Hemel hope to bounce back after rain-affected weekend

There's a big day of cricket in store at Hove

Hemel Hempstead Town’s 1st team have now faced both these opponents over the last two weeks. Last week Hemel beat Harpo II over at The Common but this week they lost at home to Old Owens.

With rain around all afternoon, Hemel won the toss and put Old O’s into bat.

They made 186 all out just before their 50 overs were up.

The slow pair of Nick Hodgins (3-26) and Parth Mehta (3-37) took more than half of the wickets. Stalwart Duncan Howard opened the bowling and picked up 2-28.

It was a reachable score for Hemel but it proved to be out of reach.

After starting 68-1 from 17 overs, Hemel slid away to 150 all out to lose by 36 runs.

Josh Graves top scored with 39 and Tom Elborn (25) and Matt Dale (22) were the only other batsmen to exceed the 20-run mark.

Hemel slipped to third in the table and Old Owens are now top with three wins out of three. Harpo II moved into second with a win over Old Albanians. This Saturday, Hemel travel to Broxbourne.

The rain which brought Hemel II’s game to an halt at 6pm favoured Baldock in that it saved then from defeat and in the way the league calculates the result of rain-affected limited-over games, gave them victory.

Put in to bat first, Hemel II managed to creep their way to 130 all out, in between the rain stoppages. Anjam Khan led the scoring with 43, followed by Suren Perera with 27 and Adam Moulster with 21 down at number 10.

Closing-in rain meant Hemel had to bowl Baldock out quickly. Getting them down to 74-8 in 24 overs was almost there, but not enough.

Anjam Khan (3-15) and Suren Perera (3-26) were the pick of the Hemel bowlers.

Hemel IV fell to their third defeat of the season as they were summary dismissed for just 131 runs by Harpenden Dolphins at Heath Park’s nursery ground.

Skipper Mike Samuels opened and top scored with 54, with the next nearest Will Stokes (16).

The only other double-figure scorer was 10 from John Herbert.

Harpo Dolphs found no great problems in reaching the target, led by 68 from Adam Driscoll.

Hemel III won at Hitchen II with the rain rules this time favouring Hemel.

*Hemel host Boxmoor in the 1st round of the Heath Park Cup this Friday. It starts at 6pm.