Ickleford took 18 points from their home game with Shenley Village after a superb unbeaten innings from Mark Schumann. Following a series of below-par scores, Ickleford edged past the 200 mark, giving themselves something to defend. After winning the toss

Ickleford took 18 points from their home game with Shenley Village after a superb unbeaten innings from Mark Schumann.

Following a series of below-par scores, Ickleford edged past the 200 mark, giving themselves something to defend.

After winning the toss and batting, Ickleford made a cautious but solid start, reaching 43 before a run out mix-up saw the back of Tom Reilly.

The wicket prompted a familiar slide, with the departure of skipper Duncan Jenner for 31 followed by more quick wickets to leave the home side reeling on 57-5. It was left to Schumann and Nick Webb to rebuild the innings - a task they undertook impressively, putting on 80 for the sixth wicket, before Webb was bowled for a gutsy 27.

Schumann continued to defiantly wrestle the momentum away from Shenley, picking up pace in the final overs. He was aided by Peter Robinson and Sam Giggle and finished unbeaten on 88 in Ickleford's 201-7.

The Shenley Village openers made an ambitious start to their innings, attempting to take the attack to Ickleford - a plan which backfired when both were dismissed with the score under 30.

Ickleford struck quickly again twice with Reilly on his way to figures of 3-39 from 16 overs.

Shenley rallied to 109-4 from 58-4 before the pressure of Robinson and Jenner's tight bowling forced errors and left the tail exposed. Schumann took the eighth wicket, but Ickleford were unable to finish Shenley off, with the visitors 40 runs short.

* The seconds had an easy victory over their Sandridge counterparts.

The batting was far too loose, showing Twenty20 tendencies, as they refused to graft for runs.

Dan Watson took full advantage with his second successive five-wicket haul (5-32). Good support was provided by Tom Walker (3-16) and Roy Izzard (2-43).

Ickleford comfortably achieved their 109-run target with Kevin Shinner scoring 25. But the outstanding innings came from Scott Crouch who smashed an unbeaten 39.

The thirds had another good win over Old Albanians fourths.

Ickleford scored 210-8 with Dan Eldrett giving the innings a good start with 45. But the star of the show was Jason Gornall in his first game for 12 years who made an unbeaten 54 with eight fours. Trevor Izzard provided good support with 42 and it was Izzard who led the bowling with 3-22. Day (3-46) and John Williams (2-22) saw Old Albanians out for 128.

* Ickleford had a convincing win against Wheathampstead in Sunday's friendly.

Ickleford batted first and made 197-6 from their 40 overs. Dave Pursey dominated the innings with a superb unbeaten 95, returning to his best form.

Wheathampstead never threatened the target as Joe Lockyer and Tom Walker bowled good opening spells.

Walker took 3-27 and found good support from John Ross with an impressive spell of 4-8 and Roy Izzard (2-25) as Wheathampstead were dismissed for just 84.