SHL Division One

Hitchin 211-8

St Albans 212-5

St Albans won by five wickets

ST ALBANS maintained the pressure on Totteridge Milhilians at the top of the Herts County Division One with a five-wicket win over Hitchin.

They restricted the hosts to 211-8 with economic bowling from Martin Jones, Jonny Smithers and Alex Rajendran.

However, they lost early wickets in pursuit of their target before, once again, Rajendran (75*) played a match-winning innings along with the injured Ian McKinley who made a superb 54* with the aid of a runner. They face Totteridge away this Saturday.

* St Albans IIs had the best of a draw against Old Camdenians. They posted 253 thanks to assured fifties from Phil Dorsett and Mike Curtis as well as 45 from wicket-keeper batsman Grant Carveth.

Richard O’ Toole (2-24) made early inroads and Josh Goddard bowled persistently without reward. And, despite three subsequent wickets for off-spinner Sam Rowlands and two for Adam Hounslow, Camdenians clung on for a draw.

* The IIIs lost by eight wickets to Kings Langley, but the scoreline did not reflect their performance.

Jamie Fleming dispatched the bowling to all parts in an impressive 90, together with 16-year-old Charlie Bowskill who made his first adult fifty.

Dan Rosson, 2-55 from 14 overs, was the pick of the bowlers supported by whippet-like boundary fielding from Jamie Ashton. But this was insufficient to prevent Langley from reaching home with 1.2 overs to spare.

* The IVs won again by virtue of another five-wicket haul from 13-year-old teenage prodigy, Jack Ypey. He ripped through the Knebworth line-up taking 6-35 as the hosts were dismissed for 178.

The Saints cruised to victory by eight wickets with composed fifties from Stephen Coetzee and Nick James.