Baldock won a nailbiter against Knebworth Park thirds to remain top of Saracens Herts League Division Five. Matt Ayre and Alistair Jones bowled with real accuracy to leave Park 60-3 after 22 overs. The hosts fought back to get 170-9 through a fine innings

Baldock won a nailbiter against Knebworth Park thirds to remain top of Saracens Herts League Division Five.

Matt Ayre and Alistair Jones bowled with real accuracy to leave Park 60-3 after 22 overs.

The hosts fought back to get 170-9 through a fine innings of 50 from skipper Steve Holmes. Tim Dean finished with 4-46 and Ayre 3-66.

Baldock got a reasonable start and reached 73-2 with Rob Peacock making a stylish 32. But two quick wickets left the game in the balance.

Ayre (36) and Ranjit Rayat (20) took back the initiative with a stand of 35 but two more wickets then fell to leave them 122-6 and second favourites.

Andy French made 22 but another two-wicket burst left Baldock at 154-8. Dean then hit the penultimate ball for four to win the game by one wicket.

Usman Chaudhary claimed 6-54 off 13.5 overs.

The seconds beat Bragbury by 37 runs at Baldock. They batted first and totalled a rather disappointing 159 all out with Pete Tily making 40 and Ben Diplock 26.

In response though Bragbury were bowled out for 122 as Tily took a hat-trick to end the game in fine style.

The thirds put up a game fight against Old Elizabethans thirds in a drawn match. The olds boys made 216-5 in their allotted overs and Baldock managed 167-8 in response.

Martin Macdonald got 40 and under-14 player Ben Cave got a fine 29no in helping secure the draw.

Datchworth won at home against Old Albanians in the same division.

The visitors out on 83 for the first wicket before tight spells from skipper John Wells (1-34) and Matt Budd (2-24) slowed the rate. Then 70 runs were added from the final 10 overs as OA's went on to score 201-7 from their 53 overs.

Datchworth made an unsure start with Budd and Chris Gordon both out quickly.

Darren Croucher and Steve Groves shared a partnership of 105 before Groves was bowled for 37.

Croucher made fifty swiftly, with a superb display of strokes and went on to make a matchwinning 87 including 15 fours and a six.

Datchworth won by five wickets with an over to spare.

Dropped catches killed off any hopes the second string had of victory against their Sandridge counterparts.

Luke Bennett (67), Gary Hyams (53) and some late hitting from Rob Nash (22 from just 12 deliveries) took the score to 206-7.

Simon Little (4-43) took early wickets but dropped catches meant Sandridge closed on 185-9.

Yet another dismal batting display from the thirds saw them capitulate in dramatic style against Shenley fourths.

Andy Draper made his first appearance of the season, and was straight back in the wickets, taking 6-50 unchanged as Shenley still rattled up 183. Only Michael Nash (25), Dave Bartlett (26) and Dave Edwards (11) made double figures in a miserable total of 107 all out.

Weston moved off the bottom of Division Nine after drawing with Old Camdenians seconds.

The home side slumped to 79-5 but were rescued by a batting masterclass by George Lamprell who helped to steer Weston to a respectable total.

Lamprell was ably supported by skipper Marcus Peckham and together the pair put on 63 before Lamprell was cruelly run out on 78.

Peckham remained undefeated on 30 as Weston reached 224-9 in 53 overs.

Andrew O'Sullivan took two wickets in reply and Angus Forster took 4-36 off nine overs as the old boys survived for the draw on 201-9.