Harpenden knocked out of HCPL Twenty20

HCPL Twenty20 Round Two

Harpenden 146-4 lost to West Herts 147-5 by five wickets

HARPENDEN suffered a rare defeat as they went out of the HCPL Twenty20 Cup on Tuesday night to West Herts.

Nick Lamb, standing in for absent skipper Ben Frazer, won the toss and decided to bat.

Lamb and youngster David Keenleyside got Harpenden well on their way putting on 106 for the first wicket before Lamb was dismissed for 39 bowled by West Herts skipper Ian Gurney.

Gurney soon had wicket number two when he dismissed Keenleyside for a 38-ball 61 that included nine 4s.

Gregg Cooper (17) and Will Bates set about rebuilding the visitors innings and the pair had put on 28 by the time Cooper became Gurney's third victim.

Middlesex pace man Steven Finn was included in the West Herts team and he bowled Bates for 18.

Oliver Tuck (1*) and Matt Stannard (1*) saw Harpenden through to the end of their innings leaving West Herts needing 147 for victory.

Harpenden made an excellent start with the ball reducing the home side to 9-2. Chris Roe struck first bowling Shaun Farrell for 3 and Richard Darwin dismissed Richard Mason for a first-ball duck.

Unfortunately for Harpenden, opener Alastair Lewis was well set and with Finn smashing the Harps bowling attack around the ground they looked like reaching their target.

Finn was the next man out stumped by Keenleyside off the bowling of Lamb but not before he'd scored 62 from 42 balls including seven 4s and two 6s.

Lewis continued to guide his side towards their total hitting 42 before he was clean bowled by Lamb with West Herts on 136-4.

The home side needed just 11 runs for victory and despite Craig Sanders (21) becoming Darwin's second victim they achieved their target.

Harpenden return to HCPL Division Two East action on Saturday when they entertain West Herts. The game is scheduled to start at 11.30am.