Nick Lamb starred with the bat as Harpenden got their pre-season schedule off to a fantastic start, beating Hampstead by five wickets.

Opening the batting, the captain put up 82 runs in an opening stand of 132 with Gregg Cooper (40) as Harpenden looked to chase down Hampstead’s total of 246-9.

Cooper was the first to go, and Lamb perished after reaching 88 runs as the hosts reached 155-2.

Two more wickets in the next four overs put Harpenden in danger of failing to reach their target. That was until a 77-run pairing between Scott Galloway (34*) and Will Jones (47) took them within eight runs of victory. Harpenden needed just four more balls to clinch victory.

Jack Doyle (4-40) had done most of the damage in Hampstead’s innings, removing the heart of the middle order, after Simon White (1-35) and Guy Watts (2-24) skittled the first four batsmen.