Hatfield on the verge of being relegated

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Hatfield 79-10 Northwood Town 80-7

STRUGGLING Hatfield need a minor miracle to avoid being relegated on the final Saturday of the Herts League season.
The Ascots Lane club are second from bottom in Division Two and 28 points from safety. They face Potters Bar 2nds away in their final league match this weekend needing maximum points and for the results of Old Albanian and Rickmansworth to also go their way to stand any chance of staying up.
Their three-wicket defeat at the hands of Northwood Town last weekend virtually condemned them to Division Three cricket after just one season in the Saracens Herts League's second tier.
Hatfield really needed to win their final two games of the season to stand any realistic chance of preserving their status. Unfortunately, their batting let them down against Northwood on a balmy afternoon at Ascots Lane and they were shot out for just 79 runs.
Hatfield's bowlers made a real fist of the match, however, and took seven wickets as the visitors scraped home on a two-paced track.
The home side had elected to bat on what looked like a good wicket, particularly with the forecast of a rare sunny afternoon. Heath Bond and Dave Hughes settled early on and made steady progress. Bond hit a typically aggressive 20 runs before falling with the total on 26.
This seemed to be the signal for Northwood to take control of the game with Keven Whitehead being dismissed just five runs later.
Hughes played some fine shots but struggled against the change bowlers and went for 17. Hatfield's middle order came and went after the dismissal of Hughes and the hosts slumped to 57-6. Slow bowler Rawson-Jones and South African Van Ee took important wickets as Hatfield struggled.
Hatfield's tail couldn't really muster much as Rawson-Jones claimed 4-17 and Van Ee 3-13.
In reply, Northwood seemed to find the same demons that Hatfield's batsmen had detected in the wicket and found themselves 2-2 with skipper Darshan Desai doing the early damage.
Some lusty blows from the Northwood top order saw them back on track. However, veteran swing bowler Ian Golder was not to be denied and claimed a third wicket with the score on 31. Desai snapped up another victim with the score unchanged and at 31-4 Hatfield smelt an unlikely victory.
The game changed when the destructive Van Ee came to the crease with the intent of putting bat to ball as quickly as possible. Billy Bigley joined the attack to clean bowl Johannes Van Ee, but not before he had cracked an important 32 and seen Northwood Town out of trouble. Bigley took another wicket, as did captain Desai, but Hatfield let themselves down by dropping two important catches which could have turned the game around in the dying overs.
Northwood eventually reached the Hatfield score for the loss of seven wickets.
Desai was pick of the bowlers with 4-23 and Bigley took 2-18.

Golder's knock guides Hatfield towards Northwood win

HATFIELD'S 2nd XI are enjoying a late season renaissance and beat their Northwood Town counterparts by four wickets on Saturday.
The home side had rattled along to 199-8 with young seam bowler Paul Ward taking 3-43 and Mark Golder 2-27. However, it was Golder's batting heroics that sealed the Saracens Herts League game for Richard Hazeldene's men. He smashed a superb 63 to take the team to the brink of success in Division Seven.
Andy Foster then provided the cool head on shoulders with a timely unbeaten 34 as the overs ran out.

Hatfield slump to Ware defeat

HATFIELD'S 3rd XI slumped to 78 all out against Ware 2nds in their Saracens Herts League match on Saturday.
Alex Digby top scored for the home side with 23 in a miserable Hatfield total. The Ascots Lane club's bowlers did their best to retrieve the situation with Tony Jakes taking 2-13 and Alan Dudman 2-16.
However, Hatfield didn't have enough runs to play with and Ware reached 79-6 to collect maximum Division 12 points.

Depleted Hatfield slump to defeat against bottom club Abbots Langley

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Abbots Langley 187-9 Hatfield 86-10

A SERIOUSLY depleted Hatfield side lost to bottom club Abbots Langley on Saturday.
The Ascots Lane side travelled to Abbots for a crucial Saracens Hertfordshire League Division Two match missing five regular first team players and suffered a crushing 101-run defeat. The hosts won the toss and elected to bat first.
Opening bowlers Ian Golder and Bill Bigley restricted the Abbots' batsmen to just 22 runs from the first 10 overs. However, the batsmen took a liking to change bowler Steve Brame, hitting 21 runs off three overs before Brame had Warner lbw for 22 with the score at 50.
Smith kept up the attack on the new bowlers with Golder taken out of the attack after eight overs for 16 runs.
They took a particular liking to Gareth Wynne's bowling, hitting 27 runs from his first four overs as the total passed 100 in the 24th over.
It was the introduction of Lewis Wynne that brought the next wicket of Chellow for 33. The third wicket came in the 37th over and fell to Paul Ward, who had just replaced skipper Darshan Desai.
Abbots kept making steady progress to 170 before losing two wickets in quick succession to a couple of run outs. The dismissal of opener Smith for 78 runs by Mrunal Desai came four runs later.
Skipper Darshan Desai then took two dismissals and Mrunal Desai held a stunning caught and bowled as Abbots Langley closed their innings at 187-9.
Hatfield's run chase got off to a disastrous start with Ben Golder being bowled by Watson in the first over for one. Chris Reid was also bowled by Watson for seven with the score on 19. Just two runs later Keven Whitehead was bowled by Nightingale for five and Hatfield were 21-3 after 10 overs. Things didn't get any better as four overs later Hatfield lost skipper Desai lbw for 10 and Ian Golder was caught without scoring.
The Ascots Lane club then slumped to 86 all out. Five overs after Golder's dismissal it was 46-6 with Steve Brame trapped lbw for seven.
Bill Bigley gave Hatfield some relief but when he was caught for 20 in the 24th over to make it 67-7, it was all over for Hatfield. The tail, shepherded by Lewis Wynne, who scored 12, took the total to 86 before Hatfield were all out for a crushing 101-run defeat. Abbots Langley's Watson took 4-26 and Nightingale 3-7.
The defeat leaves struggling Hatfield second from bottom and 23 points from safety with games fast running out.

Golder makes his mark against Adelaide

HATFIELD'S 2nd XI defied weakened availability by bowling out visitors Southgate Adelaide for just 74 in their Saracens Herts Division Seven match.
The star with the ball was Mark Golder, who took 4-24. He was well supported by Alan Jakes with 2-19 and Kunal Shah's 2-17, plus a miserly 1-9 from nine overs by Justin Evans.
Hatfield made a positive start in reply as John McCarthy (17) and Graham Causton (10) took the total to 35 before three wickets fell. But Dan Hardy with 16 and Sisantha Arachchi with 13 saw Hatfield home to a seven-wicket victory in 22 overs.

Bigley and Edge bowl Hatfield into winning position

A BELOW strength Hatfield 3rd XI defied their weakened availability by bowling out visitors Letchworth 5ths for just 73 runs at King George V Playing Fields in their Division 12 match.
The hosts won the Saracens Herts League clash on Saturday thanks to a fine display from young opening bowlers Sean Edge and Joe Bigley. Edge took 3-13 and Bigley claimed 2-8. Alan Dudman and Rory Golder also picked up a wicket each. That enabled evergreen Tony Foster to take 3-17 to finish off the visitors for a poor score.
Hatfield appeared to be moving calmly to victory as skipper Bruce Percival (37) and Clive Wilson took the total to 47. The first wicket fell when Wilson was caught for 11. Matt Jennings hit 12 runs to help take the score to 68. Percival was caught immediately afterwards and in almost a blink of an eye three more wickets fell to see the scores level at 73-6.
Veteran Tony Foster then called upon all his years of experience to calmly hit the ball for four and win the match for Hatfield by four wickets.

Hatfield skipper Desai’s efforts in vain against Cockfosters 

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Hatfield 154-10 Cockfosters 155-3

A HALF-century from Hatfield skipper Darshan Desai proved to be in vain as his side slipped to a seven-wicket defeat to Cockfosters on Saturday.
The defeat sees the Ascots Lane club looking like strong contenders to be relegated from Division Two of the Saracens Herts Cricket League, occupying second-bottom place.
Next week's match against similarly threatened Abbots Langley looks to be a huge fixture.
Hatfield's batting never really got going on Saturday after the loss of Barry Phillips to the second ball of the match. Heath Bond fell shortly after and it took another prosaic effort from Keven Whitehead to dig them out of trouble.
Skipper Dashan Desai proved to be the epicentre of all his side's runs. He and Whitehead slowly put together a decent looking partnership.
The duo took the score to a respectable 90-2 before the latter was dismissed for 28. Desai completed another league half-century, eventually falling for 55 and the home side were bowled out for 154.
Hatfield struck early to have Fosters at 29-2 with Ian Golder and Desai taking a wicket apiece.
At 30-3, there was a real chance for Desai's men. However, opener O'Leary had other ideas and started to work the ball into the gaps. He was joined by Potter, who played some handsome shots.
The pair started to dominate and despite the best efforts of Desai, runs started to come at two a penny. Hatfield's score began to look well short of par as Cockfosters passed the century mark and no further wickets fell.
O'Leary showed what a prolific batter he is and hit a fine unbeaten 64 to lead Fosters to a seven-wicket success.
Desai was the pick of the attack with 2-32.

Hatfield beat Baldock in Sunday clash

HATFIELD gained an important three-wicket win in their North Herts League match against Baldock last Sunday.
Baldock had hit 184-8 with Luke Waterman proving to be the pick of the Hatfield attack after taking 4-36 from his allotted overs. Despite the loss of openers Golder and Shah, Hatfield managed to keep up with the required scoring rate.
Andy Ashley-Smith (33) and Andy Foster (30) took the game to the Baldock bowlers.
Billy Bigley (37) and Keven Whitehead (27 not out) also played some good cricket to ensure that Hatfield were able to secure a fine win with two overs remaining.

McCarthy’s knock not enough for Hatfield against Redbourn

JOHN McCarthy hit a fine unbeaten half century as Hatfield 2nds suffered a three-wicket defeat to Redbourn 2nds on Saturday.
The result sees Hatfield perched just above the relegation places in Division Seven of the Saracens Herts Cricket League.
Hatfield posted a score of 145-8 with John McCarthy carrying his bat with a vigilant 66 not out. He received little support with only Andy Ashley-Smith (24) hitting double figures.
Redbourn lost a couple of early wickets in reply, but it was not until Alan Jakes entered the attack that Hatfield really threatened. His 4-40 was well earned. However, Redbourn reached the required runs with the loss of seven wickets.

What a poor show by Hatfield against Watford

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Watford Town 201-7 Hatfield 111-10

HATFIELD turned in a disappointing performance against fellow strugglers Watford in their Herts League Division Two match at Ascots Lane.
The visitors managed to amass a total of 201-7 from their set overs. Hatfield were never able to get to grips with the Watford bowlers in reply and fell to a 90-run defeat.
The game had started well with Ian Golder turning in yet another excellent early spell to leave the Watford top order in tatters at 30-3. Watford had their overseas star Digant Popat to thank for a change in fortune as he took on the Hatfield attack with some fine blows. With Golder now replaced, Hatfield could not conjure up another wicket until Watford had reached 87-4.
Skipper Darshan Desai started a long spell of left-arm spin in the muggy conditions but Popat held firm to keep the run rate ticking along.
Desai prised a couple of victims with the total at 136-6 but things were not going the home side's way and Popat dominated proceedings to hit a fine 128 not out as Watford closed on 201-7 from their 53 overs.
Golder was the pick of the home side's attack with 3-17.
Hatfield's innings got off to a disastrous start when Ben Golder was cruelly bowled by a shooter after only two balls. Chris Reid fell shortly after and Desai couldn't stop the rot as Hatfield faltered early on.
A mid-order renaissance was required but no one was really able to stand firm on a difficult wicket. Steve Brame arrived at the crease with Hatfield in disarray at 68-6 and played some excellent shots around the wicket to crash a timely 35 runs.
Only Ian Golder with 20 made any real further contribution to the Hatfield innings as the Watford spin bowlers made hay on a dusty track.
Afridi took 3-30 and Manzoor 4-30 as Hatfield capitulated to 111 all out.
Whitehead close to ton in Hatfield's defeat to Tewin

Whitehead close to ton in Hatfield's defeat to Tewin

HATFIELD'S 2nd XI put in a solid performance against table-topping Tewin but were ultimately beaten by three wickets in Saracens Herts Division Seven.
Veteran Keven Whitehead hit 96 runs as Hatfield made 185 all out. Nobody else really supported Whitehead and he dominated the Hatfield innings.
Tewin took a liking to the opening bowlers in reply. It was not until skipper Richard Hazeldene (3-43) and Graham Causton (2-17) came into the attack that Hatfield were able to get back into the match.
Tewin reached the required runs with four overs remaining and seven wickets down.

Hatfield lose to Ickleford in last-over thriller

HATFIELD'S Sunday League encounter against Ickleford proved an entertaining match with the game going to the very last over.
The hosts had posted a sizeable 208-7 from their 40 overs on a balmy afternoon at Ascots Lane. Keven Whitehead (48), Andy Ashley-Smith (46) and Ben Golder (30) were the chief contributors, with young Rory Golder showing real potential in hitting a vibrant 20 towards the end.
Ickleford lost an early wicket but batted sensibly to ensure they didn't get behind the scoring rate. However, Hatfield were their own worst enemies and dropped some simple catches. Thirteen-year-old Joe Bigley continued his recent good form with the ball. He took a superb 4-36 and showed some of his senior bowlers how to bowl on a good wicket.
Ickleford hit some late lusty blows and needed just two runs from the last over to win, which they duly achieved for the loss of seven wickets.

Hatfield cut down by Chorleywood

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Chorleywood 155-10 Hatfield 88-10

HATFIELD were comfortably beaten by title-chasing Chorleywood in their Herts Division Two match on Saturday.
Darshan Desai's men slumped to 88 all out at Ascots Lane after dismissing second-placed Chorleywood for 155.
The hosts had made a great start to the match with opening bowlers Ian Golder and Steve Brame pining back the Chorleywood top order with some fine swing bowling. Runs were difficult to come by as the batsmen struggled to get on top of a slow wicket in windy conditions.
Golder took the early wickets, knocking back the top three batsmen and leaving the visitors struggling at 32-3.
Luke Vivian, Chorleywood's star batsman, came to the crease to up the tempo and decided that attack was the best form of defence.
He bludgeoned a few early strokes against Hatfield's change bowlers and the game started to edge Chorleywood's way. Vivian and Cullen took on the Hatfield slow bowlers to good effect and the pair put on 90 runs for the fourth wicket. Captain Desai removed Vivian with the score on 121 and Hatfield were back in the match.
Wickets then started to tumble as the overs began to run out, with Desai claiming 3-40 and Heath Bond taking 2-16 with his occasional seamers. Chorleywood slumped to 145-8 with Cullen going for a fine 45.
The visitors were eventually bowled out in the last over for 155, with Ian Golder the pick of the Hatfield attack after taking 3-25 and claiming three catches.
Hatfield's innings got off to the worst possible start with Chris Reid, Barry Phillips and skipper Desai all falling for ducks. That left the home side reeling at 7-3. Things didn't improve much when Ben Golder fell with the total at 18. Heath Bond (20) and Andy Ashley-Smith started a rebuilding exercise. But they both fell and at 60-7, Hatfield were falling under the spell of Duncan Watson's off-spin and the umpires' opinion on lbw decisions.
Ian Golder proved his credentials as Hatfield's man of the match by taking the bull by the horns and hitting a spirited 35 runs. However, he was also to fall foul of another leg before wicket verdict and Hatfield were dismissed for 88.
Six batsmen were adjudged lbw as Watson finished with figures of 5-41.
The result leaves Hatfield third from bottom, just a point ahead of rivals WGC 2nds.

Hatfield fall short

Saracens Herts League Division Seven
Eversholt 2nds 243-5 Hatfield 2nds 230-10

HATFIELD'S 2nd XI just fell short in a run chase at Eversholt.The home side posted a sizeable 243-5 off their allotted overs and Hatfield reached 230 in reply.Alan Jakes proved the pick of the Hatfield attack, taking 3-55. Hatfield's entertaining response revolved around a sparkling 54 from John McCarthy, a brutal 52 from Richard Hazeldene and a cracking 45 from Munal Desai. Good support was supplied from youngster Kunal Shah, who contributed a fine 44. Sadly Hatfield's tail-enders couldn't follow this up in the time required and the Ascots Lane side were bowled out for 230 to lose the Saracens Herts League Division Seven match.

Hatfield's 3rd XI also lost on Saturday to Cockfosters 4ths in Herts Division 12.Pravin Gohil top scored with 35 as Hatfield were bowled out for 109. Cockfosters reached 110-3 despite Matt Saxby taking 2-6.

Hatfield hammer Monken Hadley to climb top

Saracens Herts League Division 12
Hatfield 3rds 165-10 Monken Hadley 2nds 29-10

HATFIELD'S 3rd XI put on a fine display to beat Monken Hadley 2nds on Saturday. An exceptional all-round bowling performance saw Hatfield to a 136-run win.
Bruce Percival's side were put into bat on a wet wicket and struggled early on. However, some bludgeoning blows from Alan Jakes (33) saw them through their early difficulties. Hatfield were eventually bowled out for 165.
Monken couldn't cope with Hatfield's attack in reply, with young opening bowler Joe Bigley again leading the way with 2-10. Shaun Edge also took 2-4, while veteran Graham Causton claimed 3-10 to see Monken Hadley bowled out for a paltry 29.
The victory lifted Hatfield 3rds top of Saracens Herts League Division 12.

Golder hits form against Jesters

IT was a damp weekend for Hatfield's top two teams in the Saracens Herts League.
The club's 1st XI game against Radlett 2nds was called off, as was the 2nd XI's league match.
Hatfield's 1st XI did see some action on Sunday when they beat The Players and Jesters XI in a friendly, with Ben Golder striking a fine 90.
David Hughes hit his first half-century for the club with an unbeaten 50.
The opposition struggled to make any real impact with the bat and were bowled out for 107. David Ward took four wickets.

Hatfield frustrated by Knebworth's lower order

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Hatfield 253-6 Knebworth Park 2nds 168-9

IT was a case of déjà vu for Hatfield on Saturday in their Herts League Division Two fixture against Knebworth Park's 2nd XI.
They posted a score of 200 plus and then had the opposition nine wickets down but frustratingly failed to secure the win for a second week running. Hatfield rattled up a massive 253-6 from 52 overs on a sun-kissed day at Knebworth Park, only to see the hosts get nowhere near it with 168-9.
The visitors collected 19 bonus points from the draw, rather than the deserved 30 for a win. Darshan Desai's men remain second from bottom in the league, despite outclassing their Knebworth opponents.
Hatfield were put into bat and made steady progress with veteran Keven Whitehead and 16-year-old Ben Golder playing well against the home side's new ball attack.
Young Golder was particularly fluent against anything short and made full use of a fast outfield.
Whitehead was more circumspect, as is his want, but good progress was made early on.
It was not until the score had reached 64 when Golder was bowled for 38 that Knebworth managed to make any inroads. Whitehead fell for a prosaic 25 with the total on 76. Hatfield's in-form pairing of Heath Bond and captain Desai then made light work of the Park's change bowlers by forming an aggressive partnership for the third wicket.
Desai, who is in the form of his life, was hitting the middle of the bat from ball one, whilst Bond was in a typically powerful mood and they took advantage of the lightning fast outfield. The pair put on 94 runs before Bond was out for 39 with the score on 170-3.
Desai began to dominate the innings with some sumptuous shots and quickly headed towards his second ton in as many weeks.
Barry Phillips played a sparkling cameo of an innings toward the end. However, it was Desai who took the batting honours again with a fantastic 102 not out as Hatfield declared on 253-6.
Park captain Shaun Robinson and Maz Iqbal were the only bowlers to take any wickets with three each. Matt Hutchinson also bounced back from last week's slaughtering to bowl double the overs for only half the runs.
Knebworth were immediately on the back foot when their innings began with Steve Brame taking two early wickets to leave the hosts reeling on 15-2.
Colin Letford played some good shots to take the game to the Hatfield bowlers. However, the ever-consistent Park opener was the only member of the top order to take advantage of a good batting track with 40.
A regular fall of wickets hampered Park in their chase as the men from Ascots Lane held the upper hand.
Desai opted to bring slow bowling into the attack early on and both he and Gareth Wynne profited. At 46-4, Hatfield were in the ascendency and the home side's chance of victory was gone.
The wicket, however, as Hatfield had earlier proved, was a good one and the bowlers had to work hard to take wickets with Ed Wright playing a controlled and classy innings of 38.
It was the spin bowlers who found the most success and at 110-7 Hatfield sniffed their second win in three weeks. Tail-ender Harry McCue had other ideas and dropped anchor to ensure that Hatfield would need to fight for every wicket.
Wynne claimed 4-38 from his two spells and was Hatfield's most successful bowler. Desai also took 3-43.
Hatfield had Knebworth down to 149-9 but failed to winkle out the final batsmen for the second week running. The Park batted out the final six overs and held on for a draw with 168-9.

Hatfield hang on against Reed

HATFIELD'S 2nd XI were on the wrong end of a drawn match with Reed in their Saracens Herts League Division Seven game at Ascots Lane.
Visitors Reed scored 202 all out with old-timer Andy Foster taking 3-49 and Mark Golder 4-76.
In reply, Hatfield were indebted to debutant Mahilal De Silva, who struck a fine 36 runs as all others failed around him.
Hatfield were eventually left hanging on at 149-9.

Big performance from Joe is too hot for Flamstead

THIRTEEN-year-old Joe Bigley was the star of the show for Hatfield's 3rd XI against Flamstead 2nds on Saturday. He had the Flamstead batters reeling with some excellent seam bowling and claimed remarkable figures of 4-6 from seven overs.
Hatfield bowled out their Saracens Herts League Division 12 opposition for 139.  Tony Foster also took 4-54 with another mesmerising spell as Flamstead fell 35 runs short of the Hatfield total.
Bruce Percival's team had earlier put together a solid score of 174-6 with the captain hitting 53 and Daniel Hardy 42.
Hatfield captain Desai hits ton on the Preston front

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Hatfield 235-8 Preston 164-9

CAPTAIN Darshan Desai smacked his first century of the season as Hatfield drew with Preston on Saturday.
The Hatfield skipper hit a tremendous 127 not out as the Ascots Lane club piled on 235 in the Saracens Herts League Division Two match.
Hatfield then had Preston nine wickets down in reply, but unfortunately they couldn't manage what they had achieved the previous week by sneaking the last wicket in the final over. Dave Hughes' last over was played out with some aplomb by the Preston tailenders to deny the visitors the full 30 points.
However, Hatfield still managed to collect 19 points - the maximum possible from a drawn match.
Hatfield were put into bat by Preston and lost Keven Whitehead early on for just four runs. Chris Reid battled on a slow pitch to score 19 runs in good time but conditions favoured the bowlers in the early stages of the game and scoring proved difficult.
Hatfield progressed to 63-4 with the game seemingly being dominated by the seam bowlers of the home side. Skipper Desai, however, had other ideas. Hatfield's prime all-rounder played some wonderful shots against a tiring Preston attack and the match started to swing the visitors' way.
At 113-5, Ian Golder joined his captain and the boundaries started to flow. Desai reached his half century in good time and Golder, despite being dropped early on, supported his captain by punishing anything off line.
Preston's change bowlers proved meat and drink to Desai and he peppered the leg side boundary with some class drives off his pads.
Hatfield had not looked likely to get anywhere near the 200-run mark and full batting points early on in their innings. However, Hatfield's middle order pairing ensured this happened with some excellent cricket.
Desai reached his first ton of the season with another classic boundary and eventually reached a magnificent 127 not out.
Golder was bowled for a bludgeoning 54 as Hatfield reached 235-8 off their allotted overs.
Preston were knocked back in the first over when Ian Golder claimed an initial scalp with the score on eight. Home skipper Ashley Catlin played a typically prosaic innings and settled into be the mainstay of their response.
Hatfield were unable to claim another wicket until the score had reached 78 when the slow bowlers were introduced. Gareth Wynne took two vital scalps to see Preston suddenly in trouble at 98-4, with Catlin bowled for 24 off of 24 overs.
Hughes and Desai both employed flight and turn to good effect to take further wickets and at 138-7, only two results were possible - a Hatfield win or a draw. Hatfield raced through their overs with only spin bowlers being used.
Richard Gatehouse hit some huge boundaries but received little support and at 150-8 the game looked to be sign, sealed and delivered.
The visitors took a further wicket and had three overs at the last pair. Desai, however, couldn't repeat his feat of the previous week in winkling out the final batsman though.
Hughes did his best in the final over but Hatfield were to be denied the full 30 points, despite a fine all-round performance.
Captain Desai ended with figures of 4-66, Hughes 2-29 and Wynne 2-26 as Preston hung on with nine men down.

Golder smashes Hatfield to victory over Saints

Saracens Herts League Division Seven
St Albans 3rds 202-10 Hatfield 2nds 205-4

HATFIELD'S 2nd XI achieved a fine win against St Albans 3rds at Ascots Lane on Saturday. The hosts won the Saracens Herts League Division Seven match by six wickets.
St Albans were bowled out for 202 with youngster Luke Waterman proving to be the main threat, taking four wickets for 38 runs.
In reply, Hatfield's openers made full use of a placid track. Sixteen-year-old Ben Golder thumped 68 runs and John McCarthy 48 to steer Hatfield towards an important win.
Stand-in skipper Andy Foster hit the winning runs as Hatfield took the full 30 points with just four wickets down.

Hatfield force fine win over Met Police

HATFIELD'S 3rd XI continued their recent good form by beating their Met Police Bushey opponents by seven wickets on Saturday.
Chasing Met Police 3rd XI's 170-8 total, Annand Krishan scored 65 and the hard-hitting Sisantha Arachichi smashed 54 to see Bruce Percival's team to another excellent win in Saracens Herts League Division 12.
The Ascots Lane club motored to 174-3 in 39 overs to claim 30 points to lift them into sixth spot.

Captain Desai clinches Hatfield's victory over Ampthill

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Hatfield 223-6 Ampthill Town 200-10

HATFIELD defeated Ampthill Town with just one ball remaining of their league encounter on Saturday. With an over to go, Hatfield needed one more wicket to claim the full 30 points, whilst their opponents had to keep out the final six deliveries to hold on for a draw.
Skipper Darshan Desai got batsman Bullen to prod forward with his pad against a straight delivery and fall plumb lbw. Hatfield claimed only their second Herts League Division Two win of the term by 23 runs amid jubilant scenes at Ascots Lane.
Earlier, the hosts had been put into bat by their Beds opponents and had made a steady start in gloomy conditions.Chris Reid scored a fluent 14 before being bowled. The recalled Keven Whitehead also looked in good touch, making 21 runs.
The hosts had reached 68-2 when Heath Bond joined Desai at the crease. Both had scored fifties the previous week and this showed with the duo displaying some fine strokeplay. Captain Desai was particularly aggressive against anything short and quickly found his timing on what proved to be a good wicket.
Bond was typically strong against any wayward bowling and Hatfield quickly raced past the 100 mark.Both batsmen reached their second consecutive half centuries in good time and Hatfield looked likely to post a healthy score. Bond was eventually stumped for 64 and Ian Golder was then bowled for a duck.
Hatfield stumbled somewhat at 133-4 but Desai continued to lead the batting. His 86 not out proved to be the backbone of the Hatfield innings.
Andy Ashley-Smith and Mark Golder provided a late flurry of boundaries. They ensured Hatfield got past the 200 runs needed to claim maximum batting points.
Ampthill's reply was somewhat fortuitous. The pacy Billy Bigley found the edge of the bat on a few occasions, only to have the ball race to the boundary rather than to an expectant fielder. He made a breakthrough with the score on 30 and fellow opening bowler Ian Golder also managed to claim a victim with the score on the same total.
Hatfield were now in the ascendancy and Ampthill, who are planning on promotion, were made to look very ordinary. Desai plumped for spin and introduced himself and slow left-armer Gareth Wynne into the attack. Both found initial success and Hatfield had Ampthill teetering at 64-5 and then shortly after 88-6.
The game began to change with Bullen coming to the crease to join Little. Both played freely knowing that their team was virtually out of the match. Desai alternated his bowling but bat began to dominate ball as the runs flowed. Bullen was particular severe on the returning Bigley and Little provided some tidy support.
Hatfield were in desperate need of a wicket and this was provided by the veteran Wynne, who had Little out for 38.
Bullen continued to play his shots but suddenly he ran out of partners and with Desai claiming an important wicket, Hatfield suddenly smelt a late victory. At 199-9 with only two overs remaining, the game was in the balance and as the last over arrived Ampthill had decided to stop playing positively.
Unfortunately for them, this was to be their downfall and Desai claimed the wicket of Bullen with the penultimate ball of the last over. He finished with fine figures of 4-58. Wynne ended with 4-59.

Sam's the main man as Hatfield humble Hemel

HATFIELD'S 3rd XI claimed a fine win over Hemel Hempstead 5ths by seven wickets on Saturday.
Hemel were bowled out for 162 in the Saracens Herts League match with Alan Dudman taking 3-28 and Tony Foster claiming 3-27.
In reply, it was Sam Arachichi who dominated the Hemel bowlers with the bat for the visitors.
He hit a whirlwind 74 not out, whilst Annand Krishnan chalked up his first half century for Hatfield with an excellent unbeaten 53.
The Ascots Lane side won the Herts Division 12 match with 10 overs to spare, reaching 164-3.

* Hatfield's 2nd XI match against Kings Langley in Division Seven was rained off on Saturday.

Hatfield lose by nine wickets to Leverstock Green

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Hatfield 243-10 Leverstock Green 244-1

HATFIELD rattled up a healthy 243 runs on Saturday and still lost by nine wickets.
The Ascots Lane club piled on the runs against Leverstock Green in their latest Saracens Herts League Division Two match. But the visitors failed to match their batting with their bowling and fielding and were ultimately well beaten.
Put into bat at Leverstock, Hatfield were in real trouble early on when opener Chris Reid was caught pulling to deep fine leg and Ben Golder followed shortly after, leaving them struggling at 6-2. Darshan Desai and Dave Hughes did their best to pull the innings back together with a useful partnership for the third wicket.
Hughes fell lbw with the score on 54, but it was skipper Desai who took the game to the home side bowlers with some sparkling shots all round the park. Captain Desai was particularly aggressive against the prolific Brad Klosterman, who failed to spark into life on his favoured bowling track.
Barry Phillips fell for a duck and Desai, despite hitting a superb half century, was stumped with the score on 83. Ian Golder and Heath Bond then put together an excellent middle order partnership to boost the Hatfield total. Bond, who had been out of touch with the bat, punished some loose bowling from the Leverstock change bowlers.
Golder supported Bond in typically belligerent fashion and the duo scored effortlessly to take Hatfield to 151-6. Bond reached his first Herts League 50 for over a year with some fine strokeplay before he fell for a superb 52.
Andy Ashley-Smith and Mark Golder then joined forces to keep the run rate going and ensure that Hatfield were able to continue their early momentum. Both looked in good touch and Hatfield passed the 200 mark with some ease. Ashley-Smith fell for a fine 38, whilst Golder hit 29 to maintain his recent run of form as Hatfield managed to score an excellent 243 all out.
In reply, Hatfield knew they had to make the most of any chances that came their way. Skipper Desai made the initial breakthrough to bowl the Leverstock opening bat with the score on 32.
Hatfield then had an early chance to take a second wicket when Aussie Brent Mullet was dropped before he had score. This proved to be a costly mistake. Mullet and skipper Dave Tyson then realised that the wicket was as good as it looked and decided to take the attack to the Hatfield bowlers.
Tyson smashed some quick boundaries and Desai quickly had to make bowling changes to stem the flow of runs. This proved to be fairly fruitless as the change bowlers were taken to task and Tyson in particular had decided that the run chase was very much on.
Despite his scratchy start, Mullet supported his captain and became the dominating partner as the game went on. Tyson showed just how much he has improved over the years with the bat to smash a superb ton. Mullet mixed sound defence with some belligerent hitting to crack a 100 for himself.
Hatfield failed to take another wicket as the home side reached the required 244 with six overs remaining.

Whitehead hits first ton of the year for Hatfield

KEVEN Whitehead cracked a superb 111 not out for Hatfield's 2nd XI in their Herts League match against the Barnet-based Old Cholmeleians.
Hatfield batted first and reached a respectable 215 all out, with Whitehead hitting his first ton of the season.
The Old Boys never really looked like getting close to Hatfield's total in reply. However, opportunities were not taken and they managed to reach 163-6 in a Herts Division Seven drawn game.

* Hatfield's 3rd XI match was conceded by North Enfield.

Hatfield slump to defeat against Northwood

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Northwood 155-10 Hatfield 125-10

HATFIELD slipped to a 30-run defeat at home to Northwood on Saturday.
The Ascots Lane club will be disappointed have lost the Saracens Herts League Division Two match after having their opponents struggling at 0-2 at the start of the match.
Still without skipper Darshan Desai, stand-in captain Barry Phillips won the toss and elected to insert the opposition on a cloudy afternoon.
Hatfield seamers Ian Golder and Billy Bigley immediately caused problems with the new ball and both delivered an early blow by dismissing the Northwood openers without a run on the board. The runs did start to come for the visitors but Golder struck again, taking a further wicket with the total at 16 when Andy Ashley-Smith took a stunning catch in the gully. Mark Golder took the fourth wicket to fall on his return to the first team with the total at 31-4 and Hatfield looked set to dominate the game.
For Northwood, Noach did his best to steer the Middlesex-based side to some form of respectability with some sound defence mixed with attacking finesse. Hatfield, however, were always on top and Gareth Wynne with his slow left-arm bowling grabbed a couple of scalps to have Northwood reeling at 80-6.
Northwood's No 8 batsmen Hussey did his best to scamper some tight singles but Hatfield would have been sensing an early finish with their visitors sitting at 106-8.
This proved to be somewhat unfounded as Hussey played an intelligent innings to ensure that no overs were lost and Northwood fully utilised the 53 available to them. His unbeaten 29 arguably changed the game and lifted Northwood to 155 all out. That was a good 30 runs more than Hatfield had probably anticipated and won them the game.
Ian Golder, who bowled eight maidens on the spin earlier, eventually returned the best figures for a Hatfield bowler with 4-37.
Hatfield's innings started soundly with openers Ben Golder and Chris Reid putting on 23 for the first wicket before youngster Golder was caught. Wickets continued to tumble and at 38-4, Hatfield were in a difficult position chasing what was a mediocre score.
Reid fell for a good 24 but it was skipper Phillips (29) and Mark Golder (24) who took the match to the Northwood bowlers with a fine partnership. The pair put on an important stand but fell almost simultaneously as Hatfield slumped to 109-7.
Most of the damage was done by Noach, who went on to claim 5-33. Spinner Sharland also took 3-48. The tail enders failed to wag and eventually the Ascots Lane club were bowled out for 125.

* Hatfield's 2nd XI match against Little Berkhamsted was rained off.
* The 3rd XI slumped to a seven-wicket defeat against Stevenage 4ths.
Bruce Percival top scored in a Hatfield total of 79 and Shaun Edge (3-27) took all three Stevenage wickets to fall as the North Herts side won with 80-3.

Hatfield lose battle at Wardown

 Golder makes his Mark

Five-star Foster shines

WGC collapse as Bigley takes five

Saracens Herts League Division Two
Hatfield 174-9 WGC 2nds 113-10

WGC 2nds slumped to a 61-run defeat away to Hatfield on Saturday.
Despite the best efforts of Chris Stainsby, who took three wickets with the ball and then top scored for the visitors with 44 runs, the Digswell Park side lost the derby match.
The Ascots Lane club's heroes for the day were youngsters Chris Reid and Billy Bigley. They turned the Saracens Herts League Division Two tie Hatfield's way at the right time with bat and ball.
Hatfield batted first on a damp afternoon at Ascots Lane and found themselves in trouble when opener Heath Bond was bowled in the first over for six. Keven Whitehead fell shortly after and at 27-2 the home side were struggling against the WGC seamers. Paul Woolley claimed 2-18 for the visitors.
However, 17-year-old Reid showed great maturity in taking the game to the bowlers and made them pay for any misdirection in line and length. Ed Tucker and Stainsby were relatively expensive for WGC, although the latter did take 3-46.
The in-form Ben Golder supported his batting partner as Hatfield made their way to 89 before falling for a tidy 18 runs. Reid hit the second Herts League half century of his blossoming career before departing shortly after for 53.
Hatfield then found themselves in a spot of bother at 122-6, but the stonewall Barry Phillips made sure the hosts posted a respectable but gettable total by mixing patient defence with some fine strokeplay. Phillips shepherded the tail with 38 not out as Hatfield reached 174-9 from their 53 overs.
The remaining batsmen couldn't really get Simon Bridgewater away and the WGC slow bowler finished with economical figures of 2-24 from 17 overs.
The visitors got off to a slow start in reply with the miserly Ian Golder giving nothing away on a sticky surface. He made the initial breakthrough with the score on 18. However, the real fireworks were supplied by 15-year-old Billy Bigley, who showed some fine pace to blow away the WGC top order.
An experienced batting line-up had no answer to Bigley, who rattled his way through the batting in his six over spells. Suddenly Hatfield smelt victory as their opponents collapsed to 31-5 with Phil Driver, Tucker, Nolan, Woolley and Dan Beynon all back in the pavilion. Golder completed his spell with 1-17 from 10 overs, having taken the wicket of Beynon.
WGC found an unlikely saviour in seam bowler Stainsby, who took a liking to the Hatfield change bowlers by hitting a brisk 44 alongside Chris Molyneux. They put together a stand of 42 before Molyneux slogged Bigley to mid-off and apart from a few good shots from Stainsby the innings then fell away.
Off-spinner David Hughes snapped up his first wicket for the club thanks to a sharp catch from the evergreen Mick Debenham. Hughes took 2-19 from his short spell as promoted Hatfield headed towards a much-needed win.
Bigley recorded excellent figures of 5-42 and it was left to Steve Brame to take the last wicket as WGC 2nds were bowled out for 113 with eight overs to spare.

Foster shines in gloomy conditions

Golder makes his Mark

Captain Desai leads Hatfield by example

Hatfield Flambasted in league clash

Bowler Jakes reaches club milestone

Hatfield sink to Titanic defeat

Hatfield off to a losing start

Hazeldene's men up and running

Promoted Hatfield pad up for new season

AFTER a hugely successful 2007 season, Hatfield enter the new cricket campaign with many challenges ahead.
Last year, all three teams were promoted from their respective divisions in the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League.
In addition, the Sunday 1st XI secured the North Herts League title under the guidance of skipper Richard Hazeldene. The Colts section continued to thrive in 2007 and have proven to be the lifeblood of the Ascots Lane club.
The Saturday 1st XI had a tremendous season in the Herts League Division Three where some sterling performances saw the club finish in second place behind eventual champions Leverstock Green.
The cornerstone to much of this success was possibly the strongest batting line-up in the division led by captain Steve Gale.
Gale, however, has decided to join Potters Bar and seek to further his ambitions in playing at the highest level and possibly represent his county.
Undoubtedly the best batsmen the Ascots Lane outfit have produced for over 20 years, Gale broke virtually all the club's batting records, including in 2007 the highest individual score of 161 not out against Harpenden.
Gale was brought through the ranks at Hatfield and the club wishes him the very best of luck at Potters Bar.
The new Hatfield skipper will be Dashan Desai and leading the way with the bat will be Heath Bond and veteran Keven Whitehead, looking to continue their opening partnership.
Last year, Bond played some powerful innings at the top of the order and with Aussie import Andrew Hitchiner having returned to his homeland, Hatfield will be relying on others to replace his flamboyance.
Talented youngsters Ben Golder, Chris Reid and Kunal Shah all made significant strides forward with the bat last season and their contribution to the club in 2008 will be vital.
Reid secured his first Herts League 50 towards the end of last season, whilst Shah was voted the best young cricketer in the North Herts Sunday League for 2007.
Left-handers Desai and Ian Golder are likely to move up the batting order for the new season to provide the balance in the batting and enabling a good blend of experience and youth.
Other contenders for batting spots in the 1st XI will be the evergreen Barry Phillips and stalwart Andy Ashley-Smith.
In the bowling department, skipper Dashan Desai is likely to lead the way with his left-arm spin, with the ever-consistent Ian Golder providing the off-swing and seam.
The new ball is likely to be taken by Steve Brame and the pacey Billy Bigley.
Further spin comes in the form of youngsters Chris Reid and Kunal Shah.