A run-fest for The Moor but it ends with a frustrating draw

Having arguably the strongest batting line-up of the season at his disposal, Crowther was confident of posting a big total.

This proved true as openers Aidan Pimm and David Coster set about the young bowling attack with an opening partnership of 150, both hitting season-high scores of 81 and 78 respectively.

The partnership was finally broken in the 33rd over which brought in-form Crowther to the crease to continue the run-fest.

Along with Brook Townsend (36), Crowther pushed the score beyond 250 with the help of a previously unheard of four sixes in his unbeaten 57 and was afforded the luxury of a declaration on 278-4.

Letchworth’s reply started poorly as Lloyd Larkins found the edge in his first over and was superbly taken by the returning Sam Stride behind the stumps.

The Boxmoor bowlers picked off the top order, most notably Adam Hills (2-46) snapping up the opposition skipper in the unusual manner of a hit wicket.

Ross Bargent (2-31) helped reduce Letchworth to 110-5 to give hope of a Boxmoor victory.

But some determined batting by the opposition’s sixth wicket proved frustrating for the hosts and it was only broken with a few overs to spare.

Despite extra overs, Crowther’s team couldn’t force any further breakthroughs as Letchworth finished on 211-6 for a frustrating draw.

This Saturday they face bottom-of-the-table Botany Bay II.

Boxmoor 2nds fell to a disappointing loss against a strong Watford 3rds team, who have been under-firing so far this season.

Boxmoor could only reach 151 off 43 overs, despite a gallant 62 from Amit Mahajan.

This gave Watford the luxury of reaching the target in 57 overs.

They did so, without too much trouble and with 22 overs spare, although Stan Harper did his best by taking all three wickets.

The old adage that catches win matches was never truer than on Saturday as Boxmoor III slipped to an agonising one-wicket defeat from the penultimate ball against Bushey IV.

Asked to bat in overcast conditions, Keith Hammond (60) and James Mabbett (33) put on a quick-firing opening stand of 101 after just 20 overs but The Moor never really kicked on, despite a plucky unbeaten 28 from Keith Mackay.

All the players who could get scores quickly got out cheaply, to finally post a total of 176-9 after 40 overs.

Bushey got off to flier in response, before bowlers Dan Webb and Saair Hamdani combined to remove the openers.

Bushey’s middle order played some powerful strokes and ran quickly betwen the wickets but Boxmoor were complicit in their own demise, with a series of mis-fields and dropped catches not helping their cause, despite three wickets for Aaron Hinton putting on the brakes.

In the end, Bushey, with two wickets spare, needed 12 from the last two overs and Boxmoor were unable to take the last wicket as Bushey ran two off the penultimate ball.

The Sunday 1sts lost by seven wickets at Great Gaddesden.

A young Boxmoor XI, with key players missing, failed to capitalise on a flat track after winning the toss and choosing to bat, being bowled out for 106.

Phil Lovell (26) and Jacob Ashburner (27) offered the only resistance to tight bowling.

Gaddesden chased the total with relative ease, with wickets from Jay Goodwin, Gorney James and Lloyd Larkins slowing proceedings but not the outcome.