Hemel Hempstead second team keep up promotion push
Hemel Hemsptead CC's first team slipped to an expected defeat againt Old Owens, but the second team stayed on course for promotion.
Hemel game high-flying Old Owens a good test before falling short. Owens batted first and were soon 81 - 5 after Ollie Illott (2 - 43) had led the Hemel bowlers through the Owens top order. But the fight back came and despite Mark Brazier taking 3 - 43 Owens made it to 220 all out in 49.1 overs. A total to chase in 50 overs but Hemel ended up 56 runs short being dismissed for 164 in 43 overs. Skipper Hem Ilangaratne top scored on 48 but the nearest score was then 21 from Angus Ball and he lacked the support to get to the needed score. Old Owens remain in 2nd place Hemel remain in 6th with the joys of a visit to Redbourn to come next weekend.
2nd XI (A) vs Ickleford 1st XI - Div. 3A
The only Hemel side to win on the Saturday as the 2nds kept their 3rd place in Div. 3A and remain 20 points behind 2nd placed Wheathampstead. Hemel bowled Ickleford out for 163 in 39.2 overs with the returned from Edinburgh Will Hodgins picking up 3 - 56 at the top and his dad, the ever retiring Nick Hodgins, picking up 2 - 1 from 14 balls at the end.Hemel then almost made a mess of the chase slipping to 46 - 5. But Will Langley (65) straightened things out along with Nick Hodgins (24) and Adam Moulster (29*) and Hemel won the game with 164 - 7 in 42.2 overs.
3rd XI (A) vs Ampthill Town 2nd XI - Div. 6A
A narrow 1 wicket defeat for Hemel 3rds against 7th placed Ampthill but they still remained 1st in pole position in Div. 6A. Batting first Hemel never really got their batting act together and were dismissed for 155 in 41 overs. Had been 79 - 5 at one stage but 39 from Jim Smart and 25 from Mike Samuels brought them up to reason. Bowling them out was obviously the order of the day and skipper Graham Clark tried his bowlers best to achieve it. Ed Grayson took 5 - 28 from his 10 overs, Farhan Sadiq 3 - 29 from his 10. But Ampthill just kept on creeping closer and got over the line with 156 - 9 from 46.2 overs.
4th XI (H) vs Redbourn 3rd XI - Div. 8 West
Much the same as the 1st XI and expected defeat to the divisional leaders which saw Hemel drop a place to 6th. The perennial story of not scoring enough runs as Hemel made it to 154 - 9 from their 40 overs and Redbourn replied with 155 - 7 from 35.4 overs. Hemel skipper Neil Morgan top scored with 45 but next best was called up Martin Botha with 22. Hemel's bowlers went at them with Ernie Coldwell (2 - 23) and Rory Fraser (2 - 12) leading from their 8 overs. But Redbourn had just the leeway to get through to a 3 wicket win.