Sawbridgeworth suffer 10-run home defeat to Reed in Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League
Sawbridgeworth remain third in Saracens Hertfordshire League, Division One despite losing to Reed by 10 runs at Town Fields on Saturday (June 8), writes Richard White.
Batting second for the first time this season, they were set 251 for victory and, despite quick-fire knocks from Max Osborne (25) and Alan Ison (31), they were always behind the eight ball and slipped to 92-5 and later 127-7 after losing two wickets on that score.
Birthday boy Joe Joyce (76) and Joe Holland, who was drafted into the side less than 48 hours before the game to play his first senior league game in three years, added 51 as they took the score to 178.
George Kenny scored 19 in a ninth-wicket partnership of 55 with Holland, who ended 52 not out, as the hosts were eventually all out for 240 with eight balls remaining.
Earlier, Kenny had starred with the ball by taking the first three Reed wickets as he reduced them to 39-3 and later came back to take a fourth to finish with figures of 4-32.
Reed skipper Rob Lankester survived an early chance to top-score with 91 before being brilliantly run out by Rehman Ahmed. Jack Tidey struck 43no off 26 balls coming in at number eight to help the visitors score 56 off their last seven overs as they reached 250-7.
The only consolation for Sawbridgeworth was their lower-order runs helped them pick up 16 bonus points.
The second team moved up to fifth in Division 5B after winning by 73 runs at Greenwood Park.
After Harry Gale elected to bat first on a tricky surface, he saw his side battle their way to 151 all out in 46.3 overs. Sean Lemon (50) provided the important anchor role as he scored his maiden league half-century for the club.
Although Bradley Oakes (23) was the only other player to pass 20, Charlie Mann contributed 16 to a fourth-wicket partnership of 39 with Lemon before being run out to end what was the highest stand of the match.
In reply, Sawbo needed only 26.1 overs to dismiss their opponents for just 78. Alfie Burrell (4-25) took the first four wickets to fall before Andrew Dongworth (2-24) took the next two in his unchanged spell of 10 overs.
Nick Dale (4-12) cleaned up the lower order to wrap up their third win of the season.
It was another disappointing day for the third team as they suffered a third successive defeat in Tees Herts & Essex Border League, Division One.
After being inserted by Hatfield Heath, the visitors reached 190-5 off their 40 overs with Andrew Foster (40) and skipper Adam Macdonald (54) featuring in a third-wicket partnership of 89 after Kieran Morgan had scored 44 off 47 balls.
In reply, Chris Wearden (47) and Sanil Kamat (68) added 111 for the hosts’ second wicket before Romesh Paktsun (3-22) took three wickets in one over to spark a collapse from 119-1 to 144-7.
Priyan Shanmuga (24no) helped settle Heath’s nerves and, despite Travis Morgan (2-24) taking the late wicket of Raji George, they reached 192-8 with five overs left.
