The Saracens Herts League Division One title will be decided on the last Saturday of the season. This is after all three contenders won their penultimate matches on Saturday. Letchworth GC registered their second successive nine-wicket win to stay at the

The Saracens Herts League Division One title will be decided on the last Saturday of the season.

This is after all three contenders won their penultimate matches on Saturday.

Letchworth GC registered their second successive nine-wicket win to stay at the top and they face one of their rivals, St Albans, at Whitethorn Lane this Saturday while the other contender, Knebworth Park, entertain Totteridge Millhillians.

Letchworth were indebted to their opening bowlers after winning the toss at Reed and asking the home side to bat on a good batting surface. Ed Morse reduced Reed to 5-2 in the third over when he clean bowled home skipper James Heslam and Aussie Jo Curk in successive deliveries.

Opener Curtis and Jackson added 13 before they were both despatched by Richard Barclay during an amazing spell in which he took 2-2 off seven overs and when Morse clean bowled Dobson and Smith, Reed were 36-6.

When Barclay was rested, Dom Marsh entered the attack and with three wickets reduced Reed to 63-9 before number 11 Young threw caution to the wind and smashed a quickfire 34. Marsh eventually snared him as Reed were dismissed for 99, with Morse finishing with 4-37 and Marsh 4-41.

The target presented no problem to the visitors. Tom Cranston and John Hilliard put on 31 in quick time before Hilliard was bowled by Johnson for 21.

But this brought Seb Franke-Matthecka to the wicket and he helped himself to 54no off 46 balls as Letchworth cruised to victory in less than 20 overs, Cranston finishing unbeaten on 23.

* The second XI lost a high-scoring exciting game off the last ball at Whitethorn Lane against London Colney who scored 53 off their last five overs before declaring on 252-7 off 52 overs.

The Garden City's middle order all got in and then out, with Dom Chatfield making 36, Sam Booth 32, Tom Simmons and Gavin Booth 23 each and Richard Gillham 21.

This was before an astonishing innings by number 10 Dane Hirst, who smashed 63 off 34 balls including eight consecutive fours, ended when he was well caught at long on off the last ball to give the visitors a 25-run victory.

The third team's depleted batting line-up was unable to score enough to trouble visitors Hatfield Crusaders at Fairfield Park with only skipper Jerry Dovey (38) featuring in a total of 114, which the visitors reached comfortably for the loss of four wickets despite Michael Turner's 3-18.

The fourths continued their promotion challenge at Northwood, bowling the home side out for 162 with Dave Smith taking 5-27 and Ed Smith 3-43 before cruising to a five-wicket victory, Dave Smith making 78 in partnership with Ben Smith (36).

The fifth XI lost ground in their promotion chase at St Christopher School, drawing with visitors Tewin seconds, who scored 180-6, with the Garden City replying with 160-5, James Goodwin-Davies making 50no and Rob Wight 29.

* London Colney made their second visit of the weekend to Whitethorn Lane on Sunday in the Chess Valley League when they won another close encounter by two wickets.

Letchworth reached 167-4 through Dave Albon (65), Simon Elliott (40) and Dom Chatfield (35) but then collapsed to 205 all out.

The visitors won by two wickets in pouring rain to complete a productive weekend in North Herts.