Hatfield Fall To Six-Wicket Defeat

Hatfield collect fourth win of the season

Saracens Hert League Division Three
Waltham X Rosedale 115-10 Hatfield 116-2

HATFIELD collected their fourth win of the season with an eight wicket decimation of Waltham X Rosedale on Saturday.
Richard Hazeldene won an important toss and elected to field on a wicket which was still drying from Friday's onslaught of rain.
Rosedale lost an early wicket to a fine caught and bowled from Billy Bigley who was operating at a searing pace. Ian Golder continue d his fine form as Hatfield strangled the run rate early on with only 18 runs coming from the first 10 overs.
Some desperate shots were played by the Waltham top order to try to keep the scoreboard ticking over but timing was difficult and control lacking. Hatfield claimed two further quick wickets as Rosedale reached 40-3 with the bowling side firmly in the ascendency.
Sumit Saharan joined the attack and made an immediate breakthrough with Keven Whitehead taking a sharp chance behind. Golder completed a miserly 16 over spell which saw him never giving anything away whilst wickets tumbled at the other end.
Skipper Richard Hazeldene entered the fray with his left arm spin and extracted immediate turn.
Waltham Cross struggled to 85-7 as Hazeldene claimed two important wickets as Hatfield began to turn the screws. Billy Bigley returned for another six over blast as Hatfield had their opponents now on the ropes at 90-9.
A last wicket stand of 16 runs showed that batting was not as hard as a proposition as the top order had made it seem.
Hazeldene bowled the last batsmen to finish with 3-28. Billy Bigley with 4-23 was Hatfield's most successful bowler and was unlucky to not finish with five scalps.
In reply Hatfield motored to 31 before losing Heath Bond. However, Chris Reid and Barry Phillips looked comfortable against some erratic spin bowling from Waltham Cross. Reid, who is in a rich vein of form, dominated the bowling and played some classic shots particularly whenever the bowlers pitched short.
He scored 37 classy runs before being dismissed but Hatfield were well on the way to victory with Phillips taking on the mantle of run scorer. He rattled up 45 runs in good time as Hatfield never looked in any trouble in their run chase.
Suki Grewal joined Phillips at the crease and victory was achieved by eight wickets in just 28 overs.
On Saturday Hatfield look to have a tough fixture when they travel to third in the league table side Redbourn.

Fine Form Continues For Hatfield's Heath Bond

HEATH Bond continued his fine form this season with another half-century as Hatfield drew with Stevenage 2nds on Saturday.
Hatfield had to make do with 17 points from the Saracens Herts. Cricket League Division Four encounter, despite dominating the game throughout. After overnight rain at Ascots Lane, the conditions heavily favoured the side fielding first and Stevenage skipper Barrett Ganji was quick to insert Hatfield into bat.
His opening bowlers, however, found their radars somewhat awry and Hatfield were able to get off to a flier. Heath Bond and Chris Reid took full advantage and runs were gathered at a feverish pace.  The dynamic duo put on 96 for the first wicket at around nine runs an over.
Reid was the first wicket to fall, being caught for a fluent 44, and he was shortly followed by Suki Grewal for a duck. Bond continued to plunder the attack and received good support from Darshan Desai. The pair put on 63 runs before the latter was dismissed for 36.
 It was the introduction of spin bowlers Ganji and Whitworth that saw Stevenage regain a semblance of control as opener Bond was bowled for a fine 81. Ganji claimed an excellent caught and bowled to remove Dave Hughes and Hatfield stuttered at 168-4. Keven Whitehead hit 24 as Hatfield picked up full batting points and looked to post a large score. The home side were eventually bowled out for 223; a good score on what was a difficult wicket.
Stevenage's opening batsmen played conspicuously against Hatfield's all spin attack of Darshan Desai and Richard Hazeldene.
As the opening overs ticked by it was clear that Stevenage had decided the best result to hope for was a draw, despite having 52 overs to chase the score. Hatfield failed to make a breakthrough with spin, so skipper Hazeldene elected to us the new ball, which paid immediate dividends. Sumit Saharan broke the first wicket partnership. 
However, it was veteran seamer Ian Golder who showed the way by taking three quick wickets to have Stevenage reeling at 59-4. Hatfield were now very much on top as Stevenage were soon in disarray at 68-6. Salvation for Stevenage was found in the young hands of wicketkeeper Hayward, who showed some of his senior colleagues how to play on a drying wicket. 
With Carter (32), Hayward dug his side out of trouble and ensured bonus batting points were possible. Skipper Richard Hazeldene swapped his bowlers around but the score had reached 139 before Hatfield next broke through with the returning Golder claiming an lbw. The overs began to run out for Hatfield and Hayward remained undaunted to record 62 not out and see his side safely to a draw. 
Stevenage eventually ended on 186-7. Golder finished with fine figures of 5-21, but despite amassing 17 points, a draw was a disappointing result considering the home side's dominance of the match.

Hatfield suffer 10-wicket mauling against County Hall

Saracens Herts Cricket League Division Three
Hatfield 124-10 County Hall 127-0

HATFIELD turned in their worst performance of the season in a 10-wicket mauling at the hands of County Hall on Saturday.
On a warm afternoon at Ascots Lane, Hatfield were put into bat and got off to a good start despite the loss of Keven Whitehead early on.
Chris Reid and Heath Bond hit a flurry of boundaries against the County Hall opening bowlers and a large score looked likely. Reid was dismissed with the score on 61-2 but Darshan Desai (24) picked up the mantle as the run-rate rattled along.
Bond passed his half-century with another cracking boundary but his dismissal for 65 was the turning point of the match.
Having reached 108-2, Hatfield pressed the panic button and a collapse of major proportion took place with wickets tumbling in all directions.
Opening bowler Hibbert, who had toiled away in the searing heat, proved to be the beneficiary and claimed five wickets as Richard Hazeledene's men stumbled to 124 all out. The last eight wickets fell for just 16 runs.
In reply, County Hall knew they had 60 overs to get the runs required and took their time early on to give themselves a solid start.
As the clouds began to gather however and an imminent storm approached, Hale (55 not out) and Bartlett (71 unbeaten) decided to attack the change bowlers.
Runs flowed freely and Hatfield couldn't come up with an answer. County Hall reached the required runs without losing a single wicket and so finished on 127-0.
Hatfield will be looking to bounce back quickly from this defeat in Division Three of the Herts Cricket League.

Hatfield Sunday side see off Ickleford

HATFIELD'S Sunday XI defeated Ickleford in their North Herts League match by four wickets.
Ickleford had hit a total of 197-9 from their allotted 40 overs with youngsters Billy Bigley (2-17) and Sean Edge (2-17) being the pick of the bowling. Skipper Tony Jakes took 2-25 in a challenging total.
Hatfield's innings was based on an excellent opening stand between Suki Grewal (42) and Chris Reid (58) who played some superb shots in their 81 run partnership.
Andy Ashley-Smith chipped in with 20, but the momentum to win the match was carried by Billy Bigley (41 not out) and Amit Shah (20 unbeaten). Their seventh wicket stand was full of bludgeoning shots and intelligent cricket.
Hatfield reached the score required with just less than three overs to go.

Hatfield leave it late to defeat Clifton

Saracens Herts Cricket League Division Three
Hatfield 189-10 Clifton 154-10

HATFIELD collected their second win of the season against lowly Clifton with the game going to the very last over. Darshan Desai trapped the final batsman lbw with just three balls to go as Hatfield secured an important 35-run success. Hatfield had been put into bat on a slow, damp track at Clifton and found run-scoring a difficult proposition with three wickets falling early on leaving them 32-3.
Heath Bond (20) was the only top order batsman to hit double figures. A fourth wicket pairing of Keven Whitehead and Chris Reid proved to be Hatfield's saviour as the duo dug deep to put Hatfield back in the game.
Taking advantage of some loose bowling, Reid in particular, prospered and Hatfield reached 100 without further loss. Reid completed his first half century of the season in fine style but was unfortunately stumped shortly afterwards for 52. Whitehead continued to play his shots and keep the score ticking over but wickets started to tumble. He remained at the crease until the final overs before being bowled for a vigilant 65.
Hatfield's later order didn't really come to the party but Richard Hazeldene's men still reached 189 all out. Brooks took 4-45 for the home side.
Clifton struggled against Hatfield's opening bowlers Steve Brame and Sumit Saharan, both using the conditions to their advantage. Saharan struck twice early on to have the home side wobbling at 12-2. Hatfield's bowlers remained on top as Clifton found batting a difficult proposition and it was clear that the home side were never going to get near the Hatfield score.
Runs were drying up and skipper Hazeldene brought on Tony Jakes to tempt the batsmen into playing some scoring shots. This proved worthwhile as the opposition skipper holed to leave Clifton on 80-5. Clifton's later order showed that perhaps there were more adept with the bat than those who went into bat before them and started to play a few bold shots. However, Hatfield chipped away as the overs ran out and with one over left had Clifton on 154-9.
Spinner Desai came to the fore to get the final batsman out and ensure Hatfield claimed the full 30 points. Steve Brame ended with 3-27 and Saharan 2-27.
Hatfield are sitting comfortably in mid-table in Division Three of the Saracens Herts Cricket League.
Richard Hazeldene's men have two wins from their eight games played so far, and have collected a total of 151 points. They face County Hall at home on Saturday.

Hatfield's Sunday 1st XI claimed a remarkable win over Titanic in the North Herts Sunday League when they rolled over the home side for just 62 runs. Star of the show was young 14-year-old Joe Bigley who claimed remarkable figures of 4-1.
Titanic had no answer to his medium pace and quite literally sank. Hatfield rattled off the runs required without losing a single wicket to claim a 10 wicket success.

Batting paradise at Hatfield's Ascots Lane

Saracens Herts League Division Three
Hatfield 285-1 Chipperfield Clarendon 285-9

Hatfield's groundstaff unearthed something of a batting paradise over the weekend when they conjured up a track that yielded more than a 1000 runs, over the weekend. 
Hatfield were involved in amazing game against Chipperfield Clarendon that ended in a draw, with both teams having hit 285 runs! 
In their Herts Division Three fixture, Hatfield decided to bat first on a wicket that has not been used in over a year. Heath Bond and Barry Phillips took immediate advantage of the ball coming onto the bat and giving very little assitance to the Chipperfield bowlers. Bond was particularly severe on anything wayward and played some handsome shots on a balmy afternoon at Ascots Lane.
The pair looked in total control and dominated from the beginning with Phillips supporting the aggressive Bond.  The later made a fine 83 runs before getting out with the score on 136! 
Such was the dominance of bat over ball, Clarendon gave opportunity to a number of their team to bowl but without any success.
Darshan Desai took up the mantle on Bond's dismissal and quickly found the track to his liking.  He and Phillips were remorseless and the 200 came up in just 40 overs.  Phillips, as ever, looked in total control but left most of the shot-making to the effervesent Desai who looked a class act. 
Desai by-passed his partner to hit an amazing 100 not out with Phillips playing the anchor on 91 n.o.  Hatfield declared on a mammoth 285-1 from 50 overs! With 50 overs now in their pocket, Hatfield had an opportunity to bowl Chipperfield however the wicket would hold sway come what may.
Chipperfield's openers struck whilst the iron was hot and immediate got on with the task in chasing a huge total.  Runs flowed aplenty with Darshan Desai suffering the most as little turn was found for the spinner.  The opening Chipperfield pair put on 112 before Sumit Saharan made a breakthrough with his medium pace.  
Richard Hazeldene's bowlers pretty much suffered the same fate as the Chipperfield bowling attack as bat domitnated ball.  At 158-4, Hatfield smelt a chance of victory with Saharan proving to be the best option in taking 3 wickets.  However Moore (50) and Grant (57) were taking full advantage and the match was wide open. 
McNichol (72) looked like a potential match-winner for Chipperfield as he peppered the boundaries but the returning Ian Golder took his wicket to keep the game in the balance.  Saharan ended with 4-74 from a fine spell but the game went to the final over and Ian Golder once again made an important breakthrough. 
With one ball remaining, Chipperfield needed two runs to win with one wicket left.  The final pair scampered a single but that made the scores level and not a tie as Chipperfield were not dismissed. 
This meant Hatfield collected 19 points and Chipperfield 11.

High-Scoring defeat for Hatfield Sunday side

THERE was a high-scoring defeat for Hatfield's Sunday 1sts against Letchworth 2nds at Ascots Lane in their North Herts Sunday League fixture.
Letchworth's batsmen made full use of the previous day's wicket and rattled up 280 from just 40 overs. Dave Albon hit an excellent 128 for the visitors.
In reply Hatfield made a brave attempt to make up the runs. Chris Reid (54), Keven Whitehead (52) and Suki Grewal (49) all contributed.
However it was always going to be a tough ask and that's how it proved as Hatfield ended on 245-8.

Saharan scalps four as Hatfield settle for draw

Saracens Herts League Division Three
Rickmansworth 223-10 Hatfield 218-9

SUMIT Saharan scalped four Rickmansworth wickets but Hatfield had to settle for a draw with their Division Three counterparts.
Hatfield picked up 20 points from the match, but skipper Richard Hazeldene will be disappointed not to have secured the full 30 with a win. The hosts finished five runs short of the Rickmansworth total when the overs ran out on a day where bat dominated the ball.
Rickmansworth won the toss and elected to bat on a blossoming wicket at Ascots Lane and made a decent start with Navaz looking in good touch. Despite losing a wicket with the score on 27, Rickmansworth's top order dominated the Hatfield bowling and the score had reached 92 before the home side struck again.
With Darshan Desai arriving late, Hatfield did not help themselves and the ball was eased around the outfield in the gaps that appeared. Navaz hit some mighty blows before falling for 93 as Hatfield attempted to claw there way back into the game with Rickmansworth on 164-4.
Sumit Saharan proved to be the most effective bowler of the day when he started to find some success against the Rickmansworth lower order. He picked up four wickets in a fine spell as Hatfield began to fight back. However, a large total was always on the cards with such a good start.
Rickmansworth were eventually bowled out for 223 with Steve Brame claiming a couple of vital scalps towards the end.
Saharan ended with excellent figures of 4-44 on a pitch favouring the batsmen, while Hazeldene took 2-57 from a long spell.
Like their Rickmansworth counterparts, Hatfield's openers got off to a flyer with Heath Bond particularly severe on anything loose. With Barry Phillips playing a supporting role, Bond took advantage of the new ball coming onto the bat and made hay while the sun shined. The duo put on 66 before Phillips was given out lbw for 10.
Bond followed with the total on 88 but Darshan Desai had taken up the mantle and was starting to find the boundaries.
Dave Hughes was dismissed with the score on 125-3 but Hatfield had a strong batting line-up and the total was not beyond them.
The turning point was the dismissal of Desai, who was rather unlucky to have been adjudged lbw for 38. Only Keven Whitehead (22) was able to contribute to the run chase as Hatfield's later order fell to Mazar (4-26).
A final wicket partnership between Ian Golder and Saharan took the total past 200 to secure full batting points.
Rickmansworth desperately tried to break the final pair but Hatfield chipped away at the runs required, only falling five short as the overs ran out.
Hatfield picked up an amazing 20 points for a draw and travel to face Shenley Village on Saturday.

Foster scalps six as Hatfield 2nds see off Shenley outfit

ANDY Foster's six-wicket haul helped Hatfield 2nds collect their second win of the season in Division Seven with an exciting three-run success over Shenley Village 2nds.
The match was actually played at the Old Camdenians ground due to fixture congestion and Hatfield were asked to bat first. A total of 191 was a creditable score on an unpredictable wicket with all of the top order contributing.
John McCarthy (36) and Robert Grove (34) put together an important opening stand and took advantage of the small boundaries. Chris Reid (26) and Andy Ashley-Smith (22) consolidated the position. Mark Golder (43 no) provided the necessary fireworks to ensure Hatfield reached a sizeable score.
In reply, Shenley got off to a poor start at 8-2 with Alan Jakes and Gareth Wynne taking early wickets. The home side fought back well however, with skipper Steve Scott hitting some fine shots.
It was the introduction of Andy Foster that really turned the game Hatfield's way. Shenley had plenty of overs left in their locker but lost wickets at vital times and Foster ran through the lower order.
He bowled the last batsmen when only four runs were required for a Shenley victory to claim superb figures of 6-49.

Hatfield Stop Offley in their tracks for Sunday League success

Offley & Stopsley 117-10 Hatfield Sunday XI 118-5

HATFIELD'S Sunday 1st XI picked up their second win in the North Herts League Division One with a comfortable victory over Offley & Stopsley.
Alan Jakes was the pick of the early Hatfield bowling, having the home side in real trouble on a slow and low wicket. He took 3-14 in an opening burst against some variable batting.
Offley never really recovered from the poor start and Hatfield chipped away with all the bowlers taking wickets on a balmy afternoon. Skipper Tony Jakes snapped up 2-22 as Offley were bowled out for a paltry 117.
Hatfield's innings didn't get off to the best of starts when Robert Grove missed a straight one early on.
Keven Whitehead dug in on a difficult wicket as Hatfield struggled to 45-4. Whitehead and Andy Ashley-Smith then began to express themselves against the home side's change bowlers and made full use of a fast outfield. The pair put on 50 runs as Hatfield eased to victory with Whitehead being bowled for 37.Ashley-Smith, however, was unbeaten at the end on 31.
Skipper Jakes hit the winning runs as Hatfield reached 118 for the loss of five wickets.

Phillips Is 99 Not Out Against Tottendge As Hatfield Claim Opening League Victory

Saracens Herts League Dvision Three
Hatfield 199-7 Totteridge Millhillians 180-10

JUBLANT Hatfield players recorded their first win in the Hert.s League Division Three with a 19-run success over Totteridge Millhillians at Ascots Lane.
After three successive defeats, the victory was a much-needed boost for Richard Hazeldene’s team, who have competed well in all matches but failed to force a win. Batting first. Hatfield lost opener Heath Bond early on but Keven Whitehead and the recalled Barry Phillips made steady progress against the Totteridge seamers.
Both players looked in good form and put on 50 runs for the second wicket Whitehead was caught and bowled for 25 with Darshan Desai following quickly after as Hatfield stumbled to 67-3. Phillips and Andy Ashley-Smith played sensibly and took the score to 100 before the latter was adjudged leg before.
Brad Hewitt then joined Phillips and played a delightful cameo, hitting 26 runs to give the Hatfield innings a real impetus. The pair put on 53 runs in good time before Hewitt was bowled at 154-4.
Hatfleld’s lower order supported Phillips as the overs began to run out and they chased maximum batting points Andy Foster hit a quick 18 for the Ascots Lane side. With one ball remaining, the home side needed two runs to score 200 and Phillips a richly-deserved century knock.
Unfortunately, neither came to pass as Hatfield ended on 199-7 with Phillipss stranded on 99 not out. Totteridge’s opening batsmen were looking to get off to a flyer but were denied by tidy bowling from Ian Golder and Desai. The openers did put on 36 runs for the first wicket when Billy Bigley broke the deadlock with a superb slower ball.
Bigley claimed a second victim during a quick spell from the 16-year-old, as Totteridge reached 58-2. Skipper Hazeldene brought on his change bowlers and Chintan Patel made a real impression with some real pacy deliveries despite conceding a few boundaries.
At 65-4, visitors Totteridge were struggling and only Soomro looked capable of seeing out the Hatfield attack. The ever-increasing run rate meant that runs needed to be scored quickly and Hazeldene decided to bring on his slower bowlers to tempt the batsmen.
Whilst runs started to flow, Andy Foster took a couple of important wickets with his off-breaks as Totteridge reached 119-6. Soomro continued his lone vigil and started to put bat to ball as Totteridge fought their way back into the match. He was particularly severe on the returning Bigley and began to really turn the tide.
At 177-7 and overs running out, the game could of gone either way. However, Darshan Desai took two wickets in two balis to give Hatfield the upper hand.
Ian Golder returned to the attack to have Soomro caught for 81 and Hatfield secure victory by 19 runs with two overs remaining. Andy Foster ended with 3-34 and Desai 2-26.

Hatfield Stop Offley In Their Tracks For Sunday League Success

Broadview Windows North Herts League
Offley & Stopsley 117-10 Hatfield Sunday XI 118-5

HATFELD’S Sunday 1st XI picked up their second win in the North Herts. League Division One with a comfortable victory over Offley & Stopsley.
Alan Jakes was the pick of the early Hatfield bowling, having the home side in real trouble on a slow and low wicket. He took 3-14 in an opening burst against some variable batting.
Offley never really recovered from the poor start and Hatfield chipped away with all the bowlers taking wickets on a balmy afternoon. Skipper Tony Jakes snapped up 2-22 as Offley were bowled out for a paltry 117.
Hatfield’s innings didn’t get off to the best of starts when Robert Grove missed a straight one early on. Keven Whitehead dug in on a difficult wicket as Hatfield struggled to 45-4.
Whitehead and Andy Ashley-Smith then began to express themselves against the home side’s change bowlers and made full use of a fast outfield. The pair put on 50 runs as Hatfield eased to victory with Whitehead being bowled for 37. Ashley-Smith, however, was unbeaten at the end on 31. Skipper Jakes hit the winning runs as Hatfield reached 118 for the loss of five wickets

Defeats For Hatfield’s Two Lower Sides

THERE were defeats for both of HatfieId’s lower sides in the Saracens Herts. League on Saturday.
Despite 33 runs from the bat of Bob Grove and 41 by Mark Golder, Hatfield’s 2nd Xl were bowled out for 144. Boxmoor reached that total for the loss of just three wickets in Division Seven.

Hatfield’s 3rd Xl were all out for 163 in reply to Ware 2nds’ 203-3 in Herts. Division 12. Chive Wilson top scored for the Ascots Lane club with 76.

Hatfield Lose To Hemel Hempstead Side In Thrilling Finale

Saracens Herts League Division Three
Hatfield 143-10 Hemel Hempstead 2nds 144-8

A HAT-TRICK of wickets apiece for Sumit Saharan and Ian Golder wasn’t enough to lead Hatfield to victory against Hemel Hempstead 2nds.
Despite putting in a tame batting performance, Hatfield put up a tremendous fielding display against league leaders Kernel Hempstead to lose by two wickets in Saturdays Herts Division Three game.
For the second week running, Hatfield were involved in a tense finish and the game went down to the final over of the match. Put into bat on a green track, Hatfield's openers struggled against a lively Hemel attack and the score had reached 17 when Chris Reid was given out lbw. Heath Bond (19) and Andy Ashley-Smith attempted some reconciliation but both went with the score on 38to leave Hatfield struggling.
Darshan Desai hit a flurry of boundaries to score 20, but he was also adjudged lbw with Hatfield on 58-4. Ian Golder (24) and the in-form Dave Hughes played sensibly against the hosts change bowlers but Hatfield could not forge a real substantial partnership.
They passed the 100 mark for the loss of seven wickets when skipper Richard Hazeldene marched to the crease. He produced a sparkling cameo of an innings, hitting a couple of mighty sixes. With support from the tailenders, Hazeldene ensured his team were able to post a total that the bowlers could try to defend. The skippers fine little innings ended when he was bowled for 34, leaving Hatfield all out for 143.
The visitors opening bowlers didn’t manage to find the life in the wicket that their counterparts had and the Hemel side got off to a good start. Indeed, the opening pair put on 48 runs for the first wicket, a partnership that would not be bettered in the whole day.
It was Darshan Desai who made the first breakthrough with his left-arm spin as Hemel reached 48-1. The hosts remained in control however, and made their way to 70 before Hazeldene turned to seam bowler Sumit Saharan. His impact was immediate claiming three wickets in as many overs as the home side slumped to 77-4.
A galvanised Ascots Lane team began to believe that a victory was possible, despite a partnership of 30 runs from the Hemel middle order. Ian Golder returned to the fold to take an important wicket, however runs were still being eked out by the latter Hemel order. Andy Ashley-Smith took a fine catch off the bowling of Desai and the game was finely balanced at 133-8.
The overs were now running out and all three results were possible. The penultimate over saw a crucial four byes being conceded and suddenly Hemel needed only one run in the final over. This they scored to notch a two—wicket win and a full 30 points.
Hatfield’s best bowlers were Saharan 3-18 and Golder 3-26 as they collected 10 points in defeat.

Wynne On The Mark As Hatfield 2nds Get First Win Of Season

HATFIELD’S 2nd Xl collected their first win of the season in the home game against Dunstable 3rd XI.
Their three-wicket success was due to some excellent batting as Alan Jakes men chased down a sizeable 207-8 score. Gareth Wynne was Hatfield’s most successful bowler, taking 5-43 in another teasing spell.
In reply, John McCarthy set the tone for the innings with some sparkling stroke play. He received great support in the form of Barry Phillips, who hit 42 runs. McCarthy went on to score an excellent 87 runs and provide the catalyst for Hatfield’s success. Andy Foster hit three sixes in his unbeaten knock of 40 to see the home side to victory in Division Seven of the Herts Cricket League.

Hatfield Lose Match With One Ball To Go

Saracens Herts League Division Three
Hatfield 203-7 Ickleford 206-9

HATFIELD lost with just one ball remaining in their Herts Division Three encounter with Ickleford on Saturday.
Needing only one wicket to win the game, Hatfield could easily have snapped up victory. However, Ickleford managed to score the four runs needed off the last over to achieve a nail-biting one-wicket success.
Hatfield elected to bat first and made a solid start with Heath Bond and Chris Reid taking full advantage of some wayward early bowling. It wasn’t until Heatley started to find his line that Hatfield struggled with Bond falling for 20. Hatfield fell to 55-2 when Red played on for 23.
lcklefords bowlers started to put the pressure on the home sides batting and the runs were to difficult to find. Darshan Desai was caught for 16 and Andy Ashley-Smith made 15 before he was adjudged lbw. Dave Hughes, however, looked in good form from ball one and it was he that led the recovery.
Once the tiring Wheatley was removed from the attack, Hatfield began to prosper with Hughes hitting some fine shots. He continued his excellent form from last week with support from the lower order, who all contributed double figure scores, to ensure that Hatfield achieved the full 10 bathing points as they closed on 203-7. Hughes ended on an unbeaten 72. lckleford’s opening batsmen found life difficult in the first few overs against the probing Ian Golder and Darshan Desai. It was Desai who made the first breakthrough, claiming a wicket with the score on 25.
Progress was slow there on in as Hatfield’s bowlers managed to exert some life from a slow wicket and they took the second Ickleford wicket with the total on 40. Ickleford reached 64-3 when new fast bowler Chintan Patel took his first wicket for the club.
Mark Schumann was starting to pick off the bad ball and played some fine shots for Ickleford as they began to claw their way back into the match. With good support from Pursey on 28, the total had moved to 125-5 and the game evenly balanced. The introduction of Sumit Saharan paid immediate dividends however when he got Schumann lbw for 50. At 146-7, Hatfield appeared to be in the driving seat. However, the Ickleford lower order continued to put bat to ball and the runs were still coming.
It was Robinson, batting at number 10, who really made the difference playing some quality shots at the death. With Wheatley on 23 in support, they took the match to an exciting finish with a flurry of boundaries. With the last over to be bowled, Hatfield required just one more wicket for victory and yet Ickleford needed just four runs. Robinson guided his team to the runs required off the penultimate ball and ended 33 not out.
Hatfield had put in a decent performance in this game and collected a worthy 19 points, despite the defeat.

Hatfield Sunday Side Net First League Triumph

TONY Jakes’ Hatfield Sunday side collected their first victory in the North Herts Sunday League with a four-wicket win over Holwell.
Jakes men restricted Holwell to just 140-7 from their allotted 40 overs with Richard Hazeldene taking 3-16. In reply Suki Grewal (42) and Chintan Nayek (31) both played well to build a firm platform for success. Despite a late collapse, Hatfield got home by four wickets.

Hatfield Lose Run Fest Encounter With North Mymms 2nds

Saracens Herts. League Division Three
North Mymms 2nds 263-3 Hatfield 227

HATFIELD were involved in something of a run fest against North Mymms 2nds with their first Herts. League Division Three game of the season.
Sadly for Richard Hazeldene’s men, the outcome was defeat by 35 runs. In perfect batting conditions, North Mymms elected to bat fist and despite a pacy spell from Chinten Patel, got off to a good start. It was the veteran Ian Golder who made the first breakthrough with another teasing spell of swing bowling. He cleaned the first two wickets of the day to put the brakes on the Mymms batting, but skipper Nick Gilbert looked in control and received good support from Clements.
At 63-3. the game was well balanced. Gilbert was joined at the crease by Aussie Ben Langford and the pair immediately started to dominate the Hatfield change bowling. With a lightening fast outfield, the ball raced to the boundary whenever it passed the outfield and Hatfield did not help themselves by dropping a couple of half chances. Gilbert charged to his hundred and Langford followed shortly after as the pair put on a huge stand for the fourth wicket.
Gilbert declared the innings on 262-3 with himself on 120 not out and Langford 100 unbeaten.
Hatfield got off to a solid start with Heath Bond and Keven Whitehead looking comfortable on what is likely to be the best wicket they will bat on this summer. Whitehead was run out when the score had reached 81.
The score was 98-2 when Andy Ashley-Smith was caught and bowled by Searle for just eight. Bond, however, was starting to motor and the boundaries were coming with a flurry. Mymms rotated their bowlers but Bond looked in supreme touch and it was another classic boundary which brought him his first ton of the season.
Dave Hughes proved to be his ideal foil and the pair took the score to 187-4 when Bond was caught for 104. That was the third century scored in the day. Hatfield’s middle order failed to click and support Hughes and stumbled at 200-6 just when they were looking to push onto the Mymms total Searle was now spinning a web and cleaned up the Hatfield innings with a mesmerising spell of 6-48.
Hatfield were bowled out for 227, 35 runs short of the Mymms score. Hughes second top scored for Hatfield with 44.

Savani Destroys Hatfield’s 2nds XI

REMARKABLE bowling from Old Finchleians seamer K Savani undid Hatfield’s 2nd Xl in their Saracens Hefts League Division Seven game.
He took a remarkable 9-44 to root out Hatfield for just 116. John McCarthy hit 34 and Mark Golder with 29 were the only batsmen contributing to the home side’s total. Earlier, Hatfield had bowled out the Old Boys for 158 with slow bowlers Andy Foster getting 4-27 and Mark Stephenson 4-30.
In reply, Savani tore through the Hatfield line-up as Alan Jakes side fell to a 42 run defeat.

First Win Of The Season For Hatfield 3rds

HATFIELD’S 3rd Xl claimed their first win of the season against Parkfields 3rd Xl by a comfortable five wickets. Duo Alan Dudman with 3-14 and Paul Ward 3-45 were the pick of the attack receiving some great support from young Rory Golder who also took two wickets.
Parkfields score of 122 was never going to be enough. Dan Hardy hit 32 and Alex Digby 29 as they put willow on leather to ensure Hatfield reached the required runs in good time.

Hatfield Tame Middlesex Tamils

HATFELD batsman Darshan Desai hit a brilliant 80 not out as his side claimed a fine seven-wicket friendly win over Middlesex Tamils on Saturday.
Desai brought his excellent form from 2008 into the new season and looked in great touch from the very first ball of his innings. The opposition had earlier won the toss and decided to take advantage of a pacy track at Ascots Lane.
The Tamils opening pair set off at a really tremendous rate.
From the start the pair hit a flurry of boundaries to take the score to 45 after just six overs.
New Hatfield opening bowler Chintan Patel looked lively but suffered as the ball came nicely onto the bat. It was not until change bowlers Desai and Steve Brame, who went on to claim 3-12, were introduced into the attack that Hatfield make their breakthrough. Both claimed wickets to slow down the run rate and put Hatfield back into the game.
Brame bowled an excellent spell to claim three victims, but the Tamils continued to put bat to ball and the runs flowed at fair rate.
At 120-5, Andy Foster was brought onto bowl and claimed two wickets for just one run leaving Hatfield in charge of the game.
The final pair put on a stand of 28 runs to take the visiting Tamils score to 162 all out. Sean Edge took the last wicket.
Hatfield's innings got off to a poor start. Andy Ashley-Smith played on the second over and Keven Whitehead was run out for a duck.
The bowling was wayward to start and Hatfield had 10 runs on the board without a run off the bat. Barry Phillips and Desai repaired the early damage picking and choosing the runs carefully. Desai started to find the middle of the bat and took advantage whilst the field was in. The pair took the score to 65 before Phillips was caught behind for 18.
Ian Golder joined Desai at the crease. He began to take advantage of the Tamils second string bowling. The quality of the wicket began to show, Both batsmen were able to play their shots in a sparkling stand. Golder was particularly bruising on the seam bowlers and hit 40 runs before being caught. By this time the game was al but over. It was left to Steve Brame to hit the winning runs.
Desai had dominated the Hatfield score and finished on a fine 80 not out .

HATFIELD begin their Saracens Herts. Division Three campaign on Saturday. They start the league season by facing rivals North Mymms 2nds away.

Hatfield 2nds Beat North Mymms Counterparts

HATFIELDS 2nd Xl claimed success over North Mymms 2nds on Saturday.
Hatfield took their tally to 159-5 in the 40 over match. John McCarthy made 26, Alex Digby 26, Graham Causton 27 not out, and Mick Debenham an unbeaten 29.
In reply the Home Farm club were all out for 117, The pick of the Hatfield bowlers was John McCarthy, who ended with figures of 2-1.

Hatfield Lose To Essendon Rivals

AN exciting encounter saw Hatfield’s Sunday Xl lose by five wickets against Essendon off the very last ball at the weekend.
Hatfield batted first in a 40 over a side game and suffered an early blow when Keven Whitehead fell for his second duck of the weekend. Andy Ashley-Smith and Kunal Shah then put on a fine stand of 82 for the second wicket before Ashley-Smith was caught for 43. Gohil scored 41 before being run out as Hatfield stumbled to 122-5.
Dave Hughes looked in good nick and took advantage of some tired bowling to crack 52 not out. Hatfield closed on 201-7.
Essendon's reply was checked by some smart bowling from Robert Grove. Gareth Wynne, who claimed 3-23, took early wickets to have Essendon struggling at 45-4. This early damage was repaired somewhat at 113-5.
The home side looked to have the advantage with the overs running out. There then began an excellent partnership between Venables and Carr who put bat to ball.
Hatfield’s change bowlers failed to make the breakthrough required and the game went down to the very last over with just five runs required. With one ball left the scores were level and Venables nicked a delivery off Tony Jakes just past he stumps to seal a five wicket success.
Venabes finished on an unbeaten 81.

Hatfield 1stXI 175-6 Mayfield  163   

Hatfield's Sunday 1st XI got their season off to a winning start with a 12 run win over Mayfield at Ascots Lane.  Despite a damp track, skipper Tony Jakes had faith in his batsmen and elected to bat first in a 40 over a side friendly. Opening duo Andy Ashley-Smith and Keven Whitehead set a decent early tempo against some wayward Mayfield bowling and runs ticked along. The pair put on 79 for the first wicket before Ashley-Smith was caught off a full toss for 36. Whitehead settled in to be the backbone of the Hatfield score and saw partners come and go - his was the significant innings of the day finally being caught for a creditable 66.  Lewis Wynne (20) and veteran Mick Debenham (17 n.o.) provided some fireworks towards the end of the innings as Hatfield closed on 175-6 from their 40 overs.

Mayfield lost an early wicket with the score on just 5 but some agricultural hitting from Victor saw them back on track and up with the required run rate. Only Alan Jakes looked threatening as Hatfield's change bowlers were put to the sword as the wicket dried. The breakthrough finally came with Gareth Wynne's slow left arm as two wickets fell with the score on 81-3 - Victor falling for a bruising 57.  Mayfield maintained the required run rate whilst Hatfield took a couple more wickets and at 131-5, the game could of gone either way. The returning Jakes (3-30) finished his spell to claim two more wickets and Hatfield now held sway. Wynne finished with a creditable 3-23 and once again proved that many a good tune is played on an old fiddle.  Mayfield were finally bowled out for 163 with young 16 year old Sean Edge claiming the last wicket to seal victory. Tony Jakes took three catches in the outfield and will be pleased to have notched his first success of the season.

2009 Season Preview

Despite being relegated from the Saracens Herts Division Two in 2008, Hatfield's 1st XI can look forward to their 2009 with a great deal of optimism. The loss of key players last year inevitably had an effect on the team, particularly after having been promoted to a stronger Division the previous summer.  This year the 1st XI will be led by Richard Hazeldene who, having skippered the 2nd XI last year, makes the step up by leading Hatfield in Division Three for 2009.  Hazeldene has undertaken to run 3 marathons over the next 5 weeks - Paris, Rome & London - so is likely to be the fittest player in the club come the first game!  The batting line up will be headed by Darshan Desai who had a superb season in 2008 ending with an average of 59.8; this saw him win the clubs batting prize by some distance.  His average in the League was higher and he came third in overall Division Two batting averages.  This shows how much the club relied on his efforts in 2008 and Hazeldene will be hoping that others in the team can step up to the mark for the new season.  Its likely that Heath Bond and Keven Whitehead will once again be opening up for the 1st XI in 2009; they could face a challenge from young Ben Golder once the season gets going however, with a broken ankle its unlikely he will be fit until mid-season. University commitments will also mean Chris Reid will be unavailable until June, however Hazeldene will hope he can progress further as one of clubs main future batting talents. Barry Phillips, Dave Hughes, Kunal Shah and Andy Ashley-Smith are all set to feature in the middle order for 2009. The explosive batting styles of Ian Golder, Steve Brame and Hazeldene himself will also add their spice into the mix!  There will be plenty of bowling options available to the skipper.  Most interesting will be Chintan Patel who has shown in the pre-season nets that he could be the quickest bowler the club has had for many years.  Young Billy Bigley generated some real pace in short bursts during the 2008 season and it is hoped he will continue to impress despite only just turning 16 years old. The pair could make a devastating duo of opening bowlers for the 1st XI.  The experienced Ian Golder and Steve Brame look set to continue as the main seam bowlers for 2009, in addition to their batting exploits. The spin department looks well stocked with Darshan Desai,  Dave Hughes and Hazeldene all able to take on the mantle whenever required. They will be joined mid-season by Aussie left-arm spinner Beau Suffern who will be over for a couple of months to play for Hatfield.  The Sunday 1st XI will be captained by Tony Jakes who will lead Hatfield in Division One of the North Herts Sunday League. This particular side relied heavily on the youth of the Club last year and considering this, performed admirably.

With Richard Hazeldene now skippering the 1st XI, Alan Jakes takes over as the new captain of the League 2nd XI. Jakes was a particularly consistent performer with the ball last season and he will be leading from the front with his metronomic bowling in the Herts League Division Seven. Mark Golder had another good season with both bat & ball and rightly collected the 2nd XL Player of the Year for 2008.  He will inevitably be starring again in the new season.  Again, the bowling looks to be the strength with a returning Robert Grove, Justin Evans, Mrunal Desai and Sam Arachichi all vying for seam bowling slots. In addition to these, youngsters Paul Ward, Sean Edge and Luke Waterman all impressed for the 3rd XI last year and could well be in Jake's team for the start of the season. Waterman in particular showed how much he had developed by claiming the Young Player of the Year award. The evergreen Gareth Wynne, Graham Causton, Tony Jakes and Andy Foster look to be the obvious slow bowling options for 2009; all consistently took wickets at important times during a rather damp summer.  The batting will line up will revolve around the likes of Foster, Grove, Golder and John McCarthy to post competitive totals. Lewis Wynne is another at University for the beginning of the season however he looks set to make significant contributions with both bat and ball in 2009 when available. Stalwart Mick Debenham, the Clubs leading all-time catcher, could be the man donning the gloves behind the stumps for Jakes' men.  

Hatfield's 3rd XI will be skippered by Club Chairman, Alan Dudman.  He will hope that the experienced Bruce Percival, Pravin Gohil, Dan Hardy, Graham Debenham and Anand Krishnan will all provide the runs in Division Twelve of the Herts League. The team was very competitive last year and secured some memorable victories.  Youngsters such as Joe Bigley, Alex Digby, Rory Golder, Mark Collins and Jonty Mistry should all be looking to contribute to the team in 2009. The 3rd XI's main success story however was the enduring bowling of Tony Foster who pocketed the Club bowling prize with an excellent average of 12.94.  Foster, who started his Hatfield playing career in the 1950's, will be rolling over that well-oiled left arm again in 2009.  

Much of the Clubs success in recent years has been in bringing on the youth of the Club.  Hatfield are always looking for young talent to join their thriving Colts section; if you are interested in playing for Hatfield at Under 10's to Under 15 level, please contact the Club by e-mailing  sharongolder2004@yahoo.co.uk or honsec@hatfieldcc.co.uk  

The Club will always welcome new Playing and Non-playing members, if you are interested in joining Hatfield Cricket Club for 2009, please contact the Club by e-mailing honsec@hatfieldcc.co.uk. Training sessions are already underway and we have the added use of a high tech Bowling machine for 2009.  

If you are interested in Umpiring at any level (albeit 1st, 2nd or 3rd XI), then again please contact us at the address above.