Strong finish to the season as Hemel get local bragging rights

Hemel Town finished their season on a high with their Sunday first team clinching the LCV Division 3 title and the Saturday third XI earning a promotion spot in Division 6B.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Sep 2018, 09:40 BST
Updated 5th Sep 2018, 10:42 BST
Hemels Saturday third XI earned promotion from Division 6B at the weekend  see back page for the report. (Picture by Richard Grayson)Hemels Saturday third XI earned promotion from Division 6B at the weekend  see back page for the report. (Picture by Richard Grayson)
Hemels Saturday third XI earned promotion from Division 6B at the weekend  see back page for the report. (Picture by Richard Grayson)

See the back page for a report on those achievements.

Meanwhile, the Saturday first team ended their Saracens Herts Championship season with a home win in a local derby against Leverstock Green I at Heath Park.

Victory in the final game of the league season ensured Hemel finished in a creditable fifth place in the final standings, while Leverstock ended in sixth place, 34 points behind their rivals.

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Both teams had come up to the Championship after gaining promotion from Division One the previous season and both sides did enough to stay in the division for next year’s campaign.

Batting first, Hemel made 190 thanks chiefly to 67 from opener Hemish Ilangaratne, and helped along the way by Johan Maritz (38) and Jack Doodson (30 not out), who dug his heels in again.

Ex-Hemel player Majid Khan (5-43) was the pick of the bowlers for Levy.

It took just more than 20 overs for Hemel to take the game away from the visitors. After 10 overs, Levy were 32-5 as Hemel’s opening bowlers Steve Reader (4-35) and Brett Penny ( 3-26) tore through the Green top order. A few bold hits later in the innings pushed Levy on, but they ended on 114 all out. Abbas Ali (23 not out) top scored for Levy.

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After a run of six victories, Hemel’s Saturday second XI ended with a few defeats as the rested in fourth place in Division 3B.

They had lost to Southgate Adelaide I at home earlier in the season when they were bowled out. This time they managed to avoid being bowled out but failed to get the runs needed.

Southgate won the toss and batted, with openers Andy Ferguson (61) and Craig Lyte (67) putting on 128 for the first wicket. Both fell to Anjam Khan (2-51), while Rory Fraser (3-26) helped keep the score under control as Southgate ended on 251-6.

Hemel were on for the chase but lost wickets at crucial times, not helped with three players going for ducks.

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Kevin West hit 46 at the top of the order, Ed Langley 37 and Charlie Hoskins 25 in the middle but no-one stayed around with them. At the end Will Hodgins (6 not out) and Rory Fraser (31 not out) put on 34 for the last wicket but they ran out of time and overs to lose by 23 runs (228-9).

Hemel IV took the short trip to the Boxmoor Oval on Saturday and saw off Boxmoor II in the last game of the Division 9B term.

Boxmoor were put in and scored 209. Nic Benson led Hemel’s bowlers with 3-44, backed by Dil Khan (2-21) and Dan Keene (2-28). Kelly Law (66) was Boxmoor’s top scorer and Stan Williamson added 37 down the order.

Lewis Boughton (20) and Jim Langley (23) put on 51 for Hemel’s opening wicket in the first 14 overs. Then Will Stokes (56) came in to hold the middle order together. Darryl Barnett (25) and Khan (24 not out), batting at number eight, saw Hemel over the line with just two overs to spare (211-8) as Hemel ended up in fourth place in the table.

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