Rickmansworth edge to St Albans win

Sitting at 30 for three, Rickmansworth were teetering but a magnificent 92 from Jonathan Cox added some weight to their challenge as they posted 200 for nine declared off 51 overs.

With drizzle sporadically falling but not enough to bring the players off, St Albans maintained a five runs per over rate and with only 20 runs required off four overs, a tight finish ensued.

Looking ominously like a Rickmansworth defeat, Marc Robinson picked up the final wicket with only four balls to spare to hand them another vital win.

Abbots Langley Seconds continued their poor form as Botany Bay Seconds condemned them to a five-wicket defeat.

Batting first, Abbots’ Mark Bishop was a temporary fixture with a fluid 30 but they soon lost their composure as three quick wickets fell for no runs to leave them with an uphill task.

Dan Gurney (30) and Sam Bailey (37) tried to push the score along but their innings eventually faded away to an under par 146 all out.

Dom Smith began the fightback with two early wickets but the home side could not build on it as Bay secured the handsome win to move above their opponents in the table.

A hard-fought draw at Dunstable Thirds all but put paid to Langleybury Thirds’ hopes of promotion in Division Eight.

Fielding first, two early breakthroughs from Hasnain Ali, who took two for 16, and some tight bowling from fellow opener Ross O’Reilly, gave the visitors some hope, but eight for two quickly became 91 for two as the hosts’ senior players rebuilt their innings through Gilbert (35) and Dave Skinner (66).

Leg spinner Cornes ended up with figures of three for 42 from 14 overs, while Kevin Kelly claimed four for 35 as Dunstable reached 170 for nine from their 53 overs.

A golden duck for number two Gavin Mawn was a bad start for Bury and the wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals.

Bury fought a fine rearguard action though, with Kelly (35 not out) the pick as they held out to finish on 123 for eight.

Hemel Hempstead Fourths were comfortably beaten by North Enfield Seconds, who recorded a nine-wicket victory.

Having won the toss, Hemel elected to bat but could only muster a total of 92 all out with Jack Randall (29) and Rahul Wickhramsinghe (23) their top scorers.

Derrick Sanders excelled with the ball, taking seven for 34 runs and claiming ten maidens from his 18 overs.

North Enfield made minimal fuss of claiming victory, reaching the target for the loss of just one wicket with Alex Williams unbeaten on 41 and Ammar 30 not out.
Rob Shepherd took Hemel’s only wicket.

Rickmansworth Thirds moved up to third from bottom in the Division Nine table after a much-needed win over fellow relegation candidates Cockfosters Thirds by seven wickets.

Tom Watson was the most productive with the ball as he claimed four for 40 as the hosts capitulated from 46 for three to 76 all out.

Rickmansworth then took to their task with aplomb and within 14 overs Raz Khan (43) and Jez Riddlestone had notched most of the vital runs to see them home.

Kings Langley Thirds remain on the cusp of the Division Ten promotion places despite an 83-run defeat at league leaders Frogmore.

Phil Robinson was the pick of the Kings attack as he registered figures of five for 63.
Frogmore clawed their way to 173 all out in the 43rd over and then sought about dismissing their opponents to retain top spot.

The hosts did just that as Kings’ top scorer Logan Turner was dismissed for just 22 and Tim Gould added 19.

The mission was completed in the 37th over as Langley were bowled all out for 90.

Abbots Langley Thirds fell 20 runs short as their contest with Parkfield & Headstone Seconds ended in a draw.

Langley won the toss and asked their opponents to bat and the home side had soon rustled up a 202-target for the visitors to chase.

Lee Rossiter, Nakul Hirani and Mathew Longworth all took two wickets apiece in a spirited Abbots perfomance.

It was then left in the hands of club stalwarts Clive Winder (50) and Ken Parkins (27) to steady the ship after Abbots had lost early wickets.

The reliable partnership of Winder and Parkins set Langley on their way but despite Matthew Longworth’s late onslaught of 41 not out, it wasn't quite enough as Abbots’ reply petered out on 181 for eight in the allotted overs.

Northwood Thirds lost by two wickets to Stevenage Fourths.
Batting first, Northwood posted 151 for nine with Adi Garrola (39) and Ravena Lactaria (31) top-scoring.

However, Stevenage got home, despite the best efforts of Garrola (four for 52) and Charlie Chan (three for 36).

Ladies player Felicity Graves made her league debut for Langleybury Fourths in Division 12 and helped destroy Preston Fourth’s batting line-up to seal a 94-run victory.

Graves, who is 21 and plays for the club’s ladies Pinot Grigio XI, had four for just 14 runs from her first seven overs but was unable to grab a fifth wicket and finished a ten-over spell with figures of four for 35.

Langleybury’s bowling attack dispatched with Preston with ease, the visitors all out for 94.
Earlier, Bury had provided a competitive 188 for nine from their allotted 47 overs.

Skipper Eddie Gunning top-scored with an unbeaten 78 and was backed up by useful contribution of 33 from Jim Lennon.

Chris Young – playing in his 56th consecutive season – shared an unbroken tenth-wicket stand of 34 with the skipper.

Hemel Hempstead Fifths beat Rickmansworth Fourths by six wickets after skipper Trevor Radcliffe picked up three for 30.

Ricky were bowled out for 135 with Mike Atkins (48) and Jon Wood (15) top-scoring for the visitors.

In response, Hemel lost four wickets en route to reaching a score of 139, claiming the win thanks to 56 from Chris Wright and 40 from Keiran Sarsons.
Atkins took two for 18 from his five overs.

Rickmansworth Fifths jumped off the foot of the Division 13 table with a 92-run victory over newly-installed bottom side Waltham Cross Rosedale Fourths.

The Fifths chose to bat after winning the toss with captain Paul Blackwell (78) leading by example with a solid innings as his side made 160 for five.

The decision paid off as Cross were skittled out for just 68.

Meraj Zia took five for 24 to do most of the damage and give his side a morale-boosting win.
Northwood Town Thirds beat Reed Fourths by four wickets, with Pradip Pandey playing a crucial role with a fine 85.

In a frenetic first four overs, Sumeet Khetia (three for 75) took three wickets, but Deville (124) and Ward (92 not out) were then ruthless, putting on an outstanding 200-run partnership.

Tarang Katira finally removed Deville in his second spell before Reed declared on 249 for four.
In response, Town lost Kunal Patel in the first over and it fell to Khetia and Pandey to consolidate.

Just as the scoring picked up though, disaster struck as Khetia fell for 43 and then the required rate moved up to nearly nine runs an over.

Nic Patel reached 16 off his first six balls before Pandey fell for 85. Jonathan Bentvelzen ensured there was no respite and Patel smashed the winning runs to bring Town home with plenty to spare.

A crucial 80-run partnership between Puneet Patni (79) and Scott Nixon (32) helped Abbots Langley Fourths to a draw with Hertford Fifths.

Langley did their best with the ball after losing the toss. Bob Russell claimed three for 112 but Hertford eventually racked up an impressive 249 for six declared.

Abbots did not find it easy with the bat as they slumped to 28 for six.
However Patni and Nixon dug in to secure the stalemate and keep them in the hunt for the final promotion spot.