SHL Division Seven Redbourn II 156-8 drew with St Albans III 170-9 REDBOURN II s played a very good natured game against St Albans III s in Division Seven. St Albans won the toss, elected to bat, and got off to a reasonable start despite the early loss o

SHL Division Seven

Redbourn II 156-8 drew with St Albans III 170-9

REDBOURN II's played a very good natured game against St Albans III's in Division Seven.

St Albans won the toss, elected to bat, and got off to a reasonable start despite the early loss of Giffen to Ray Smyth.

Hounslow played some shots before being done by the Pete Cridland leg break.

The pitch was clearly a minefield, and with Ferguson reaching 41 St Albans were building an invincible total. The game then swung back to Redbourn when Martin Benfield trapped Ferguson, and took two further wickets to reduce St Albans to 102-6.

St Albans re-grouped again with skipper Eames making 30 and Garg scoring 26.

Benfield (6-50) removed them both in the final overs but by then they had pushed the total up to a challenging 170-9 off 53 overs.

In reply Geoff Bartlett showed his class to anchor the innings in partnership with, first, Dave Smith (33) then Antony Mauder (13) to keep Redbourn in touch for a last 10 over push of six-an-over.

However, the extreme variability of the pitch caused a steady loss of wickets, with Nigel Wellsbury (12), George Naismith (11), and then Bartlett (53) all falling. Redbourn finished 14 short on 156-8.