Hemel’s cricketers round off the season
Hemel Hempstead Town CC’s cricketers rounded off their league seasons last weekend.
1st XI - (A) St Albans
A 29-run victory for Hemel as they made sure of their third-placed finish in the Championship and confirmed St. Albans’ relegation to Division One.
Batting first in their end of season 50 over games Hemel made 222-8 with skipper Hemish Ilangaratne opening and scoring 86 (9x4, 2x6) and down the order Ed Pike hitting 54 (6X4, 2X6) from 47 balls. Perhaps not the greatest of scores at Clarence Park but it proved sufficient as they then bowled St Albans out for 193 in 44.3 overs. Ye4r man Ed Pike was to the fore again taking 4 - 40 from his 10 overs and Parth Mehta did his usual thing, cleaning up the St Albans innings with 3 - 33 from 7.3 overs.
2nd XI - (H) St Albans
Hemel had to win this game to make sure of avoiding the drop. St Albans won the toss and batted and Hemel bowled them out for 144 in 46.4 overs. Ed Langley took the wickets with 4 - 29 from 8.4 overs but Brad Finch turned the squeeze bowling his 10 overs with eight maidens and taking 2 - 5.
Hemel then lost some early wickets to find themselves at 38 - 3 but opener Tom Waterton dug in for 36 from 53 balls, Brad Finch 19 from 40 balls, Phil Costard 22* from 55 balls and Ed Grayson 23* from 41 balls saw Hemel through to 145 - 6 from 37.3 overs, 30 points for the win and another season in Div. 3A.
3rd XI - (A) Pinner
A tough end of season fixture against Pinner who had won Div. 6A, but Hemel gave it a good go. Batting first they were bowled out for 122 in 48 overs and the writing looked on the wall. They then took Pinner to 123 - 7 from 35.3 overs to make them fight all the way to the end.
Hemel finished fourth in the division, just outside the this year’s three promotion slots.
4th XI - (H) Pinner
Herts League fixture secretary working overtime to arrange not just another double header but this time a triple header as Hemel fifths were at home to Pinner 4ths as well.
Pinner 2nds won toss and put Hemel in to bat. Hemel made it to 153 all out in 37.4 overs. Neil Morgan opened and top scored on 33, supported by 28 from keeper Mike Samuels and 21s from Philip Smith and Drew Butler.
Pinner then made light of their eighth place - to Hemel's sixth - by winning with 154 - 8 from 34 overs. Rushil Dodhia led the Hemel bowlers with 3 - 21 from 7 overs and Henry Morgan took 2 - 17 from 6 but Pinner 2's made it home.
5th XI - (H) Pinner
The third Hemel vs Pinner game of the Saturday and Hemel fifths broke the trend by beating Pinner fourths.
Putting Pinner in to bat Hemel bowled them out for 71 in 22 overs with Carter Botha (2 - 7), Jonah Lewis (2 - 17) and Farhan Sadiq (2 - 19) taking out the top before Miles Barnard came on to take 3 - 3 from his two overs.
Hemel took slightly more overs as they reached 72 - 5 from 23.2 but they got over the line with 26* from Harry Howard at number three guiding them there.