Bourn enjoy County Cup success though

SHL Division Two

Redbourn 164 Knebworth Park II 165-4

Knebworth won by six wickets

REDBOURN recovered from another early batting collapse but were still well beaten away at Knebworth.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, Redbourn were soon in deep trouble losing their first four wickets with just seven runs on the board.

Gary Sandford and Dean Dass staged a small recovery before Dass was caught behind for 16 leaving Redbourn on 30-5. Sandford continued where he had left off the week before and battled hard to bring Redbourn back into the game before he was adjudged lbw for 32. Redbourn’s lower order again came to the rescue as George Naismith (36), Darren Bassill (36) and Dan Darvell (16) all helped to continue the recovery with eighth and ninth wicket partnerships of 40 and 42 before being dismissed in pursuit of late runs. Redbourn were finally all out for 164, a score that had looked highly unlikely after five overs.

Redbourn needed early wickets to put pressure on the Knebworth batting line up, and Jon Fleming (2-31) obliged, removing both openers cheaply. However, Redbourn had no answer to Knebworth’s overseas player Michael Salerno who smashed his way to a quickfire 78 to take the game away from Redbourn. Dan Darvell (2-36) again bowled well picking up two late wickets, but couldn’t prevent Knebworth comfortably reaching their target with 6 wickets in hand.

Readers County Cup

Preston 227-5 Redbourn 228-4

Redbourn won by six wickets.

REDBOURN put their struggles in the league to one side with a strong display against Preston in the first round of the County Cup. Bowling first, Sam Evely (2-51) recovered from a flurry of early boundaries to remove both openers before tight bowling from Dan Darvell (1-30), Dean Dass and Jon Fleming (2-30) helped to keep the score down as Preston posted 227 from their 50 overs.

A third wicket partnership of 43 between George Naismith (19) and Dan Roe (28) built the platform for Redbourn’s run chase but it was the fifth wicket stand between Dean Dass and Ben Roe that won them the game. Coming together at 98-4, the pair were rarely troubled as they mixed attacking stroke play with sensible rotation of the strike to help Redbourn reach their target with three overs to spare. Dass finished on 86* while Roe was also unbeaten on 50. Redbourn’s reward for their victory is a second round tie away to Division Two high-fliers Cockfosters, who they also face in the league on Saturday.