Victory train continues as The Moor win for their 11th game in succession

Boxmoor maintained their unbeaten run and made it 11 wins from 11 after a steady four-wicket away victory over local rivals Berkhamsted II on Saturday.
Boxmoors ever-watchful batter Aidan Pimm in action for the club against Watton-at-Stone earlier this season.Boxmoors ever-watchful batter Aidan Pimm in action for the club against Watton-at-Stone earlier this season.
Boxmoors ever-watchful batter Aidan Pimm in action for the club against Watton-at-Stone earlier this season.

The latest triumph added a further 20-point cushion at the top of the Herts Saracens Division 6B table as The Moor went 48 points clear at the summit.

With lots of rain in the previous 24 hours, the toss was crucial and Boxmoor skipper Richard Crowther duly won the call to put Berko in to bat.

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Opening bowlers Shaun Nichols and James McCluskey soon found their rhythm and the latter struck first in the fourth over, removing Klosterman for a single.

McCluskey followed with the next, a caught-and-bowled, to reduce the hosts to 20-2. This soon became 32-6 as Nichols got two wickets in two balls, narrowly missing out on a hat-trick.

McCluskey grabbed a third victim to finish with 3-27 from his 10 overs. The miserly Nichols ended on 8-5-4-2.

Cunold (44) and Terrace rescued the Berko innings with a seventh-wicket partnership of 81.

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Joe Hall broke the partnership at 113-7 and followed up next ball by dismissing the dangerous Mason, the second week running Hall had a chance for a hat-trick.

A few late runs pushed the hosts to 132 in the 45th over as a run out concluded the innings.

Matt Smalley-Harris and Ben Mannering started the reply brightly for The Moor, before both departed with the score at 30.

Klosterman (3-27) did his best to keep the innings in check with some tight bowling, grabbing the wickets of Mannering, Aidan and Sam Pimm to keep the pressure on the league leaders.

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However, in between, the junior Pimm was able to play his positive game, reaching the boundary several times on his way to an entertaining 38.

Hall and Sam Stride perished attempting to get the job done quickly, before the experience of wicketkeeper Dan Hobbs (17 not out) and Crowther (19 not out) allayed late nerves as the target was reached in the 39th over.

Skipper Crowther hit the winning boundary to claim 30 more points for his team.

Boxmoor are one of just three teams in the entire 25-division Saracens Herts League with an 100 per cent winning record.

This Saturday they host third-placed Cheshunt Rosedale II.

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Boxmoor’s 2nds won by nine wickets when hosting Bayford & Hertford 2nds in Division 9B.

Steve Alderton, Stan Harper, Anum Hamdani, Amit Mahajan and Alex Harris all bowled well to restrict the visitors to 118-8 off their 45 overs.

Captain Nick Cottrel (71 not out) and Richard Ballard (41) saw the side through to a sound win.

Boxmoor’s 3rds lost by just 12 runs when hosting Berkhamsted IV in Regional Division B West.

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Berko made 151-7 off their 40 overs, with Gavin Taylor (3-36), Gabby Pimm (1-22), Paul Biddle (1-21) and John Scott (1-25) all bowling economically.

Chris Bryon (33) and Gary Hampson (16) started the innings well but wickets began to fall until Matt Larkins (34) and Taylor (12) came together to steady the innings.

But tight Berko bowling got the better of The Moor.

Boxmoor Blackbirds lost by 20 runs when hosting Bourne End in a friendly on Sunday. Lloyd Larkins top-scored with 91 and Vivek Awasthi added 55 for The Moor.