Letchworth GC threw away another 30 points at Berkhamsted to slip back in the promotion race in the Saracens Herts League Division One. After a great fightback spearheaded by opening bowlers Ed Morse and Richard Barclay, they let the home side s last pair

Letchworth GC threw away another 30 points at Berkhamsted to slip back in the promotion race in the Saracens Herts League Division One.

After a great fightback spearheaded by opening bowlers Ed Morse and Richard Barclay, they let the home side's last pair off the hook by dropping two simple catches.

Steve March won the toss and decided to bat on what looked a good wicket and Tom Cranston and John Hilliard gave them a steady start, reaching 28 before Cranston was caught.

There then followed a dramatic collapse to 68-6 with only Hilliard (21) and March (23) staying for long.

But then Morse (27no) and Barclay (22) staged a rearguard action and Letchworth finally closed on 142-9 off their 53 overs. It was unlikely to be a sufficient total and March was happy to claim the three-over penalty which the home side incurred for a slow over rate leaving them with only 44 overs to get the runs.

It was soon not a consideration as Morse and Barclay tore into the Berko top order reducing them to 61-6 off 21 overs.

Janaway took the battle to the Garden City with a swashbuckling 31 but after he had been bowled by Andy Newland, there looked only one winner.

Dom Marsh grabbed a leg before decision and then Morse was brought back to finish the innings off. He quickly clean bowled one tailender, but Gerrard (29no) aided by the number 11 and the dropped catches, helped Berko to hang on at 123-9.

Morse finished with 4-44, Barclay 2-16 and Marsh 2-32.

* It could have so easily been a clean sweep weekend for Letchworth GC as the seconds and thirds also had their opponents nine down and the fourth and fifth teams both won to put themselves in their respective promotion races.

The second XI entertained North Enfield at Whitethorn Lane and declared after 51 overs with 236-7, led by Sarbjit Chahal (76), Dom Chatfield (41), Richard Gillham (35) and skipper Graham Bishton (32no).

The visitors hung on at 177-9 with spin twins Bishton (4-29) and Chatfield (3-30) leading the way. Darren Curry also took 2-30.

The thirds had the better of a local derby at Preston, scoring 194, with skipper Jerry Dovey making 67, Dom Simmonds 34 and Dane Hirst 29, before reducing the home side to 166-9, with Michael Turner taking 3-18, Matt Bridge 2-18 and veteran Colin Croucher 2-32.

The fourth XI made short work of Kings Langley at Fairfield Park, Ed Smith's 5-9 helping bowl the visitors out for 120 before a first wicket stand of 85 between Mike Hughes (47) and Mike Fernando (38) put them on the way to a six-wicket win.

And the fifth XI raced to 232-5 declared off 44 overs at Botany Bay before bowling the hosts out for 130. Henry Robinson made 94, skipper Jerry Gillham 55 and John Mathews 50no before Bav Aujla's 5-28 helped them to victory.