It was a day to forget for St Albans Cricket Club’s first team as they slumped to a nine-wicket loss at home to Knebworth Park.

Charlie Randall was their chief tormentor as he took 7-31 with his swing bowling.

Saints batted first but never got into their stride, with only brief resistance from Phil Caley and Mike Grossett, who both made 16 batting at eight and nine respectively.

Their total of 72 was never going to be enough and so it proved as Knebworth reached the target in the 20th over for just one wicket.

The result leaves them seventh in Saracens Hertfordshire Division Two A, with another home game, this time against Preston, on Saturday.

It was a complete mirror image though for the 2nds as they won by seven wickets at Hatfield & Crusaders.

The hosts made just 84 as Amit Rajani and Charles Smith both grabbed three wickets.

And Rajani then partnered up with Naveed Ahmed as the pair saw Saints to victory.

Ahmed would finish on 37*.

Saints are now in third place in Division Five A, just one point behind their hosts and three adrift of leaders Old Haberdashers in what is a tight promotion race.

The 3rds were also in fine form as they defeated Great Gaddesden by 95 runs.

They made 228-7 in 52 overs with Richard Baylis’s 81 not out the star of the innings.

He quickly found his stride, looking solid in defence while punishing anything else, and it helped settle the nerves after three early wickets.

He shared a 72-run stand with Joe Button who ended up making an invaluable 35.

And Gaddesden never got close, even though they made 60 for the loss of just wicket.

But once Andy Milnes snared the key wicket of John Cheeseman, wickets fell steadily.

Milnes took the bowling honours with a fantastic 3-6 which saw him bowl five maidens from his seven overs.

The 4ths though suffered a second consecutive defeat as they lost by eight wickets to Bushey 3rds.

Opener Nauman Nisar top scored with a fine 76, cutting and driving any wide stuff with some ferociousity, but with the last five wickets falling for just 15 runs, St Albans finished on 146, which as expected proved not enough.