Saracens Herts League Division 3 London Colney 93-4 beat County Hall 92 by six wickets London Colney travelled to County Hall for their Division Three fixture buoyed by successive wins in the last two weeks, and saw their run of good form extend for a thi

Saracens Herts League Division 3

London Colney 93-4 beat County Hall 92 by six wickets

London Colney travelled to County Hall for their Division Three fixture buoyed by successive wins in the last two weeks, and saw their run of good form extend for a third week.

The home side won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch which soon showed that it was going to lift off a length and offer sideways seam movement. Crucially, on a pitch where the batsmen were always going to have to work for their runs, four of County Hall's top five were bowled playing expansive drives and missing straight half-volleys.

By the time the score reached 53, seven batsmen were back in the pavilion, as Altaf Anwardeen (4-21), Andy Cole (3-40) and David Goff (3-31) got among the wickets. A partnership of 29 between Bartlett (18) and Hale (27) for the third wicket was the only one of note in the entire innings, and despite some late runs from the tail, Hall collapsed to just 92 all out.

The home side's bowlers showed what might have been possible if the batsmen had been able to graft out a total, removing the top four Colney batsmen, all caught behind off seaming deliveries.

It was never enough runs though, and every Colney batsman that came to the crease was able to stick around to reach double figures, as Adam Buckmaster (25) and Tony Holloway (21no) saw Colney home for a third successive win, which sees them comfortably at the right end of the season after the first quarter of the season.

There was double disappointment for the II as they lost at home to Old Cholmelians in a game where once again they will feel they ought to have done better in, and also lost skipper Adam Stuart to a hand injury which will keep him out for an extended spell.

With "Choms" electing to bat first on a fine day in good batting conditions, Colney's bowlers put up a decent show, with the star of the piece being Connor Dow who claimed 5-32 in his two five over spells. He was backed up by Paul Wise and Trevor Ray who claimed two apiece, and on a flat track and fast outfield the visitors were shot out for 169, which should have been well below par in the conditions.

Not for the first time, though, the Colney II batsmen were unable to exploit the success of the bowlers.

Of the top order, only Mitch Bradley (35) got going and Colney found themselves six down before the score had passed 100.

Danny Webster-Smith, striking the ball hard and confidently, reached 30 and looked to be capable of winning the game even from such an unpromising position, but an unnecessary run out cut him off and handed the game back to Old Cholmelians, and with the injured captain forced to bat at number 11, Colney subsided to 127 all out. A third successive failure to post a single batting point, on top of an extended lay off for the skipper, will be giving some cause for concern.