Baldock slipped to second in the Saracens Herts League Division Five after a cracking pitch provided a high-scoring draw against Langleybury seconds. The visitors were 160-6 as slow bowlers Tom Dupuy and Tim Dean dug Baldock out of an early hole. This pro

Baldock slipped to second in the Saracens Herts League Division Five after a cracking pitch provided a high-scoring draw against Langleybury seconds.

The visitors were 160-6 as slow bowlers Tom Dupuy and Tim Dean dug Baldock out of an early hole.

This proved to be a false dawn as Best struck the ball well and his 64 and some excellent lower order batting got Langleybury to 230-7 declared off 50 overs.

Dean, Dupuy and Alistair Jones all finished with two wickets but in truth the bowlers were short of their normal standards.

After losing Matt Ayre, the Peacock brothers, James (39) and Rob (21), then batted fluently to take the score to 52-1 in 13 overs.

Langleybury than introduced spin and this changed the game in their favour as wickets fell leaving Baldock 100-6 and staring at a first defeat of the season.

It took a counter attack from skipper Rob Cant (28) and Julian Muir (29) in a stand of 62 to get Baldock going again and heading for an unlikely victory but sadly for the hosts they both fell quickly to end that dream.

Then it was about denying Langleybury precious points and this was done as Jones and Dean batted out seven overs at the end to reach 187-9 in 50 overs.

The seconds had a great win away at Potters Bar fourths who batted first and made 195-9 off 53 overs with Pete Tily, Phil Lucy and Abu Monsur all taking two wickets.

Andy Diplock scored 51 and Barry Gazely 35 in a stand of 75 before Monsur (38) and Kal Rayat (23no) guided Baldock home by four wickets with overs to spare.

* Baldock progressed to the quarter-finals of the county cup on Sunday against Division Four side Clarendon.

In wet and miserable conditions, Rob Peacock batted almost all the way through the innings for a superbly constructed and stylish 97.

He was well supported by Graham Letford who made a belligerent 32 and James Peacock a fluent 43. Ranjit Rayat ran the fielders ragged with 26no as Baldock made 223-4 off 50 overs.

The rain returned to make a revised target of 201 off 39 overs which quickly became 145 off 33 as 56 runs came from the first six overs.

Old stager Gary Wise and Aussie import Macmillan batted superbly smashing the bowling around the park with ease to put Clarendon firmly in the driving seat.

Luckily an excellent spell from Dean slowed the rate and got the wicket of Macmillan for 30.

However despite this Clarendon were still heavy favourites at 120-2 off 22 overs.

Then batting hero Rob Peacock nipped out two quick wickets and then despite taking some punishment from Wise, got him too via a great catch in the deep by the inspired Letford to leave the visitors at 151-5 and the game in the balance.

Baldock then piled on the pressure and the returning Jones took two wickets and then Peacock took his fifth wicket to effectively end the contest.

A brilliant run out by Letford then closed the game out with Clarendon 181 all out.

Rob Peacock capped a great day by taking 5-38, Jones 2-36 and the excellent Dean 1-26 from eight overs.

Their Broadview Windows North Herts League match against Ickleford was abandoned. A young Baldock side had reached 75-4 when the heavens opened.