SHL Division Seven Flamstead 214-8 beat Harpenden IV 121 by 93 runs FLAMSTEAD joined Watford Town II at the top of Division Seven with 203 points after beating Harpenden IV by 93 runs. With Harpenden just behind Flamstead by nine points in third position

SHL Division Seven

Flamstead 214-8 beat Harpenden IV 121 by 93 runs

FLAMSTEAD joined Watford Town II at the top of Division Seven with 203 points after beating Harpenden IV by 93 runs.

With Harpenden just behind Flamstead by nine points in third position this was a crucial match for both team.

The visitors won the toss and asked Flamstead to bat first.

The home side got off to a steady start with an opening stand of 32 off nine overs before young Colt Ben Brownlie (seven) was run out.

For the second week running the Flamstead top order failed as Banks (4), Brown (11), Oswin (14) and Lindley (1) could not build an innings and it was left to skipper Andy Taylor (48) to see them past 100.

With Jason Guest (2-30) and Tom Cuppello (4-32) bowling well Flamstead were struggling on 103-7 after 31 overs but the next partnership changed the course of the match.

The experienced duo of Mike Bradbeer and chairman Tim Wilkinson started to rebuild the innings. The both patiently played themselves in and took the score to 147 off 45 overs.

With only eight overs left they both decided it was time to push the score along and proceeded to hit a further 67 runs in an excellent stand of 111. When the last over arrived both Bradbeer and Wilikinson were on 48 but only Wilkinson (51) completed his fifty with Bradbeer stranded on 49*.

Wilkinson was run out off the last ball.

From a very dodgy 103-7 the pair got Flamstead to maximum batting points and a competitive total.

Harpenden's reply got off to a poor start as Josh Rose took the first wicket with the score on only 17.

Rose then struck twice by bowling both the Harpenden number three and four to leave them struggling on 49-3.

Despite bowling a mixture of bad and very good balls Rose finished his spell with 3-43.

It was then the turn of Twiggy Rogers as he tore through the middle order. He took the next four wickets in quick succession to leave Harpenden reeling on 80-7.

Martin Lindley then took the important wicket of opener Arnold (29) who had battled away for 20 overs.

Guest (17) and Bashford (15*) produced a defiant partnership of 20 before Jack Smith had Guest caught at mid-off off the first ball after the drinks break.

Rogers completed the job by up-rooting the left stump of Harpenden's number 11 to finish with his third five-wicket haul on the trot. Bowling unchanged he finished with 5-41 off 12.3 overs and has now taken 16 wickets in the last three matches.

Skipper Taylor was delighted with another win but admitted he was very worried when his team were struggling on 103-7.

He said: "One of our greatest strengths is that we bat all the way down the order and it was a magnificent effort by Mike Bradbeer and the chairman to rescue us with their stand of 111.

"It was really important that we won today and have now moved up to joint first and are now 36 points ahead of Harpenden in third place.

"Next week we travel to Eversholt II who are in mid-table and need another win to keep the pressure on Watford Town.