WHEATHAMPSTEAD suffered their third defeat of the season after losing out by eight runs to Cockfosters.

Chasing 214, Richard Winchester, Luke Samarasinghe and Adam Winchester set Wheathampstead on their way to victory, but the middle order failed to score many runs in the face of Joseph Barker’s bowling as they fell just shy of success.

The day had started well for WCC. After being asked to field, Adam Winchester took two catches, both off Mitchell Futcher’s bowling, to reduce Cockfosters to 37-2.

Cockfosters’ opener Declan O’Leary and number four Andrew Stokes steadied the ship, sharing a third-wicket stand of 77 before the latter was caught by Nick Martin off David Dabare.

O’Leary and George Uttley pushed the score up to 136 before the opener’s fourth partner was dismissed, clean bowled by Samarasinghe before Dabare picked up his second wicket as Bradley Sayers was caught by Futcher for five.

Then came the defining moment of the innings as opener O’Leary was trapped LBW by Dabare five runs short of a century.

It would be the last wicket of the innings Cockfosters batted out the remaining overs, leaving Wheathampstead a target of 215.

The Wheathampstead chase started promisingly, as Richard Winchester (46) and Samarasinghe shared a partnership of 59 before the latter was clean bowled for 30.

Adam Winchester (41) then joined Richard at the crease and the duo added 62 to the scorecard before both were dismissed by Barker to leave Wheathampstead 122-3.

The away side struggled to form any sort of partnerships from then on. Futcher was caught off the bowling of Barker for 17 before Chris Martin went for 9, skittled by Sayers.

From then on it was all about Barker. The Cockfosters man took a further five wickets to finish with figures of 7-49.

The only resistance came from Ibrar Walayat who hit an unbeaten 27, but it was not enough as Wheathampstead finishing all out for 206.

Wheathampstead welcome Hemel Hempstead Town to Nomansland Common on Saturday, 1pm start.