Premier Division

West Herts’ unbeaten start to the Herts League season came to an end with a disappointing nine-wicket defeat against Potters Bar on Saturday.

Put into bat, the Stags never came to terms with some excellent bowling from the Bar seamers. Only Alastair Lewis (25), Jaahid Ali (32) and Ian Gurney (24) threatened to build an innings but were unable to go on to make significant contributions.

Spinner Thilan Walallawita came on later in the innings and helped by some injudicious shots by the lower order, he completed a match-winning spell by taking 5-9 off 10 overs as West Herts subsided to 120 all out.

After an initial success for the hosts with William Jones dismissing Mike Palmer (8), Bar, aided by some poor catching by the slip cordon, made short work of their modest target.

Both Steve Gale (60 not out) and James Scott (55 not out) reached their half-centuries to secure a comfortable win and send the leaders at the start of play down to third in the table.

Radlett’s disappointing run of form extended to a second straight defeat as they went down to a nine-wicket loss against Totteridge Millhillians.

The defeat always looked to be on the cards as the off-colour Cobden Hill side only managed to score 128 runs before being skittled out in the 43rd over.

Three of their number were sent back to the shed without scoring, while three more mustered a solitary run and another added just five.

Such was the lack of staying power in the Radlett ranks, a score of sub-100 could easily have been on the cards and they owed much to the individual efforts of Kabir Toor.

It is not the first time this season Toor has led from the front and he comfortably top-scored with 64 before being caught.

Matthew Rose was the only other Radlett man who could claim to have battled back against the rapidly advancing Totteridge tide and finished the day with 20 to his name.

With a meagre total to defend, Radlett were always going to find it tough in the field and needed to be as economic as possible to come away with anything.

Such ambitions were soon put to bed by a commanding display with the bat from Totteridge, which ensured they lost just a solitary wicket en route to the win.

Anthony Hill was the only man to get any reward for his efforts with the ball and finished with figures of 1-36 in a loss Radlett will be eager to put behind them as swiftly as possible after dropping to sixth in the table.

Championship

There was frustration for Hemel Hempstead Town, who were unable to convert having the upper hand throughout their game into a win against Flitwick.

More particularly, it was a failure to dismiss Sri Lankan Nadeera Nawela, who made an unbeaten 115 and saw the home side hold out for a draw.

Moving into the ‘timed’ matches part of the season, Hemel won the toss and batted, making 281-8 from their permitted 60 overs after getting off to a strong start.

Hemish Ilangaratne (52) and Lewis Hodgins (55) put on 112 for the first wicket, Brett Penny followed up with 43 and Johan Mortitz added 67 at number four to help build a score for their side to play with.

The visitors then tore into the Flitwick batting, reducing them to 75-4 with a wicket for Penny (1-23) and three for Steve Reader (3-31), including that of captain and Beds minor counties player George Thurstance for a duck.

Flitwick then chose to shut up shot and play out time. Hemel tried everything and ended up bowling 68 overs, but their opponents – and particularly Nawala – held out for a draw for the loss of seven wickets.

Division Two A

A fine display of batting and running between the wickets from David Cleary and Will Graves saw Abbots Langley defy the odds and beat Hitchin by five wickets.

Chasing 222 to win and having lost Jack Bishop (0), Nick Gurney (8) and Michael Burgess (11), Abbots were 66 behind the run rate at the halfway stage.

But Cleary continued to play his game and with Matt Parkins coming in at number five, the pair put on 97 after the latter had struck six fours and a six before he was stumped on 52.

George Agius came in and hit a quick-fire 14 to leave Langley needing 23 runs with three overs remaining.

That was reduced to 16 off the last six deliveries and two fours from Graves, a pair of twos and four byes saw Abbots over the winning line.

Hitchin had earlier been bowled out for 221, with Gurney taking 4-18 and Scott Nixon claiming his maiden first-team scalp.

Bottom-of-the-table Bishop’s Stortford Seconds were no match for Watford Town, who racked up a massive total of 366-7 in their 50 overs to help set them up for a 224-run victory.

Town’s huge total was mainly built on a second-wicket stand of 199 between Kashif Ali, who went on to score 128, and Ali Mitru (87).

Although both fell within three overs of each other, the tone had been set and the remaining batsmen put on more than 100 in the last 15 overs.

The Stortford reply never got off the ground and half the team was out within 22 overs with only 55 on the board.

An eighth-wicket stand of 40 added some respectability but with young spinner Ahsan Sajjad taking four wickets, Town held on to third place with ease.

Division Three B

Hemel Hempstead Town Seconds eased their problems at the wrong end of the table as they saw off Harpenden Thirds by six wickets with 10 overs to spare.

Batting first, Harpenden struggled to get going as the hosts’ bowling tied them down and they were ultimately removed for 190.

Ed Langley had the pick of the figures with 3-34, while 2-41 from Rory Fraser and Alifie Bordoley’s 2-44 were the next best returns.

Neil Morgan always kept Hemel ahead of the chase and when he was out for 89 the score was 116 and not even half of the allotted overs had been used up.

The home side only needed to keep the scoreboard ticking over and Craig Weston’s unbeaten 35 ensured victory was sealed for the loss of four wickets.

Division Four B

West Herts Seconds remain level at the top of the table after demolishing Stevenage Seconds by 225 runs.

Such a margin of victory looked some way off when after deciding to bat on a good-looking wicket, the early loss of Vinesh Gorasia was compounded when the returning Kie Farrell was trapped leg before wicket for 19 to leave the Stags 40-2.

But there followed a succession of strong batting performances as Richard Mason (56), Rahul Gajjar (56), Waheeed Chaudhary (53) and McLean (31 not out) all made good contributions to set an imposing total of 320-7.

West Herts rammed home their advantage as Josh Stevens ripped through the top order to take 3-30, ably supported by Raoul Harding’s 1-28.

Without the usual spin options, it was left to Chaudhary (2-19) and Ryan Magee (3-21) to complete the rout as Stevenage were dismissed for 115.

Division Five A

Watford Town Seconds went top of the table with a hard-fought five-wicket victory over Waltham Cross Rosedale at Woodside.

When the visitors were reduced to 108-9, an early finish was in prospect but a last-wicket stand of 76 meant that the Town’s batsmen were facing a big challenge.

In pursuit of 175 to win, the response was soon faltering at 23-2. But mainly through Mo Syed, with steadfast support from Gufraz Riaz, the deficit was reduced to less than 100, before both batsmen fell in successive overs.

The middle order of Haseeb Khan and Usman Majid ignored the pressure and doubled the total before Khan fell with only 20 runs required.

This didn’t halt the home team’s momentum and the target was achieved with 13 overs to spare.

Division Six B

Another comfortable win for Hemel Hempstead Town Thirds ensured they moved level at the summit with Allenburys & County Hall Seconds after they were beaten at home by Abbots Langley Seconds.

Opponents Old Elizabethans Seconds had little answer to the variety of the Hemel attack as they were bowled out for 132, with Bryan Davies claiming 3-13 in 10 overs and Matt Judd 2-47 off the same number.

Aaron Wilson held Hemel’s reply together with an unbeaten 48, Suren Perera blasted 34 and Ryan Wilson added 26 as a four-wicket victory was duly secured.

Division Nine B

More than 560 runs were scored for the loss of only one wicket as Hemel Hempstead Town Fourths won an extraordinary game against leaders Sandridge Seconds.

The table-topping visitors must have thought their unbeaten record would remain intact after batting first and scoring 279-1.

But Hemel captain and fellow opener Ryan Bell had other ideas and their superb undefeated innings of 129 and 135 respectively saw the target reached 42 overs.

The result had no effect on the league standings though, with Sandridge staying stop and their opponents in fifth place.