Cricket round-up: Hitchin still on top after last-over win

They beat Sawbridgeworth by six runs, thanks to a last over success at Lucas Lane.

Winning the toss and electing to bat, the early signs weren’t good as Hitchin lost two wickets in the first two overs.

Shaftab Khalid's 55 led the fightback with Saad Waqas also adding 54.

Contributions from the lower order eventually saw Hitchin post 203-9, slightly below par but more than defendable.

In reply, James Tilbury had the high scoring Joe Joyce caught behind in the fourth over and the home side continued chipping away with wickets.

The momentum swung to the visitors when Charlie Rudkin started expressing himself, making 48 from 55 deliveries, but when Musa Ilyas had him caught in the covers by Khalid Hitchin were back in it.

It came down to the last over, with Sawbridgeworth needing seven runs.

They only had one wicket in hand by this point and the first ball saw Toqueer Hussain slam a delivery into Charlie Mann's pads and he was out LBW.

Stevenage got a valuable win too in Division Two A.

The 94-run success at Radlett means they are now 17 points clear of the bottom two in seventh.

Opener Conor Crosland made 78 while there was 44 from William Kennard as they got to 192-6 in their 50 overs.

And the four bowlers used all chose the afternoon to put on a fine performance, leaving the home side all out for 98.

Satveer Pawar led the charge with 4-22, ahead of 3-30 from Kawlpreet Singh and 2-28 for Lee Cope.

Manohar Kosaraju took 1-15 in his seven overs.

There was no joy in the Championship though as Preston and Letchworth both lost.

Preston went down by 138 runs to Hemel Hempstead.

Hemel opener Hemish Ilangaratne made a decent ton (117), supported by Edward Pike who was 51 not out, giving the home side 236-6 in 60 overs.

And Preston's chase never really gained any momentum, faltering to 98 all out in the 46th over. 

Letchworth were also beaten, although in dramatic circumstances.

They had made 138 batting first at Whitethorn Lane against Chorleywood, skipper Harry Aitkenhead top scoring on 33 with Praveen Bhatti getting 30.

And they kept chipping away with wickets in the second innings.

At one point they had the visitors at 110-8 and then removed Callum Scott on the penultimate ball of the 60th over to leave Chorleywood on 133-9.

Both sides fancied the win but it was the away team who managed it, scoring the winning runs three overs later.

That leaves Letchworth still on the bottom, four points behind St Albans but now 33 behind their visitors.

Knebworth Park lost in Division Two B, beaten by seven wickets at Holtwhites Trinibis despite 63 from Kobie Richmond, who also claimed two wickets.

In Division Three A, Ickleford are fourth and Datchworth fifth after both sides won.

Ickleford defeated Letchworth seconds by four wickets.

Axel Morris and Duncan Jenner each claimed three wickets while Samuel Draper chipped in with two scalps as Letchworth were all out for 169.

Jenner's 54 gave Ickleford the perfect start in reply and Draper (33) and Sadat Sheraz (29) helped pushed the home side to the win.

Harry Houlder got 42 for Letchworth while Tom Watkinson and Adam Jenkins got two wickets each.

Datchworth meanwhile thumped Allenburys & County Hall by 246 runs.

They scored 289-5 in their 50 overs, opener Luke Bennett getting 86 while there was an unbeaten 52 from Tom Vits.

The bowlers though were the real stars as they removed the visitors for just 43.

Nobody for Allenburys got to double figures as Tom Butler got 4-3, aided and abetted by Kieran Atkinson (2-9) and Mitch Constable (2-22).

Elsewhere Preston had a tough day as lack of availability hit hard.

The seconds slipped up against an enthusiastic Flamstead  despite reducing the often spirited batting of Flamstead to 161 all out.

In reply, Preston fell for 117 as no-one in the Preston line-up capitalised and only Chris Cole (17) made any start.

The thirds had the most promising game, nearly beating a very strong Markyate side in Division Eight West.

Preston won the toss and elected to bowl and did well to reduce them to 166-7 from their 40 overs.

In reply, John Garnham top scored with 36 for Preston and they were in with a shout until some fortuitous fielding tipped the scales and saw Markyate secure a squeaky 13 run victory.

The fourths though were beaten comprehensively by Kimpton by nine wickets.

Preston were 48 all out in the 24th over and Kimpton reached the total after 11 overs.

Preston did secured a decent win in the Beds League beating Blunham by three wickets on Sunday.

Preston won the toss and elected to field and Blunham reached 189-8, Gallimore taking 3-12.

In reply, Preston reached 190-7 in the 28th over, runs coming from Murrell (34), Wharton (40), Mercer (26) and Rajani (32). 

Hitchin seconds lost away to Hatfield & Crusaders in Division Four A.

Batting first, they made 164 and although they were in the game in the reply, H&C got home in the 47th over with eight wickets down.

The fifth and sixth teams both lost but the thirds won, beating Shenley Village.

Batting first Hitchin made a respectable 174-6 in their 40 overs with contributions all the way through, although the top score was 43 from Simon Mayes.

In reply Shenley were always in the game but ended up five runs short.

The fourths won too, beating Stevenage fifths.

Hitchin won the toss and elected to field, holding Stevenage to 166-9 in their 40 overs before passing that total in the 31st over.

Ickleford's second team suffered a heavy defeat to top of league Old Elizabethans.

Batting first Elizabethans made 228-7 with Muhummad Kaleem taking 3-33 and Scot Crouch 3-55.

Ollie Ellis Holmes took the other wicket.

After a bright start to the chase with Michael Day hitting a quick fire 22, Tom Willoughby 30 and Adam Ross 25, Ickleford had a disastrous collapse slumping from 79-1 to 82-7.

They eventually made just 102 to lose by 126 runs.

The thirds hosted Wheathampstead at Holwell and after winning the toss and choosing to field, Ickleford’s opening bowlers Scott Dalrymple (1-10) and the returning Will Moore ((1-15), kept a tight rein on Whealthampstead’s batters restricting them to 45-3 after 20 overs.

With wickets in hand, increased intent saw the total reach 146-7 from 40 overs.

Further wickets were claimed by Bharath Puttur (2-21),  JamesKench (2-25) and Aruna Pereira (1-26).

 In reply, it was a familiar story as the Ickleford batsmen  struggled to cope with a slow, damp pitch and some steady and accurate bowling.

A partnership of 27 between father and son Aruna (42) and Akein Pereira (10) was the highlight of the innings, but wickets fell regularly and only some late resistance from Chris Coleman (13) held up the inevitable win for the visitors who bowled out Ickleford for 95 in the 28th over to win by 51 runs.

Only three Ickleford batsmen managed to reach double figures against White Walkers on Sunday.

David Baker led the way with a well worked 50 while George Crouch with 34 and Matt Marsden with 16 gave good support.

But with the other batsmen failing the final score of 133 was never going to present a major challenge to the opponents.

They reached the victory target inside 26 overs for the loss of five wickets.

All the wickets went to junior players. Tom Broughton took 2-19, Joshua Schumann 2-40 and Noah Giggle 1-7.