Radlett’s first defeat of the season saw them plummet off the top of the Saracens Herts Cricket League Premier Division summit down to fourth.
The 108-run loss at home to champions Welwyn Garden City was the first of the timed games of the year and saw the visitors to Cobden Hill win the toss and have a bat first on a pristine surface.
Radlett did get an early scalp, Darren James bowling Alex Chalker early on for six, but Louis Champion (31) and Dan Blacktopp (70) took the score past 50.
And once Champion fell to Joe Cooke it was all about Owais Shah (37) and James Southgate (45) who together with Blacktopp took the score up to 200.
Skipper Kabir Toor continued his fine form by claiming the wickets of both Shah and Southgate before sending Andy Nolan, Liam Mitchell and Matthew Grant back to the pavilion as part of his 5-54.
But the late runs of Grant and Connor Emerton got Welwyn up to 242 after 59.3 overs and the pair would come back to haunt the hosts in their innings.
Things started perfectly though as Radlett went off like one of the express trains that regularly pass the ground.
Fraser Crawford (20), Tom Jenkins (41) and Toor (18) all scored at a run a ball but fresh from the tea break Emerton found his rhythm and the hosts suddenly found themselves five down for with less than 100 on the board.
The key turning point was the introduction of youngster Grant and his left-arm spin and he went through the lower order with ease taking 5-33 in 10 overs.
At the other end Emerton was still firing on all cylinders and the tail had no answer to his pace and accuracy and he completed his 16-over spell with figures of 5-58.
Muhammed Adil Zareef (18) and Fakir Dungaria (15) provided late resistance but it was not enough and Radlett were all out for 134 after 31 overs.
They will hope for an instant recovery when they go to Totteridge Millhillians on Saturday.
And if supporters were looking for better news elsewhere in the club, they were left disappointed.
The seconds lost by five wickets to Cockfosters, despite Will Wright’s 62, and Chris Gallagher’s 54 also proved in vain as the thirds went down to a six-wicket loss against Shenley Village 2nds.
The fourths also lost by six wickets away to Hatch End.
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