended unbeaten on 16 as HMCC posted a disappointing 146 in just 38.5 overs.

The hosts knew early wickets would be needed to have any hope of a shock victory. Andrew Tomlinson picked up early boundaries from anything wayward. Ian Simon finally made the breakthrough, bowling Gareth Davies for 4. The introduction of Michael Bates accounted for Tomlinson for 34, a top edged sweep pouched at slip by Tahir Nawaz.

Danny Kemp continued the aggression where Tomlinson had left off, punishing anything off line or length, supported well by James Martin. With the score at 117, Martin was caught behind off the bowling of Bates for 21 but with Kemp now in and the new man Abdullah playing shots from the off the remaining 30 runs required for victory were scored in no time. Whiston claiming victory in just 31 overs.

Another disappointing performance by Houghton Main sees them slip back in to the bottom two and looking at gearing up for a potential relegation scrap in 2017.