Cricket: Hitchin miss promotion despite last day win

The top four sides were all in with a shout of promotion going into the final round and as fate would have it, they were all playing each other.

Hitchin were fourth going into the match and despite all the permutations, their plan was simple - beat second-placed Luton Town & Indians and hope Redbourn lose to leaders Reed.

They did their bit, winning by 12 runs at Wardown Park, but Redbourn were able to clinch a five-wicket success sending them up by four points, with bonus points gained by Reed enough to give them the title.

It was still a fine effort from Hitchin and will still go down as a famous last-day win.

Victory for the Bedfordshire side seemed likely with five overs left to play, Luton sitting on 165-7 and 17 runs from the magic target.

However, they lost two wickets in the next over, gaining just one run, and in the over after that, the final wicket fell to give Hitchin the win.

The visitors had opted to bat first and made 181-9 in their 50 overs, Shaftab Khalid leading the way with a patient and well-built 68.

Khalid also led the way with the ball, taking 3-29 in his 10 overs but it was Toqueer Hussain (2-18) and Sam Rippington (2-36) who snared the vital last three wickets.

Preston first team finished their Championship season in sixth. Picture: PRESTON CC (Image: Preston Cricket Club)

Preston finished the Championship season in sixth after a defeat at home to Welwyn Garden City, who now have a play-off to come as they look to return to the Premier Division.

The hosts bowled first and took regular wickets preventing any of the WGC top order making any big runs.

Welwyn skipper Connor Emerton was not out for 51 to shore up the Welwyn middle order and gave the innings some needed impetus.

It took them to 184-9 off their 50 overs with Justin Powick (3-48) and Omar Faleel (4-39) the best of the Preston bowlers.

And despite a decent knock of 48 from Jake George and 33 from Powick, the Preston reply stuttered to see the innings close on 124.

The seconds lost by two wickets to Holtwhites Trinibis to finish their Division Four B season in fifth.

Preston elected to bat first and started sprightly on a damp wicket with young opener Pushan Chakraborty making an excellent 46 before falling.

Pete Gooden (17), David Fleckney (19) and Mark Waters (26*) took the Preston innings to 154 but their bowlers struggled on a drying wicket, the highlight being a miserly 3-18 from 10 overs from Tom Murrell.

However, Holtwhites got over the line in the 37th over.

The thirds secured the only win for the club on the day, beating Old Cholmelians by 26 runs.

OC's asked Preston to bat first but decent runs from Battersby and Rajani took the Preston total to 195-8.

They then bowled Old Cholms out for 169 in the 37th over.

The fourths lost by 53 runs to Potton.

Batting first, Potton posted a challenging total of 217-7 in their 40 overs, Chris Harper taking 4-57, and in reply Preston reached 164-7 with Matthew Burleigh carrying his bat for 59 not out, Andrew Riant and Arundeep Natt showing some support lower down the order too.

Letchworth's miserable season ended with a three-wicket loss at home to Dunstable Town, leaving them bottom.

Dave Albon hit 60 as they reached 234-9 but despite 3-33 from David Sprittles, Dunstable were able to get the eight runs required off the final over, winning with a six off the penultimate delivery.

In Division Two A, Stevenage lost by 18 runs at home to West Herts to leave them sixth in the final standings.

Tom Palmer, Mike Philpotts and Scott Davies got two wickets each as the Watford side finished on 247-8.

However, despite six scoring between 22 and 37, Stevenage were all out for 229 in the 48th over.

Dave Roberts batted superbly for Knebworth Park. Picture: RICHARD HUTCHINSON (Image: Richard Hutchinson)

Knebworth Park pulled off a three-wicket win over promotion chasing Old Finchelians in Division Two B.

From a seemingly doomed 19-6,  chasing 138 to win, Dave Roberts and Amelia Kemp transformed the course of the game.

Patiently they dug in and added 63 runs before Kemp was run out for 11 from 81 balls.

Even after Kemp was out though there was still a 56 needed.

However, skipper Matt Hutchinson produced an authoritative 38 not out including one huge straight six while at the other end Roberts spent over two hours at the crease in scoring a determined and unbeaten 62.

Earlier the visitors batsmen were also in trouble as Charlie Randall's destructive pace took 4-30 and reduced them to 62-5.

Fellow opening bowler Gareth Jones chipped in with 2 for 27 as Finchley were all out for 137.

The seconds finished the season with a comfortable five-wicket win over Ickleford seconds, securing fourth place in Division Six B.

Ickleford won the toss and decided to bat and KPCC were soon on top, reducing them to 51-6, with Rob Burnell (3-40) leading the way.

Taking the seventh wicket proved difficult again and Ickleford recovered to 120-6 until Graham Fisher got the breakthrough, ending a brilliant 89 from Mark Schumann who also found great support from Harry Chan with 41.

Ickleford finished on 177 all out and in reply Rob Slack led from the front for Park with an excellent 38, Sujith Reddy entertained with a rapid 34, including five consecutive fours, while Ahmed Abdi made 36 on his second team debut.

It meant the job was done in 33 overs.

Iain Hildenbrandt's innings of 65 was unable to steer the thirds to victory as they went down by 17 runs to Stevenage fifths. 

Ryan Ellis was the pick of the bowlers in reducing the visitors to 171-9 and in reply Knebworth were all out for 154.

The final game of a much-improved season for the fourths was an afternoon of mixed fortunes.

Welwyn Garden City fifths elected to bat but made a slow start, which Park eventually took advantage of as Mark Chapelhow, John Inman and Syed Abdi all took three wickets each. 

Tom Matthews took the other wicket and Ian Murrill and James Best took a catch each, restricting WGC to just 85 runs.

But scoring runs was not easy and Knebworth made heavy weather of their reply.

Only Archie Lowrie (16) and Thomas Matthews (18) made an innings of note, as Knebworth were bowled out for just 76.

Ickleford finished fourth in Division Three A despite a 69-run defeat at Datchworth.

The hosts, who ended the year third, posted an impressive 279-8 in their 50 overs with three bowlers each taking two wickets - George Crouch. Nadeem Akhtar and Sam Draper.

Ickleford started their reply positively with Crouch (68) and Duncan Jenner (42) enjoying an excellent opening partnership.

Eswar Krishnamurthy (22) and Charlie Jupp (29) continued the momentum but the middle order and tail collapsed dramatically and Ickleford were dismissed for 210.

Ickleford thirds took on champions elect Kimpton at Holwell in the final league game of the season.

Winning the toss, Kimpton batted first and were reduced to 32-3 including the captain Cameron Barford, the division’s leading run scorer, for a duck.

The middle order rebuilt the innings despite some accurate bowling from the seamers in particular but were bowled out for 171 in the 39th over.

Pick of the bowlers was Richard Brown (4-19), well supported by Bharath Puttur (2-34) and DP Indetkar (2-25) and there was also a wicket each for Scot Crouch and Scott Dalrymple.

In reply, Ickleford were undone by the impressive opening bowler, Will Barford (4-26) and also Cameron Barford (3-16) despite solid resistance from David Baker (44) and a positive innings of 35 from Richard Brown in a partnership of 64.

For a while, the chase seemed alive, but Kimpton worked their way through the rest of the batting and Ickleford were bowled out for 127 in the 35th over to lose by 44 runs.

The positive news is that Ickleford avoided relegation and will line up again in Division 10 North in 2025.