London Colney continued their fine start to the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League Division Five A season with a three-wicket win at Ickleford.

Colney got off to a solid start with their opening bowlers, Carl Frame and Uzman Zaman, finding lots of movement off the pitch.

Zaman was first to strike but it wasn't until the introduction of Colney's spinners Matt Bristow (3-40) and Simon Fretter (4-22) that the game swung in their favour.

Between the pair of them they slowed the run rate and took wickets at regular intervals, leaving Ickleford on 188.

The reply started in the worst possible way with Rick Zeiderman bowled on the very first ball but the middle order steadied the ship with skipper Scott Hadley and Alex Flett putting on a solid partnership thanks to both punishing anything that was loose.

As in the Ickleford innings when the ball got older and the pitch continued to dry, it made batting easier.

And even though Hadley was bowled for a well-played 37, it just brought Tim Fretter to the crease and he continued in the same vein, punishing anything loose from the Ickleford bowlers.

Fretter and Flett almost got Colney over the line but were both out towards the end with Flett scoring 35 and Fretter an excellent 52 of 41 balls.

And it was left to Frame and Zaman to see Colney over the line.

Colney go to North Mymms seconds on Saturday.

Elsewhere, the seconds lost by two wickets against Watford Town.

They made 171 batting first with good contributions from Craig Parker (26), Paul Hadley (20), Robert Dodkin (41) and George Davies (24*).

And they looked in pole position when they had Watford 89-8 but the Watford nine and 10 had other ideas and slowly got them over the line.

The thirds also lost going down by 24 runs to Botany Bay II 197 for 6

Greg Pedder (4-35) and Tom Caterer (2-42) kept Botany Bay down to 197-6 but even though there was 61 not out for Ian Medway and a first 50 for Josh Pedder that included seven fours and two sixes, Colney just fell short.

For the thirds though it is just a joy to be playing regularly and the club gave a special mention to Kevin Rowbottom who was playing his first game since 1988.