Bishop’s Stortford beat Radlett to secure Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League Premier Division survival
Bishop’s Stortford triumphed at Radlett on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method to secure their Saracens Hertfordshire League, Premier Division survival on Saturday (September 7).
The final-day victory meant they finished third from bottom, two points clear of Shenley Village, and kept themselves out of the relegation play-off spot.
The success was vital as Shenley Village got the win they needed, which was ultimately in vain, at West Herts.
Radlett batted first after winning the toss and were 69 without loss when captain Fraser Crawford was trapped lbw by Ben Twohig.
An excellent spell of bowling by Twohig (3-18) continued as he had former Stortford skipper Dom Chatfield and Dave Burnell caught in the slips by Alex Ross and Simon Lindop respectively to put the score on 129-3.
Jayden Broodryk and 16-year-old Suhaan Shovakar added 85 before the latter was caught by Henry Hawkins for 38.
Three runs later, Broodryk was lbw for a well-made 78 as he became the first of Callum Sykes’ (3-17) victims and, off the next ball, Troy Barrett was caught behind as Radlett moved to 217-6.
Tom Fieden and Tom Jenkins added quick runs before the hosts’ innings closed on 252-8 at the end of their allotted 50 overs.
Sam Davis and Hawkins (23) got the Stortford reply off to a good start before the former and Alex Ross put the bad balls away and took no chances in a 96-run partnership.
Davis was eventually caught by Chatfield off the bowling of Koby Cornwell for what proved to be a match-winning 91.
Ross (67no) continued towards the target alongside Jonny Gaffney (21no). When the latter was hit on the helmet in deteriorating light, the umpires began to consider if the game could continue.
The players left the field at 6.10pm with Stortford just 26 runs short of their target on 227-4 and, with seven overs remaining, were declared the winners on the DLS method.
The second team ended their title-winning campaign in Division 2B with a 42-run home defeat at the hands of Holtwhites Trinibis.
The away side made 236 all out in 47.5 overs after winning the toss as Musroor Taj hit a brisk 41 off 20 balls and Haseeb Kashmiri getting 52, with 32 wides adding to the total.
Harry Pigram took 3-39 and there were also wickets for Hugh Williams (2-15), James Frans (2-32), Joe Bunyan (2-34) and Joe de Souza (1-44).
Stortford were 40-2 after 13 overs of their reply before Haitel Patel and Adam Bassingthwaighte (51) put on 81 together.
Max Sanderson joined Patel at the crease to make a run-a-ball 21, but when the latter was out for 62 the innings fizzled out and they came up 42 runs short on 194 all out.
