Harpenden duo help Herts into semis

Lamb and Frazer amongst the wickets for Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire 192

Devon 166

Hertfordshire won by 26 runs

HARPENDEN duo Nick Lamb and Ben Frazer helped Hertfordshire reach the semi-finals of the MCCA Knockout Trophy.

With Hertfordshire 31-4 wickets in the sixth over not many would have believed that Herts would eventually win. Frazer was out first ball for a duck and the three other wickets followed before the fifht-wicket partnership between Jamie Hewitt (50) and Nick Walker (53) put on 104 to pull the innings back on track.

Both then fell to loose shots but the rest of the order cobbled together some runs and the innings closed in the 49th over with a total of 192 and Simon White not out on 24. Joshua Bess took five wickets for 35 runs in his 10 overs.

Devon wickets fell steadily throughout their innings with the top partnership of 47 for the seventh wicket between Alex Allen (25) and Trevor Anning (21). Joshua Bess shone with the bat as well as the ball and top scored with 33. Will Rudge was the top Hertfordshire bowler with 4-38 in 10 overs and Simon White was the most economical bowler with 2-35 in 10 overs. Lamb (2-49) including the important wicket of top scorer Bess and Frazer (1-6) also got in on the act as Herts sealed their progress.

The Stags now face Shropshire in the semi-finals at Welwyn Garden City C C on Sunday, July 11.