Division Four Harpenden III 250-9(52) Redbourn 253-4 (45.4) REDBOURN picked up their third win in a row, with an excellent run chase at Harpenden III in Division Four. The visitors won the toss and asked Harpenden to bat first on an excellent batting trac

Division Four

Harpenden III 250-9(52) Redbourn 253-4 (45.4)

REDBOURN picked up their third win in a row, with an excellent run chase at Harpenden III in Division Four.

The visitors won the toss and asked Harpenden to bat first on an excellent batting track which defied the damp conditions.

Jamal Ahmed struck for Redbourn but Harpenden took control with a second wicket stand of 107. David Keenleyside (66) and Simon Wade (54) were eventually removed by the excellent Darren Bassill (3-59) courtesy of catches in the covers from Dan Roe and Nigel Wellsbury.

Gary Sandford took three excellent stumpings off Faisal Khan (1 for 54) and Jamal Ahmed (5 for 48), but skipper Cooper, hit a quick-fire unbeaten 48, as Harpenden closed on 250 for 9.

In reply, Redbourn's openers Simon Osman and Chris Yorath gave Redbourn another excellent start adding 94 for the first wicket in 21 overs, before Osman was caught at backward point for 31. Dan Roe fell almost immediately to a superb catch, and when Yorath followed shortly after for a well made 64, Redbourn were 106 for 3, requiring another 145 runs off their final 20 overs.

Despite the run rate rising further to over eight-an-over Geoff Tookey and Nigel Wellsbury played themselves in. They upped the tempo with some great boundaries, as well as running extremely well between the wickets. Gradually the run rate started to come down to the point were Redbourn needed a run a ball for victory.

The partnership was finally broken when Wellsbury fell for 79 off just 65 balls, including four fours and two sixes. The pair added 141 runs together and fittingly, it was Tookey that hit the winning boundary, ending on an unbeaten 64 off 61 balls with eight fours, as Redbourn won with an over to spare on 253-4.