Cricket round-up: Preston get win but others struggle

Preston are up to fourth in the Championship after a six-wicket win away to Chorleywood.

It was another emphatic all-round performance, led by the bowlers who had the home side under pressure from the word go.

The wickets were shared by Jack Bermingham (2-22), Omar Faleel (2-25), Luke Mursden (2-26) and Justin Powick (2-15) to leave Chorleywood on 150 in the 44th over.

In reply, Preston's top order set about the chase well.

Openers Ed Wharton (39) and the returning James Stevens (42) put on 65 for the first wicket, the latter then sharing a 57-stand for the fourth wicket with Powick (44 not out) to set up the victory, claimed in the 33rd over.

Nathan Sprittles batted well for Letchworth. Picture: DANNY LOO PHOTOGRAPHY (Image: Danny Loo Photography)

Letchworth though are bottom after a third defeat of the season, this one at home to unbeaten Flitwick by eight wickets.

Put into bat, they needed Sajjad Homyoon (56) and Nathan Sprittles (40) to rescue them somewhat, adding 103 together after coming together at 27-3.

Once they were gone though the runs dried up slightly and they finished on 161-8 in their 50 overs.

The reply was done and dusted after 32 overs, an unbeaten 100 from opener George Thurstance the reason.

David Sprittles and Zac Hayes got the only wickets to fall.

Hitchin lost in Division One too, going down by 102 runs at Leverstock Green to drop to sixth.

Losing the toss and being asked to field, it was clear early on that this was going to be a very different affair to the win over Lutonian one week before.

Leverstock's opening batman Sol Tomlinson punished the Hitchin bowling, as well as the dropped catches, making a match-winning 117.

They made 234 with the pick of the visiting bowlers being new recruit, Toqeer Hussain who took an impressive 4-8 in eight overs.

Hussain was also the top scorer with the bat, getting 29, while Matt Maylin was left unbeaten on 27 as they were all out for 132 in the 41st over.

Stevenage continued the miserable run with a seven-wicket loss at Ampthill Town in Division Two A, leaving them bottom and keeping Ampthill top.

Making just 74 batting first, the reply was rattled off in 20 overs.

Michael Tyler (22) and Conor Crosland (17) were the only two to make double figures while Scott Davis and Lee Cope both took one wicket each, combining on the third, a run-out.

Knebworth Park meanwhile remain top of Division Two B, even though they lost for the first time this season.

They had a heavy, 181-run loss at Potters Bar but stay two points above Flitwick.

The day had started very differently though as they had the home side in all sorts of bother at 36-6.

Kobie Richmond had another five wickets, taking 5-33, while Charlie Randall got one more to his tally.

Thereafter though, the home batsmen got to grips with the surface and went on to finish on 240-8.

The same could not be said of the Knebworth batsmen who crumbled to 16-5 before flopping to just 59.

Only a brave and attacking 31 from Richmond stemmed the flow of wickets long enough.

It was a similar story for Ickleford as they lost for the first time this year in Division Three A, the difference being they relinquished their hold on the top spot.

They went down by 80 runs at Tewin who climb above them to second, Ickleford slipping to fifth.

Eswar Krishnamurthy did strike in his first over on his way to figures of 2-8 from his 10 overs but after crawling to 65-2 at half-way, dropped catches allowed Tewin to kick on and reach 180-7.

Sadat Sheraz also took two wickets and there were scalps too for Duncan Jenner and George Crouch.

In reply though, Ickleford's top order were in constant bother with only Sheraz (29) and Crouch (22) able to score anything of note, eventually leaving them all out for 100.

Datchworth are up to fourth after a 44-run success at home to Totteridge Millhillians.

They made 163-9 batting first, Dean jones with 37 not out and Tom Bennett's 31 the best individual scores.

And in reply, Datchworth's bowlers were all on form as Totteridge finished on 119 in the 38th over.

Sam Bridgman got 3-20 and Ben Wiles 3-30 while there were two wickets for Bennett and Nick Winchester.

Elsewhere, Preston seconds lost by two wickets to Hatfield Hyde in Division Four B.

They struggled to get going with only Pete Gooden (42) and skipper David Fleckney (35) finding any sort of fluency, finishing on .

In reply, Preston's opener attack pair, Mark Waters (2-37) and James Battersby (2-21) bowled well and took early wickets to see Hyde floundering at 83-5.

However, Scott Davies batted well for a well-made 53 to settle the Hyde innings and a powerful 65 from number nine Nadeem Ashraf took the game away from Preston. 

The thirds suffered an 88-run loss away to Dunstable.

Dunstable were put into bat and built 168-4 in their 40 overs and Preston couldn't find a spark in reply.

They were bowled out for 80 in the 35th over with only Pushan Chakraborty making any form of start as he got 29.

The fourths also came second, beaten by 52 runs away to Welwyn Garden City.

The home side made 170-8 in their 40 overs with all of Preston's bowlers taking wickets, the best of them being youngster Dillon Beattie who returned 2-9.

Preston started well with the experienced top order of Craig Tennant (20), John Garnham (32) and skipper Dan Phillips (28) all scoring well.

After they fell though, the innings collapsed with Preston reaching 118-7.

Preston did win on Sunday, beating Letchworth in in the Beds League by 59 runs.

Ed Wharton lead from the front with an explosive 110 in 61 balls and Letchworth fell shortwith Jack Bermingham taking 2-30, Arif Islam 2-43, young Arundeep Natt 2-38 and Amit Rajani 3-14. 

Preston will face Reed again, at home in the Village Cup regional final on Sunday.

Hitchin's seconds won at home to Old Haberdashers, underpinned by a superb maiden century of 116 not out by Sam Bayley and 84 by new recruit Rory Ingram.

They posted 261 and Old Habs fell 46 runs short with a five-wicket haul from captain Steve Flint.

The fourths won too, away to Wheathampstead, Oscar Hammond claiming 4-12 and Viren Rajput getting three wickets.

In reply James Mason scored 51.

That was the end of the wins though.

The fifths and sixths both lost, to Knebworth Park fourths and Little Berkhamsted, while the thirds were beaten at home to Potters Bar.

Skipper Jamie Clarke stood out for the threes with 6-32 but with the bat they were bowled out for 71.

Caleb Scanlan was the main star across the fifths and sixths, claiming 3-11.

Hitchin Ladies travelled to Stony Stratford for two T20s, winning both with Hassall scoring 106 and 57.

Ickleford's second team incredibly tied a game for the second time in three weeks.

This one was against Eaton Bray, who they dismissed for 162 with two wickets each for Ollie Ellis-Holmes and Richard Peareth.

An opening partnership of 110 gave them a superb start, Adam Ross making 67 and Tom Willoughby 47.

However, the middle order struggled to make an impact and with wickets falling, four runs were required off the final over.

In the end a single off the last ball snatched the tie.

The thirds posted their first win of the season against Potton Town at Holwell.

Winning the toss, Ickleford opted to bowl first on a slow pitch which offered some variable bounce.

After the openers made a positive start, the introduction of the slow bowlers produced the desired effect with a collapse from 61-1 to 70-8.

Scot Crouch (5-20) and James Kench (3-20) bowled unchanged until Aruna Perera (2-14) mopped up the tail.

In reply, a patient opening partnership of 40 between Sydney Miranda (25) and Mark Howard (15) prevented the loss of early wickets and Ickleford moved steadily to their target in the 33rd over to win by six wickets.

The Sunday team snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Chinnor.

At 52-7 and chasing 118 for victory, defeat seemed very likely.

However an excellent unbroken partnership of 68 between Dave Baker, who made 27 not out and skipper Charlie Jupp, who was unbeaten on 43, saw Ickleford home with a few overs to spare.

Richard Peareth (14) and Richard Brown (15) gave Ickleford a good start but then wickets fell regularly until Baker and Jupp saved the day.

Earlier the wickets were shared out with Joe Dalrymple taking 3-17, Murad Jalili 2-16, Kai Day 2-8 and Dan Barnes 2-22 as Chinnor were dismissed for 117.