The Saracens Herts League AN entertaining rain affected match saw Preston draw against Flitwick in Division Two on Saturday. The rain resulted in 26 overs being lost from the game, whereby Flitwick received 40 and Preston 34 overs. Flitwick made 200 for 8

The Saracens Herts League

AN entertaining rain affected match saw Preston draw against Flitwick in Division Two on Saturday.

The rain resulted in 26 overs being lost from the game, whereby Flitwick received 40 and Preston 34 overs.

Flitwick made 200 for 8 from their allocated 40 overs, the pick of Preston's bowling was Indika (15-2-56-4) and skipper Ashley Catlin (7-0-33-4).

Preston would have have had to score at around six runs per over if they were to take victory.

A 98 run first wicket partnership between Catlin (59) and Dave Fleckney (35) put Preston in a great position after 20 overs, considering Flitwick had three fielders on the boundary from the start.

With Preston scoring between five and six runs per over, the Flitwick skipper decided to put another four fielders on the boundary making seven in total.

Despite some excellent shots from Tony Ender (37) and Indika (17), Preston fell 26 runs shot of victory with six wickets down.

Baldock suffered yet another miserable defeat to league leaders West Herts II on Saturday at Avenue Park.

Having lost the toss Baldock were asked to bat and despite losing an early wicket were going well at 40-1.

However an amazing collapse then followed as the hosts lost five wickets for 10 runs to the rampaging Griffiths. It was shocking stuff as West Herts swarmed all over Baldock.

A brief recovery was mounted but when the one batsman to perform with any skill was dismissed (Graham Letford 40) the tail was out as quickly as the middle order and Baldock were all out for a painful 81 off just 27.1 overs. Griffith ended with 8-53 in a fine spell.

Baldock took the old ball as West Herts set about the target and for a while the game looked tight as batting hero Letford took two wickets quickly with his leg spin.

At 10-2 and the new ball to come Baldock had a remote sniff. Sadly the runs then came at a fair rate thereafter as Hodges dispatched the bowling on show to various boundaries at will to end 38 not out and West Herts II's 82-2 and winners by eight wickets. Letford finished with 2-36.

Old Owens won the toss and decided to bat against Ickleford Cricketers but made slow progress against seam bowler Dave Allen's 3 for 35 in 17 overs, supported by slow bowler Richard Starkey's 2 for 34 in 12 and Dilbert Johal 2-35 in 5. Owens reached 212 for 8 in 53 overs. The home side bowled accurately and opener Kevin Shinner batted fluently for 57, but it was a sparkling innings from Ian Cousins who mixed a good defence with some thumping boundaries, as he struck 93 not out to see Cricketers home by 6 wickets in the last over.

Hitchin IIs suffered a demoralising defeat following a batting collapse against Old Camdenians in Division Six.

Chasing a modest 161, Hitchin reached 120-2 and it seemed it would only be a matter of time before victory was completed.

However, from then on things turned against Hitchin, and they collapsed to 151 all out having lost eight wickets for just 31 runs.

Darryl Collins and Richard Middleditch had guided Hitchin to their commanding position with an 84 run partnership for the opening wicket, before the latter fell for 44, adjudged lbw, despite an obvious inside edge. Collins continued the good work and reached his half-century, but when he fell for 58 the Hitchin collapsed started. No other Hitchin batsman reached double figures.

Their dismal performance with the bat soured a good performance with the ball that saw Old Camdenians bowled out in just 35 overs.

Tim Porter and Gavin Bidgood, who took 4-35 and 4-28 respectively, did the damage.

Preston II's maintained their unbeaten away record with a 19 point draw at Little Berkhamsted in Division 6.

Preston posted 214-5 with top scorer Casey Walker with a confident 81. Next best was Matt Burleigh on 48 and Simon Luxton with 27. The home side were difficult to break through but once Srini hit bullseye, there was no stopping him as he took 5-42 from 22 overs. Casey Walker completing a fine match with a couple of wickets but the last pair survived nine balls to prevent victory.

Ickleford got back to winning ways beating North Enfield. Ickleford got off to a great start with a 118 opening partnership between Mark Schumann (84) and James Robinson (85) in Ickleford's 254-5.

Ickleford's bowlers too a while to get stated but Steve Munnery picked up his third four wicket haul of the season finishing with 4-79 and Brett Blaker 3-55 nd Bal Kalirai 3-28 as Enfield were bowled out for 211.