Stevenage maintained their unbeaten start to the Herts Cricket League Division Two A season - although the victory over Watford Town went down to the wire.

Having made 223-5 batting first, Eugene Stanciu getting 70 while Scott Davies finished 51 not out, the hosts needed 11 runs to win going into the final over.

They only had one wicket remaining though and that went on the first ball to give Stevenage a 10 run success.

Manohar Kosaraju and Cameron Mackay each took three wickets.

Ickleford had a 45-run loss to Bushey, leaving them fourth in the table.

Bushey chose to bat first and put on 165, Fakhar Islam taking 3-18 and Axel Morris with 2-40 their main wicket takers.

The reply reached 29-0before ebbing away and finishing on 120, 26 coming from Thomas Brown and 32 for Richard Brown.

The seconds lost to Potten End despite Scot Crouch taking 3-17 and Adam Parkin 3-22, and the fourths went down by 19 runs to Lutonian.

It made the thirds the only team to win as they beat Letchworth fourths by seven wickets, Matt Marsden taking three wickets with Dave Pursey (55) and David Baker (56) putting on 113 for the first wicket.

There were defeats for both Preston and Hitchin in the Championship.

Preston, who had won all their games one week earlier, had the polar opposite this week although the first team's four-wicket reverse to Shenley Village did see them move up to third.

They were beaten on the penultimate ball, the visitors getting the eight runs needed in the final over to take them to the target of 229.

Casey Walker and Pete Murrell each took two wickets while Nivin Sathyajith (49), Phil Simpson (47) and Ed Wharton (46) their main scorers batting first.

The seconds lost to Old Camdenians by 24 runs, Mark Waters (3-42), Pete Gooden (64) and James Battersby (54) their star players, while the thirds were beaten by 14 runs against Pinner and the fourths by 93 runs at Hitchin fourths.

Hitchin firsts lost by 39 runs at home to Reed to sit seventh.

They would have felt happy to hold Reed to 253-6, especially after a first-wicket partnership of 166 hinted at a total in excess of 300, Shaftab Khalid and Saad Waqas each taking two wickets.

Opener Ajay Momi's 87 give them hope but they fell short, all out for 214 in the 48th over.

The seconds lost by five wickets to Tewin but the thirds beat Pinner by 48 runs, 4-15 from Jay Patadia a big help.

Other standout performers were Chris White (62) for the fourths, Simon Warren (4-10) and Mark Brooks (78) for the fifths and James Mason (89) for the sixths.

Knebworth Park secured their second victory of the Division Three A season, beating Rickmansworth by 53 runs.

Skipper Adam Sergeant led the way with 94 as Park recorded an over-par 288-9 and they always held the upper hand despite a fight from their hosts, who finished on 233 after 45 overs.

Asif Mahmood was the pick of the bowlers with 3-51 while Gareth Jones and returning veteran Guy Warman each took two wickets.

Baldock made it two wins in two in Division Five B with a six-wicket victory over Hertingfordbury.

James Peacock took 5-31 and Adam Hewitt 3-3 in 8.5 overs before Daniel Plumb saw them home with 42 not out.
The seconds, thirds and fourths all lost but Sunny Singh scored a brilliant 124 not out for the latter, his first century for the club.