Stevenage suffered their first defeat this season as they capitulated by eight wickets at home to Bishop s Stortford. Heavy overnight rain had made conditions difficult and after losing an important toss, the home side were asked to bat first in tricky co

Stevenage suffered their first defeat this season as they capitulated by eight wickets at home to Bishop's Stortford.

Heavy overnight rain had made conditions difficult and after losing an important toss, the home side were asked to bat first in tricky conditions.

The Stevenage innings got off to the worst possible start.

Prolific run getters Gary Brown and Tanweer Sikandar were involved in a second over run-out which was completely avoidable.

Despite Stortford's best efforts, the Keystone Cops mix-up ended in Sikandar being run out for nought.

Then 1-1 became 5-3 in the blink of an eye with Brown and Ashley Bayes both succumbing to in-seamers from Stortford's Aussie, Whittingham, who then got rid of Nas Ahmed for eight.

The innings was in all sorts of trouble and the 15 runs of respite between Navin Seneviratne and Syed Kazmi did little to change that perspective as both men fell in quick succession to Premadasa.

The biggest partnership of the innings, a mere 20, between David Carr (19) and Barry Hann ensured that the fifty was on the board, but this ended when Carr missed a short one from Coleman that did not get up.

Only Albert Sodhi, under considerable pressure, contributed any further runs off the bat before Whittingham was reintroduced to clean up the tail.

A chase of 62 was never likely to tax anyone and Stortford achieved it, albeit with a few scares, in 25 overs.

Syed Kazmi picked up two wickets, bowling Hughes and having Surry smartly stumped by Carr.

There were a couple of half chances missed but the outcome would still have been a comfortable Stortford victory.

* An opening stand of 120 between Barret Ganji (68) and Russell Hann (39) enabled the seconds to post 190-7 against London Colney.

But they are still seeking their first win as they went down by seven wickets.

Thahir Zafarulla led the way with 4-14 in eight overs, supported by Sunjay Garg and Suman Iranganti, for the fourths. Hatfield thirds had no answer as they crawled to 79-8 in 47 overs before Stevenage won by seven wickets in 27 overs.

Max Cooley's three wickets in four balls for the fifths kept Luton Town and Indians fourths to 106-9 in 47 overs.

Unfortunately the home side's batting needed more patience as they slumped to 70 all out in 30 overs.

A commendable performance by the sixths playing against the division's top side Chorleywood fourths saw them lose by seven wickets after posting just 86.

* In Sunday's Development League, Nathan Derrick (4-20 in eight overs) took a hat-trick as Welwyn Garden City were bundled out for only 62.

Stevenage Academy lost three wickets in reaching their target in 17.3 overs, Jason Chapman unbeaten on 35.