Saracens Herts League Division Three London Colney 108-10 (43.2) Kings Langley 111-8 (28.4) LONDON Colney and hosts Kings Langley produced a competitive game of cricket in tough conditions on Saturday. After winning the toss, Colney skipper Mat Bristow

Saracens Herts League Division Three

London Colney 108-10 (43.2) Kings Langley 111-8 (28.4)

LONDON Colney and hosts Kings Langley produced a competitive game of cricket in tough conditions on Saturday.

After winning the toss, Colney skipper Mat Bristow opted to bat first, looking for his batsmen to post a match winning total, but instead saw them have to fight hard for every run they got.

Langley's pace attack found bounce and movement off the pitch which left Colney's top order digging in, until Alex McCartney (31) and Tony Holloway (37) led a fight-back. By the 25th over, Colney stood on 90-4, which was probably a fair reflection of the game, with wickets for Kings Langley's bowlers and runs reflecting two excellent Colney innings.

When Holloway became the fifth man out, the wheels came off Colney's innings. Japanauth and Morton took three wickets each as Colney lost their last six wickets for just 18 runs, to fall all out for 108 in the 44th over. It was a real disappointment as even at the time, Colney's players felt that anything much over 150 would have probably been a match winning total in the conditions.

Despite their disappointment, Colney's bowlers gave it a terrific go in the second innings. Tim Fretter, bowling with as much pace and hostility as he has ever found for Colney ripped out the top order with an explosive spell of 4-41, and when Uzman Zaman (3-58) got into the act, Kings Langley were reeling at 56-6.

Cooke (17) and then Langley's skipper Haughton (14) played crucial innings, to take the home side to 90, but when Zaman and David Goff claimed wickets in quick succession, Langley stood at 90-8, with the last man absent, and Colney a wicket away.

Pinchin (13) and Sifts kept their nerve, and aided by good fortune, the home side edged home on 111-8 for a victory that their excellent bowling performance probably merited.

Despite playing far better cricket than at this stage last season, Colney still find themselves winless after the first three games, and at the wrong end of the table.

l At home London Colney II entertained Kings Langley II in Division Seven.

Curiously the two sides produced a match that was more or less mirror image of the first XI fixture.

Batting first, Kings Langley II were put under the cosh by fine bowling from Simon Fretter (2-47) Connor Dow (3-27) and Den Hadley (3-27). Only opener Smith with a half century held Colney at Bay, and at 84-8 Kings Langley looked like struggling to reach 100. The last pair of Bennet (25) and Beattie (15) however stuck around undefeated to lift the visitors to 127-9 at the close.

Colney started off looking like coasting it as Jonathan Jenkins (30) and Trevor Ray (26) took them to 50-1.

At that point however, Kings Langley's bowlers, led by Sanders (4-48) struck back, and Colney collapsed to 94-7.

Jerry Fretter (18) and Den Hadley (14) kept their nerve and saw Colney home in an agonisingly tense finish, as 20 needed from the last three overs, turned into six from the last over, and one off the final ball, before the wining run saw Colney win by two wickets.