The ladies of Hitchin Cricket Club produced a stunning backs-to-the-wall success on their first league game of the summer.

They had travelled to Stony Stratford with just nine players and having been asked to bat first, they amassed a credible 193-6 in their 30 overs, the mainstay being Rachael Godschalk with 75.

And even two players short, the team produced a stunning job in the field to restrict the hosts to 152-9 and claim a 41-run victory.

Hitchin's first team also ended their game minus a player after Sanjay Chandarana was forced off while batting, the prognosis later found to be he had ruptured his Achilles tendon.

However, despite that they still battled hard against Shenley Village, second in the Herts Cricket League Championship, eventually going down to just a two-wicket loss.

The loss of Chandarana came with the top order again failing to spark into life and it was left to the middle and tail to get them up to 163 all out in 46 overs.

Tom Dryden looked good for his 13 and Musa Ilyas contributed a valuable 17 but it was the final wicket stand of 83 between Duncan Howells (16) and Sam Rippington (69*) that proved most important.

A man down in the field, Hitchin's bowlers kept things as tight as they could but 53 from Charles Thurston helped push Shenley forward with a stubborn 10 by Kris Nissen and George Stears (32*) getting them home.

Howells had the best figures for Hitchin with 4-32.

The seconds lost to Southgate Adelaide, Simon Bayston with 45, and the thirds were beaten by Watford with Mike Guest top scoring on 44.

Other notable performances across a disappointing day was 49 for the fourth team's James Mason and a marvellous 96 from Martin Seale in the sixths.

In Division One, Letchworth lost by four wickets at home to St Margaretsbury, the visitors claiming the win with eight balls remaining.

Skipper Harry Aitkenhead top-scored with 56.

Stevenage got their first win in three, beating Holtwhites Trinibis by 52 runs in Division Two A, the lower order trio of Cameron Mackay (39), Manohar Kosaraju (38) and Mike Philpotts (35*) the top scorers.

They are now fourth, three places above Ickleford who lost by 217 runs at leaders Chorleywood.

The hosts amassed 334-6, Scot Crouch's return to the first-team after a six-year absence netting him 2-74, but in reply they were soon in trouble at 14-4 and eventually all out for 117.

Richard Brown made 35 and Luke Marsden 28.

The seconds and thirds both lost as well, the twos by three wickets to Flamstead, Nadeem Akhtar the pick of the bowlers with 4-28, and the threes to Preston fourths.

Baldock played Old Albanians 2's on Saturday and recovered form a poor start to register 5 wins on the bounce and climb to second in the league.
Baldock who were 74-5 at one point recovered to 215-5 of 46 overs with a 141 run partnership between ryan Batty (46not out) and in form skipper daniel Plumb who score a superbly paced 105 not out.It was his second century in a row.
Old Albanians were going quite well but suffered a collapse to leave them 141 all out in 31.5 overs with Luke Mongston taking his maiden 1st XI five wicket haul with 5-29.A.Jones took 3-9

The seconds and thirds lost, however, but there was three wickets for 15-year-old Niddhaan Lalli for the twos.