The Elstree wicket was a batting paradise on Saturday and in swelteringly hot conditions both teams were hoping to win the toss and bat.

The Elstree captain, Stewart Walter, won the toss, and to the delight of his team, and despite a batting line-up missing two key players, he elected to bat.

Walter (61) opened the innings with makeshift opener Chris Barnes (1), but Elstree soon lost their first wicket with 10 on the board.

Craig Barker (26) joined the captain and took the total to 42 before Barker was bowled.

The Elstree innings teetered at 42-2 and needed stabilising when John Grace (33) came to the wicket. The pair added 82 runs, batting soundly, and gave some much-needed respectability to the total. With the Elstree tail wagging all the way down, the total reached 180-9 at the close.

In truth, on this wicket, 180 was not enough runs and, as hard as Elstree's bowlers toiled, Greenwood Park reached the total comfortably with almost 10 overs to spare. Gary Mahoney (1-48) was the only Elstree bowler to take a wicket.

Elstree II 180-9

Greenwood Park 182-1

Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League Division Nine

August 21, 2002 14:30