Two barn-storming innings from James Latham and Will Jones fired Harpenden to victory over North Mymms in the Saracens Herts Premier Division on Saturday.

Latham, in at number four, hit 11 boundaries while amassing 99 runs from 96 balls while number five Jones smashed 73 runs from 70 balls in just under 90 minutes at the crease.

As impressive as he was with the bat, Jones dazzled with the ball, taking four wickets as Mymm’s run chase fell 23 runs short despite good knocks from Nesan Jayaratnam and Andy Lewis.

On the hottest day of the season so far, Harpenden skipper Nick Lamb won the toss and had no hesitancy in electing to bat first.

Ben Frazer and Gregg Cooper opened the innings with contrasting styles. Frazer bludgeoned the ball all around the ground while Cooper was more reserved.

Mymms made the breakthrough in the ninth over when Rhys Wynne caught and bowled Frazer, but he had notched up 29 runs off 18 balls to give Harpenden an encouraging start.

Lamb took over from Frazer and together with Cooper they added 49 runs for the second wicket. The opener was the man to depart, bowled for 38, but it was an encouraging innings after he scored 11 runs from his previous two outings.

Latham strode out to the middle to join his captain but the pair failed to register another run before Lamb (22) was caught by Wynne off Jason Bryceland’s bowling.

At 94-3 the innings was in the balance but the pairing of Latham and Jones swung it in Harpenden’s favour, putting on a 173-run partnership that accelerated the total towards 300 and lasted over 25 overs.

By the time both were back in the pavilion, Harpenden were 278-5 with 16 balls left in the innings. Scott Galloway (18*) and Jake Pankhurst (8*) pushed the total to 301-5 to set Mymms and imposing task for victory.

The way Mymms started the chase it looked as though they would come close to bettering Harpenden’s total. Wynne (17) and Jayaratnam (76) had an opening stand of 59 before the former was bowled by Frazer.

Hamza Qayyum (36) and Jayaratnam took the score over 140 for the loss of one wicket but a flurry of dismissals put Harpenden on the front foot. First Frazer (2-32) trapped Qayyum LBW and then Simon White (2-62) picked up the key wicket of Jayaratnam before adding Adrian St John (2) to his haul.

Captain Lewis (74) and Rhys Carter (35) repaired the damage with a 108-run partnership to put Mymms within 50 runs of victory with over five overs remaining.

However, Jones took three wickets in 14 balls to tip the momentum back in Harpenden’s favour. Lamb (2-56) bowled a two wicket over in the 48th over before, aptly, Jones skittled the last wicket to finish with figures of 4-41 and ensure victory.