HEMEL HEMPSTEAD fifth XI moved off the basement of Division 11 with a comprehensive 94-run win at Rickmansworth third XI on Saturday, June 7.

Ricky were on the back foot before the game even got under way, with one player failing to turn up and another breaking his arm in pre-match practice.

Veteran Chris Wright led from the front for Hemel with 37, followed by youngster Jamie Potton (35). Fellow up-and-coming players Taq Hussain (28) and Anjar Ahmed (23) helped the score along, and a late flurry from Omar Parvez (23) saw Hemel reach 228, although they were helped by 39 extras. The pick of the Ricky attack were Asif Khan (4-42) and his cousin Sajeed Khan (3-36).

A fine opening spell from Natasha Chapman (2-6 off five overs) got the visitors off to a fine start.

However, Ricky's stand-in skipper Ben Alnutt did his best with the bat, notching up a quick-fire 50, and he and Simon Craig (30) took the score to 129 for 3. However, when both departed the long tail offered no resistance and Ricky collapsed to just 135 all out, with Asif Iqbal (4-13) and Potten (2-6) doing the damage.

Meanwhile, Northwood third XI kept their nerve on a deteriorating pitch to hold out for a draw against Bragbury.

Having won the toss, Bragbury opted to bat and they made a fairly slow start against the attack of Reeve and Karim. But a good middle-oder innings was then grafted by Cox (51), supported by Clarke (34) and Jones (46) on a wicket with no bounce.

Bragbury were eventually restricted to 193 off 53 overs after losing their last four wickets for just one run. Reeve finished with the best figures of 6-61 off 20 overs.

Northwood responded confidently, with Warren and Simms putting on 60. But quick wickets were then lost, and at 72-5 Wood were struggling on a wicket that had deteriorated to such an extent that 50 per cent of deliveries rose above ankle height.

The remaining batsmen then dug in to try and retrieve a difficult situation, which they largely succeeded in doing as they closed on a total of 130-7.

Also in the division, after bowling leaders Harpenden fourth XI out for 140, Abbots Langley third XI were unable to capitalise on this as a batting collapse saw them crumble to a 20-run defeat.

Sohail certainly did not deserve to finish on the losing side after ending with figures of 5-42 but, with bat in hand, Abbots again failed to make the grade.

Only Gordon Gentry was able to make an impression with a indomitable 37 as Abbots fell to 120 all out in little more than 41 overs.

Meanwhile, a sequence of four matches without a win ended conclusively for Bushey second XI, when, at last able to field a full-strength side, Chorleywood third XI were brushed aside by seven wickets.

Skipper Sagheer Ahmed won the toss and inserted their opponents, with Qamar Ahmed (3-48) leading the attack with plenty of bounce and swing.

The ever-reliable Dave Price offered valuable support, while Alqas Choudry spun a web around the Chorleywood batsmen, who failed to pick up his deliveries throughout his spell.

Between them, they limited Chorleywood to 155-8 off their 53 overs, and then made swift work of the chase.

The cornerstone of their innings was a 92-run stand between Ahmed (38) and Richard Wolstenholme, who batted patiently for his unbeaten 66, before a rapid 22 from Mark Rothwell at the end of the innings carried Bushey over the line.