Premier Division

West Herts were unable to sign off the 2018 season with victory after tasting defeat for a fourth successive game by 74 runs against Welwyn Garden City on Saturday, a result that means they finish eighth.

With the Park Avenue club’s Premier Division status confirmed, they took the opportunity to blood some of their younger talent by handing debuts to two 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old for the visit of third-place City.

Welwyn won the toss and batted first on a sticky wicket, losing opening Alex Chalker for 13 off the bowling of Josh Stevens (1-53) with 32 runs on the board.

Louis Champion’s half-century helped the visitors tick over but he was bowled by Stags captain Ian Gurney (3-51) for 52.

The star for Welwyn was former England batsman Owais Shah who posted a battling 87 not out to help his side to 226-5 from their 50 overs.

In reply, the Stags got off to a bright start as Craig Sanders crashed 45, but when he eventually fell with the score at 85-4, the hosts rapidly collapsed to 152 all out as only William Jones’ 33 offered any assistance.

Radlett enjoyed a more productive last game of the season as they beat Hertford at Cobden Hill by six wickets to move up to fifth.

They had to bide their time in the hunt for a breakthrough after an opening stand of 60 between Hertford openers Richard Leather (39) and William Ray (22).

An inspired bowling change did the trick as Ray was caught off the bowling of Muhammed Adil Zareef – the first of his five scalps en route to impressive figures of 5-22 off his 10 overs.

The visitors continued to push the total up towards a competitive one thanks to contributions from Benjamin Cowell, who top-scored with 53, and 37 from Max Lawrance.

Hertford were also aided by 39 runs in the extras columns as they made 228-9 from their 50 overs.

In reply, Radlett overcame a shaky start that saw them lose both Josh De Caires for 15 and Charlie Nicholls for one to reach their victory target with 6.2 overs to spare.

A captain’s innings from Joe Cooke (70), 41 from William Wright and unbeaten knocks of 39 and 37 from Fraser Crawford and Tom Jenkins respectively, saw Radlett home.

Championship

Hemel Hempstead Town toasted victory on the last day of the season and grabbed the all-important local bragging rights after downing Leverstock Green by 76 runs to finish in fifth.

Hosts Hemel batted first but were all out for 190 as Majid Khan produced an inspired bowling performance to finish with figures of 5-43.

The Heath Park outfit had opener Hemish Ilangaratne to thank after he posted his fifth half-century of the season to top score with 67.

And subsequent knocks from Johan Maritz (38) and an unbeaten 30 from Jack Doodson would prove indispensable in dragging Town to a total they could defend.

Hemel were ruthless with ball in hand as they first reduced Green to 66-8 before skittling them out for 114 inside 22 overs.

Late resistance proved futile, despite the best efforts of Abbas Ali (23 not out) and Sam Mazurek (15) as Steve Reader led the charge with figures of 4-35 for the hosts.

Division Two A

Watford Town had to make do with fourth spot after a narrow eight-run defeat at the hands of already-promoted Preston.

Batting first at Woodside, Preston posted a modest 189-8 from their allotted overs having recovered from 42-3 with a century stand.

Watford’s chances of victory were in danger of extinguishing at 56-4 before a strong stand between Kashif Ali, who passed 50 in his final innings for the club, and Naseer Ahmed (61) took them to 139.

However, Town only scored 28 off the final 15 overs to fall agonisingly short of a win that would have secured back-to-back third-place finishes.

Abbots Langley rounded off their campaign with a three-wicket win at home to lowly Northwood.

The hosts made early inroads to reduce Northwood to 41-3 as David Cleary claimed two of those wickets.

Barry Warner took 2-14, including the bizarre dismissal of Wood captain Ross Noach for 79 after the ball dribbled onto the stumps, as the visitors made 186-8.

Cleary was the mainstay in reply with an unbeaten 88, and there was good support from Will Graves (32), as Abbots got the win that confirms their place in seventh.

Division Three B

Hemel Hempstead Town Seconds’ campaign has ended on something of a damp squib after a second successive defeat, this time to Southgate Adelaide by 23 runs.

That leaves Hemel in a respectable fourth place but they were distinctly second best in north London against second-bottom Adelaide.

It was Southgate who batted first and Craig Lyte (67) and Andy Ferguson (61) put on 128 for the first wicket before both became victims of Anjam Khan (2-51).

Disciplined bowling from Rory Fraser (3-26) kept the score down as the hosts posted 251-6 from their 50 overs.

Hemel’s downfall in response came in their inability to turn good starts into telling contributions as Kevin West (46) and Ed Langley (37) both departed.

And a spirited last-wicket stand involving Rory Fraser (31 not out) came too little, too late as Hemel fell short of a last-day win.

Division Five A

There was better news for Watford Town Seconds as they made sure of promotion with victory at London Colney.

Watford posted a competitive 252-8 from their innings, a total chiefly constructed around the exploits of Muhammed Syed (94).

The hosts then lost two wickets in the opening two overs of their reply and victory looked a formality for Town at that stage.

Then, after a recovery had taken Colney from 146-7 to 225-8, Watford claim the final two scalps required in the penultimate over to commence their promotion celebrations.

Division Six B

Hemel Hempstead Town Thirds joined Abbots Langley Seconds in earning promotion from Division Six B with an emphatic six-wicket home victory over the side already crowned champions.

Abbots toiled for 36 ineffectual overs as a rampant Hemel bowling unit tore through their card to dismiss them for just 94; Eranda Jayasinghe (3-14) and Bryan Davies (3-30) led the charge at the Nursery Ground.

That setback shook Abbots into life as Dan Gurney (4-30) led a one-man charge to disrupt what had looked a certain home victory at the halfway stage.

However, an unbeaten 47 from Ryan Bell capped the win that Hemel required to confirm their place in the division above for the 2019 season.

Division Nine B

There were local bragging rights, too, for Hemel Hempstead Town Fourths after they rounded off their campaign in fourth place with a narrow two-wicket success at neighbours Boxmoor Seconds.

The hosts were all out for 209 as Boxmoor opener Kelly Low top-scored with 66 and Nic Benson led the way with the ball for Hemel with figures of 3-44.

A half-century from Hemel batsman Will Stokes (56) was complemented by scores of 24 from Dil Khan and 23 from Jim Langley to seal a narrow win that came after Hamid Jafri had earlier taken figures of 4-36.