Championship

Bottom side Langleybury claimed their first win of the season after they defeated Old Finchleians by six wickets on Saturday.

Bury lost the toss and started the game in the field. Finchleians’ innings was interrupted by rain and ten overs were lost. However, they went on to post 194 for nine off of their 55 overs.

Khalid Manzoor was the pick of the bowlers with four for 46 while Richard Oxley ended with three for 65.

In reply, Bury made a solid start. Their opening partnership of Mo Manzoor and Josh Roe performed well before Manzoor was dismissed for 72.

Roe played patiently and scored 36 before he returned to the pavilion. A couple more wickets fell before Richard Soulsby came to the crease and he helped steer Langleybury to victory in the 40th over.

Chorleywood had to settle for a draw in their match at Hoddesdon – a game they dominated almost from start to finish.

Having lost the toss and been asked to bat first, Wood responded by racking up 289 all out – their highest total of the season so far.

Opener Scott Aspinall top-scored with a fine 91 but was backed up with good knocks from skipper Tom Smithson (47) and Will Pendred (41) as the visitors dominated the Hoddesdon attack to put themselves in the box seat at the interval.

Wood’s bowlers found the going tough as Hoddesdon put on a number of decent partnerships, but they kept chipping away and taking wickets at regular intervals to ensure that the home side were always looking to save the game, rather than chase down their target.

Spinner Pendred continued his good game as he ended with four for 62 from his 17 overs whilst paceman Dave Bushnell picked up two late wickets to apply more pressure on the Hoddesdon tail.

However, Wood ran out of overs to force the win and had to settle for a share of the points as the home side finished on 198 for eight.

West Herts suffered their third defeat of the campaign as they went down by seven wickets against Totteridge Millhillians.

The Stags won the toss but were soon in trouble as they slipped to 87 for six. However, an impressive recovery followed and West Herts were able to post a total of 254 for eight. Ian Gurney scored 52 while Craig Sanders performed admirably with 81 not out. Totteridge’s reply started brightly and they quickly established a strong innings. The Stags’ bowling attack was put to the sword and Millhillians chased down the runs in 41 overs.

Premier Division

Hemel Hempstead made it back-to-back league wins as they overcame Sawbridgeworth by a commanding 104 runs.

Hemel batted first and put themselves in control as Brett Penny led the way for the home side with a run-a-ball 115.

Adam Winchester, in at number three, also impressed as he scored 79 to help Hemel post 234. Sawbridgeworth relied on two bowlers, Ryan Cunningham claimed five for 56 while Ben Waring ended with five for 70.

Hemel dominated with the ball and Rob Sanders clinched a wicket with the first delivery of Sawbridgeworth’s reply.

Dan Wilson was the stand-out bowler, however, as he went on to seal five for 28. Waring and Cunningham showed late resistance but the visitors were dismissed for just 130.

Division One

Kings Langley produced a disappointing display against Luton Town and Indians but managed to clinch a draw.

Luton ran up a total of 250 for five against an under-strength Kings bowling attack, the pick of which were Ben Joyce (two for 26) and Matt Wells (two for 40).

Given 52 overs to reply, wickets fell at a steady rate and Langley eventually closed on 171 for nine. Paul Ashford top-scored with 28 and Brad Hughes steered Langley to the draw with 18 not out.

Division Two

Northwood produced a fine bowling display to complete a comfortable 131-run win against Preston.

Wood batted first and they started sluggishly. Two early wickets fell before overseas player Davel Panchal (100) and Danny Rodgers (54) helped rebuild the innings.

Northwood went to on post a total of 223 for five and it was one they defended with ease. James Lewis bowled superbly and ended with five for 22. Panchal added to his century with three for 24 and Preston were all out for just 92.

Watford Town completed a comfortable nine-wicket victory in a low-scoring contest against Baldock Town.

Skipper Ibrar Hanif won the toss and duly asked Baldock to bat. The bowling of Ravi Panchal made the early breakthrough and he was ably supported by spinners Cookie Latif (four for 26) and Qasim Kayani (four for 22).

Good work in the field further helped Watford and they dismissed their opponents for 91 from just 35 overs.

Watford, after losing the early wicket of Shammi Hussain, were seen home without any problems by a solid display and a match-winning partnership between Obbaid Shahid (47 not out) and Gulfraz Riaz (35 not out), who chased down the required total within 24 overs.

Abbots Langley were held to a draw by Ickleford.

Batting first, Jack Read (29), a fine 108 from Jimmy Davies and Tom Carson (30 not out) got Abbots to 222. Ickleford responded in kind as they kept up with the run rate but they also steadily lost wickets.

At 120 for five it looked like Abbots would seal that elusive win with skipper Mathew Dunstone bowling superbly to finish with eight for 65. But Ickleford hung on at 205 for nine to deny Langley a deserved win.

A boundary-laden century from Tasmanian Marc Simonds – aided by 54 from opener Lewis Koch and Nick Merrett’s unbeaten 50 – helped Leverstock Green complete a 58-run win against Wheathampstead.

Green posted 236 and the visitors set about the run chase with purpose. But they ran into an on-song Brad Klosterman, who grafted to take six for 49 from 21 overs. Simonds removed the opposition’s key batsman as Wheathampstead were removed 58 runs short of victory.

Faisal Iqbal hit two runs from the final ball of the game to help Hemel Hempstead Seconds claim a two-wicket victory against County Hall.

Hemel had started the game in the field and made their way to 196 for eight from their 53 overs. Only the spin of Iqbal made any major impact and he ended with four for 45.

The Hemel reply was solid but not spectacular. Matt Dale struck 45 while Jon Pearson looked set for more runs before he was dismissed for 39.

Wickets continued to fall and two runs were required off the final delivery in order to seal victory.

Iqbal proved the match winner as he steered his shot into space and was able to clinch the victory for Hemel.