Cricket round-up: Letchworth and Hitchin battle for promotion

Some never got to a finish, Preston's match in the Championship against Reed called off early into the second innings.

But Letchworth and Hitchin kept their promotion hopes alive in Division One with two big wins.

Letchworth are now second after beating Langleybury by eight wickets at Whitethorn Lane, their seventh win in a row, a club record.

They put the visitors into bat first and they went on to make 150-6 in 44 overs. Joe Davidson led the Letchworth bowling with 2-23.

Their revised target was 120 in 30 overs and they reached it in relative comfort with more than three overs to spare.

They did lose Tom Manning and Praveen Bhatti early on but an unbeaten third-wicket partnership of 97 between David Sprittles (55*) and Will Aitkenhead (43*) saw them home.

Their lead over Hitchin is still nine points but their neighbours are up to third after a 10-run win at St Margaretsbury.

They were forced to bat first but thanks to 90 from opener Sam Rippington, they got to 261-8 in their 50 overs.

He had help along the way with Sam Maylin falling one run short of a half-century.

But as with most, the home side were given a new target to chase as rain interfered, 212 from 33 overs.

They were always struggling but still took it to the last over, getting 10 of the 22 they needed for victory.

Mus Ilyas took 2-38 for Hitchin with Kian Postlethwaite getting 2-41.

Both sides could still catch and overtake Chorleywood who lead Letchworth by just five points.

Letchworth go to Leverstock Green on Saturday with Hitchin at home to Sawbridgeworth.

Two other issues have already been sorted out at Whitethorn Lane.

Letchworth seconds have been relegated from Division Two B after rain at Potters Bar prevented them trying to chase 123.

The fourths though are champions in Division 11 North having lost just one game all season.

They won by eight wickets against Hitchin fifths with veterans Paul Hubbard and Mike Hughes combining for a century stand.

The thirds lost by 12 runs to Welwyn Garden City.

Both Stevenage and Ickleford played in Division Two A but with very different results.

Stevenage won by six wickets against Holtwhites Trinibis to go fourth.

They had bowled the visitors to Ditchmore Lane out for 82, Nikhil Kumpukkal taking 3-15 while Manohar Kosaraju and Satveer Pawar got two each.

Ickleford, however, continued their disappointing year with an eight-wicket loss to Northwood.

Batting first they were skittled out for just 88, Jak Phillips scoring nearly half the runs with his 40 while Kamjal Khan scored 20.

Michael Day was the only other player to reach double figures.

Northwood made very short work of the victory target, taking less than 17 overs.

Nadeem Akhtar took the only two wickets to fall.

The second team performed well against Old Albanian despite another defeat.

Adam Ross was the star of the show with an excellent 88 and he had good support from Russell Dermont with 29.

Jayden Lidder (16*) and James Dermont (18*) saw Ickleford to 197-5.

But OAs reached the victory target with just three overs to go.

Sid Surresh took 2-28 while there was a wicket each for Ross and Nasir Nawaz.

The thirds slipped to their second successive defeat against Tewin at Holwell.

Losing the toss on a damp pitch, Ickleford were asked to bat and despite a bright 21 from Matteo Peareth, the top order failed to adapt to the accurate bowling and were reduced to 59-4.

Phil Maguire (21) and Mark Howard (19) then attempted to rebuild the innings with a seventh-wicket partnership of 34 and took the total to a more respectable, but under par, 124-9 in their 40 overs.

After the break, Ickleford fielded in the worst of the conditions with constant drizzle.

They suffered a setback in the second over with an injury to opening bowler Nick Webb who only bowled three balls.

Bharath Puttur took over and bowled accurately to take 1-24 in his spell but Tewin batted sensibly and despite some late wickets for Harry Chan (2-22), they cruised to the win by seven wickets in the 25th over.

Ickleford continued their good run of results on Sundays with another victory this time against Kings Cross.

Ickleford batted first and dominated the KC bowling from the start.

Adam Ross completed a memorable weekend with a maiden century, his 100 was well constructed and included some excellent aggressive shots.

He added 142 with David Baker (50) as Ickleford amassed 226-8. Matteo Peareth made 19.

In reply the Ickleford bowlers were always in control and Kings Cross were dismissed for 142.

Jack Holmes took 2-5, Richard Peareth 2-8 and Leo Chan 2-26.

Knebworth Park's hopes of promotion from Division Two B ended in a heavy loss to Old Finchleians.

They needed 161 from 50 overs but were all out for 87 in the 17th over.

Baldock meanwhile lost by 104 runs to Flamstead in Division Five B, 3-42 from James Rist as good as it got.

It leaves them in perilous danger, just one point above relegation.