report2011

Match Reports – Weekend 27/8/11

Bishops Stortford 2ndXI 215-3 Hatfield 57-2 RAIN

Dropped catches cost Hatfield as they let their opponents score a well over par 215 on a damp and slow wicket at Ascots Lane on Saturday. At point in the innings Hatfield had their opponents struggling on 44-3 but two of their batsmen rode their luck and boosted the score well past 200 as Hatfield let themselves down in the field by dropping numerous catches. Typically Ian Golder toiled away for 23 overs and claimed two wickets for himself.

Hatfield facing the difficult challenge of chasing down this imposing total got off to a quick by reaching 57-2 inside 11 overs with both Heath Bond and Andy Ashley-Smith being dismissed after getting off to good starts. At this point the heavy rain came down which bought this game to a premature end. This result gave Hatfield 10 points but is not enough to avoid relegation to Division four with one game to go in the league this season.

Hatfield 2^nd XI 191-6 Northampton Exiles 2^nd XI 161-9

The match started in very wet conditions at Northampton Exiles following heavy rain just before the match started. Hatfield did well to only lose 2 wickets in the first hour as the ball moved around on the wet wicket. With the wicket starting to dry Anthony Gale came to the crease and with some excellent ball striking top scored with 68 with Matt Jennings also chipped in with an impressive 44 as Hatfield compiled a decent score of 191 in the difficult conditions.

In reply Exiles also found run scoring challenging and were always chasing the game. Wickets began to fall to Hatfield's slow bowlers Tony Jakes (3-39) and Graham Causton (4-45) that kept Hatfield on top. At the end of the innings for the final three overs the Hatfield seam bowlers returned to try and find the final wicket to seal victory but unfortunately the edges did not go to hand. Hatfield had to settle for the draw agonisingly one wicket from victory for the 2nd match this season.

As a result Hatfield’s second string face an uphill battle if they are to avoid relegation to division nine and face Cockfosters 3^rd XI in a must win game next Saturday.

Hatfield 3^rd XI 83-4 Luton Town and Indians 0-0 Match Abandoned RAIN

Mark Collins 30 not out was the highlight of Hatfield's innings in Luton before rain brought the match to a premature end.

Titanic v Hatfield

Sunday match abandoned ground too wet.

Match Reports – Weekend 20/8/11

Northampton Exiles 41-1 Hatfield 0-0 RAIN

No report

Hatfield 2^nd XI 158-8 County Hall 2^nd XI 161-3

In a match played in very difficult conditions Hatfield's 2ndXI slipped to a disappointing seven wicket defeat. At 60-2 heavy rain delayed the match for 90 minutes. When play resumed on a very wet ground Bill Bigley took his chance to strike the bowling to the boundaries his 60 runs allowed Hatfield to set what should have been a challenging target of 159 runs to win off just 34 overs.

However Hatfield's bowlers just could not get comfortable in the slippy conditions and County Hall's batsmen took advantage of the poor balls bowled and made their target with relative ease with overs to spare.

Hatfield 3^rd XI 72 Ware 2nd XI 74-2

In a match also played in very difficult conditions Hatfield's 3rdXI slipped to a disappointing eight wicket defeat. Already in trouble the heavy rain did not delaye the match enough as they were bowled out for 72. The visitors Ware comfortably knocked off the required runs.

Match Reports – Weekend 13/8/11

Hatfield 128 Wheathampstead 129-4

Hatfield suffered a damaging defeat against local rivals Wheathampstead on Saturday. Hatfield found it difficult going against the home attack on an awkward surface. Heath Bond once again helped get the innings off to a quick start and was the main contributor to his teams total with an aggressive knock of 50. A few other batsmen got starts but failed to make any telling contributions as Ben Gethin – Golder’s men were shot out for a total of 128.

After finding batting difficult on this unpredictable surface they would of fancied their chances of forcing a much needed win. Ian Golder took an early wicket in an attempt to peg back their opponents. The Wheathampstead batsmen played patiently and waited for the bad ball as they closed in on victory. They eventually reached the required total for the loss of just four wickets with plenty of over’s to spare. Wheato’s captain Adam Winchester finished on 68 not out to see his side home. Hatfield will need a dramatic turnaround in form in their last three games in order to stave of relegation to division four.

Hatfield 2^nd XI 156-10 Codicote 159-4

Despite knocks of 68 from Anthony Gale and 50 from Vic Joshi the 2’s suffered a 6 wicket defeat against promotion chasing Codicote after posting 156 at Ascots Lane on Saturday. Hatfield made their opponents work hard for their runs as Joe Bigley bowled economical spell of 3 for 30 of his 14 overs. The visitors finally sealed their victory in the 45^th over for the loss of four wickets.

Hatfield 3^rd XI 54-10 Chiltern 59-1

Hatfield suffered a crushing defeat against Chiltern 06 on Saturday. After posting a paltry score of 54 their opponents knocked the runs off with ease with Matt Saxby taking the only wicket for Alan Dudman’s team.

Datchworth 115-10 Hatfield 116-4

After a disappointing Saturday for the clubs eleven’s the Sunday XI gained a much needed win away against Datchworth on Sunday. Datchworth looked on course for substantial total when they were 90-3 after the first 20 overs. The innings changed when Neil Denham came onto bowl as he took 3 wickets in his first two overs. He soon completed his five wicket haul and also claimed his sixth wicket and finished with figures of 6-43. Hatfield ended up bowling out Datchworth for 115 in the 29^th over.

Hatfield had plenty of overs to reach the required total and got off to solid start with both Matt Jennings and Dave Clayton putting away any loose deliveries. After a few quick wickets Datchworth may have fancied their chances of forcing an unlikely win but Dave Clayton stood firm until he was out for 28. At this stage Hatfield were 80-4 but Lewis Wynne and Joe Bigley saw the team home to victory scoring 29 not out and 20 not out respectively. Hatfield win by 6 wickets and stay in touch with the other teams chasing top spot in North Herts League Division two.

Match Reports – Weekend 6/8/11

Hatfield 105 Kings Langley 108-1

Hatfield suffered a crushing 9 wicket defeat at the hands of promotion chasers Kings Langley at Ascots Lane on Saturday afternoon. Hatfield lost the toss and were predictably inserted on a bowler friendly wicket. The story of Hatfield’s season occurred once again as the batting line up collapsed to a low total. Hatfield’s batsmen found it difficult going against an accurate Kings Langley bowling attack. Barry Phillips top scored for the home side with 25 before being run out after a sharp piece of fielding from the bowler, other batsmen contributed with double figure scores but none of them went on to make a score of any note. The innings finished with Hatfield being bowled out for a disappointing 105.

In reply Kings Langley looked comfortable whilst chasing the small total and they reached the required total in the 22^nd over for the loss of just one wicket. Spinner Graham Causton claimed the only Hatfield wicket courtesy of a catch by Heath Bond. Hatfield will need to dramatically improve on this performance if they are to claim a much needed win against a resurgent Wheathampstead side next weekend.

Bayford and Hertford 2^nd XI 185-9 Hatfield 2^nd XI 129-10

Hatfield’s second string suffered a defeat against fellow strugglers Bayford and Hertford on Saturday. On a slow wet track Bayford posted a challenging total of 185 after being inserted by Hatfield skipper Gareth Wynne. The total may have been smaller if the home umpire had given out their key batsmen who went score a vital 50 after a convincing appeal from the Hatfield fielders. Skipper Wynne bowled a controlled and accurate spell and helped himself to figures of 6-47.

Unfortunately for Hatfield they fell well short of the required total as they were bowled out for 129. A slow opening partnership of 42 between John McCarthy and Kevin Whitehead as they struggled to get the bowling away. Both openers fell trying to manufacture forcing shots. Then a number of Hatfield batsmen including and Gavin Ross made it into double figures but failed to make any significant contributions that were needed for Hatfield to get close to making the required total. Hatfield welcome Codicote to Ascots Lane next week and will be hoping for a more positive result.

Hemel Hempstead 5^th XI 138-10 Hatfield 3^rd XI 129-10

Hatfield fell ten runs short of victory against Hemel on Saturday. Joe Bigley starred with the ball by taking four wickets and John Edge bowled a tight 10 over spell as the visitors were restricted to a modest total. In reply Jeremy Harwood top scored with 43 but Hatfield agonisingly short of victory despite the efforts of Gavin Welch who finished on 16 not out. The innings finished with Hatfield on 129-10 and the home side were defeated by 9 runs.

Breachwood Green 164-7 Hatfield 30-1

Match Abandoned.

Match Reports – Weekend 30/7/11

Harpenden III 152-10 Hatfield 156-6

Hatfield got a much needed win against bottom markers Harpenden. Bowling first Hatfield restricted Harpenden to very few scoring opportunities and the first wicket came with the score on 8 when Ian Golder bowled opener Sprowson. The score moved on to 40 when Rory Gethin-Golder ran out Byrne with a sharp piece of fielding. Wickets fell regularly throughout the Harpenden innings as Darshan Desai bowled a tight spell and took 2 wickets. Ben Gethin-Golder gave Dave Hughes a rare chance with the ball and he produced 2 important wickets including that of the home skipper Wade for 48. Ian Golder returned towards the end of the innings to clean up the tale and once again claim himself a five wicket haul ending with figures of 5-37 of 16 overs.

In reply Heath Bond hit some early boundaries, but it was Chris Reid who was first to go bowled by left arm spinner Randall. Bond was next to go due to a sharp stumping for a quickly made 18. The scoreboard now read 25-2 and skipper Gethin-Golder needed to steady the ship. Alongside Darshan Desai he pushed Hatfield towards victory as both looked in fine touch. This was until Desai (49) was unfortunate to pick out short mid wicket after middling a pull shot. Now Hatfield needed to be wary of another collapse but in the next few overs, courtesy of some generous umpiring the game was back on and Harpenden had their tails up. David Hughes was given out LBW first ball and was soon followed by Lewis Wynne who was given out caught back pad. Barry Phillips was next in and seemed to bring calm to the situation until he was bowled for 9. The ever reliable Ian Golder was next and hit some nicely timed boundaries and Skipper Gethin-Golder stood firm at the other end. Hatfield completed a nervy 4 wicket win when Golder hit another boundary and finished on 28 not out but it was skipper Gethin-Golder whose performance was the one to savour finishing on a gritty and determined 43 not out.

Hatfield 2^nd XI 246-6 North Enfield 2^nd XI 186-9

Keven Whithead and Mick Ford provided the runs as Hatfield came agonisingly close to much needed win which was needed to move away from the lower reaches of the table. Whitehead batted more conservatively whilst Ford was more explosive but both played some very impressive strokes. Whitehead reached a magnificent ton and finished on a superb 116 not out whilst Mick Ford smashed his way to a typically aggressive 65. Hatfield would have been happy with their performance but also knew that they would need to work hard for a victory on a batsmen friendly pitch.

From the start the North Enfield openers rode their luck but Hatfield took wickets regularly in the quest for the win. Hatfield skipper Gareth Wynne used different bowling options towards the end of the North Enfield innings in order to find the quick wickets which were needed. Alan Jakes who took 3 wickets continued to bowl accurately but couldn’t find a way through the North Enfield tail enders. The opposition blocked out the final over bowled by Gareth Wynne to frustrate the home side. North Enfield finished their innings 9 wickets down and Hatfield will be looking to go one better next weekend.

Cockfosters 4^th XI 240-6 Hatfield 3^rd XI 115-10

Hatfield struggled to heavy defeat against Cockfosters. Hatfield put some sharp chances down as the home side smashed their way to a challenging total of 240. In reply Hatfield struggled to 50-6 but thanks to some late runs from veteran Tony Foster (25) the score was boosted up to over 100 but Hatfield never looked like getting near the imposing target. The game ended when Hatfield were all out for 115.

Graveley 249-5 Hatfield 215-10

Hatfield slumped to a defeat at home to Graveley on Sunday. Batting first Graveley were aggressive from the word go and made Hatfield work hard for any wickets. Graveley ended on an imposing 249-5 with Gareth Wynne chipping with 2 wickets. In reply Bruce Percival and Sukhi Grewal hit some nice boundaries at the start of the Hatfield innings and both went past 20. Keven Whitehead and Lewis Wynne tried to salvage the situation with a partnership of 75 but the asking rate was getting higher and higher. Wynne was caught for 46 and Whitehead completed a personally successful weekend by completing a half century. But when Whitehead was bowled for 50 the game was all but over and Hatfield were all out for 215.

Match Reports – Weekend 23/7/11

North Enfield 117-10 Hatfield 90-10

Hatfield suffered a very disappointing defeat against North Enfield on Saturday. With a lack of seam bowling options available acting skipper Ben Gethin-Golder opted to open with Heath Bond alongside regular opener Ian Golder. On an unpredictable surface Bond took the first wicket after the batsmen gloved one through to Gethin-Golder behind the stumps. From the other end Ian Golder bowled with accuracy and soon and his first victim by clean bowling the number with a good looking in swinger. After a short spell from Bond he was replaced by Richard Hazeldene who took up the unfamiliar role of the third seamer. He went on to bowl with good pace and took three wickets in his nine over spell which was cut short due to a calf injury. Ian Golder continued to plug away at the other end and ended up with a well deserved five wicket haul. North Enfield ended up on 117, but Hatfield were disappointed not to keep them under 100.

In reply Chris Reid and Heath Bond opened the Hatfield innings and both looked in good touch as they raced along to 58 without loss. The wicket then fell after Heath Bond top edged a ball to third man for a good looking 39. Ben Gethin-Golder was next in but soon shouldered arms to straight and was given out LBW for 0. Opening bowler White was now getting some good bounce at a reasonable pace and he soon had another victim as Barry Phillips gloved one to first slip. This then triggered a horrific Hatfield collapse as the home side lost their last 9 wickets for just 32 runs. Hatfield finished their innings all out for a paltry 90 and will look to get a much needed win away at Harpenden next weekend.

Hatfield 2^nd XI 83-10 Old Owens 86-2

Hatfield suffered a hammering at the hands of their Old Owens counterparts. Hatfield batted first and were skittled out for a disappointing 82. This was largely thanks to Mark Stephenson and Rory Gethin-Golder who were two of the four batsmen to reach double figures. Their opponents knocked off the required total with little trouble inside 14 over’s for the loss of just two wickets

Weston 154-10 Hatfield XI 70-10

Hatfield Sunday XI completed a disastrous weekend for the club after being comprehensively beaten by fellow title challengers Weston on Sunday. After inserting their opponents Hatfield got off to a promising start with Rory Gethin-Golder bowling with good pace and accuracy, he went on to claim 3-19 of his 8 over’s. Wickets fell at regular intervals throughout the innings but some catching chances also went down which let their opponents off the hook. After having Weston 45-4 Hatfield would have hoped to dismiss them for less than 120 and despite a good spell from veteran Tony Foster (4-23) the middle and lower order boosted their total to a defendable 154. Wickets also came from Neil Denham, Lewis Wynne and a run out.

Hatfield got off to a slow start and found it difficult against the accurate opening bowlers. The top order were soon back in the hutch with the score on 28-4. Skipper Wynne and Clayton went about rescuing the situation, but when the score reached 57 when Wynne was out LBW. And after another batting collapse the score went from 57-5 to 70 all out with the lower order being blown away by the unorthodox Weston bowling attack.

Match Reports – Weekend 16/7/11

Lilley 80 Hatfield 85-4

No matches were played on Saturday due to the rain.

Hatfield cruised to six wicket win over Lilley in the North Herts League on Sunday. After winning the toss Hatfield elected to field and Lilley got off to a decent start reaching 25 before losing the first wicket which was taken by Gareth Wynne, Wynne went on to take another wicket before being replaced by Tony Jakes. Jakes found success straight away by taking two wickets in his first over and took another in his third over to leave the hosts on 45-5. With Lilley struggling to get to grips with the slow bowlers of Hatfield they were relieved to take a break when the rain came. After two short rain delays the match was reduced to 30 over’s aside and Hatfield made light work of the Lilley lower order by dismissing them in the 27^th over for a paltry 80 with Tony Jakes completing a well deserved five wicket haul, Lewis Wynne and Gareth Wynne both taking two and Alan Jakes contributing with a solitary scalp.

In reply Sukhi Grewal and Dave Clayton found it tough going on the slow pitch. Grewal was first to go after being caught at mid on with the score on 6. Rory Gethin-Golder was promoted up the order hit a couple of nicely timed boundaries before being caught for a quick 14. Hatfield lost the wickets of Ben Gethin-Golder and Dave Clayton in quick succession as Kevin Whitehead stood firm at the other end. The game was finished by Billy Bigley in electrifying style as he got off the mark with a six and then hit winning runs by clearing the ropes once again. Bigley finished on 20 not out and Whitehead on 9 not out as Hatfield reached the required total in the 24^th over to win by 6 wickets and secure maximum points to boost their chances of challenging at the top of the table. Hatfield travel to Weston next week and will be hoping for another victory.

Match Reports – Weekend 9/7/11

Hatfield 206 Old Albanians 203

Hatfield pulled off a vital victory against Old Albanians on Saturday. Batting first Hatfield made a steady start with Heath Bond and Chris Reid both hitting boundaries early on. The first wicket fell with Bond going caught behind for 16 and soon after new batsmen Ben Gethin-Golder was caught at slip for 4. The wickets of Chris Reid and Lewis Wynne quickly followed and Hatfield needed someone to stabilise the innings. Mick Ford was next to go after being caught in the covers and the scoreboard now read 55-5 and Ian Golder alongside the late arriving Darshan Desai went about rescuing the Hatfield innings. Darshan looked in good touch before edging one behind for quick fire 25. All rounder Golder continued to strike the ball with force as he looked to help his side to a respectable total, he was now being supported by Richard Hazeldene who batted sensibly and hit some important boundaries which helped his team. Hazeldene was next to go after being caught at slip for a valuable 18 runs. The next wicket of Tony Jakes fell soon after which bought Sumit Saharan to the crease. Saharan and Golder put on a much needed partnership of 50, Ian Golder breezed past 50 and continued to find the boundary with ease. Sumit Saharan chipped in with some much needed boundaries in his knock of 17 until he was well caught by the Albanians skipper at mid wicket. After this wicket Golder peppered the boundary continuously as he moved on through the sixties and seventies. Alan Jakes was the last man to go for 0 and left Ian Golder not out at the other end on an extremely important 81. Going into the tea break Hatfield were encouraged by the effort which their lower order made in getting the score up to a more than respectable 206 and Old Albanians would have been frustrated that they couldn’t capitalise on the great start which they made.

Hatfield skipper Alan Jakes opened the bowling alongside Sumit Saharan and came up against two openers who looked to attack from the start of the innings. The first wicket came when Saharan found the edge and the ball was caught by Darshan Desai in the gully. Alan Jakes bowled with good accuracy and soon had a deserved wicket courtesy of a catch from his brother Tony. Saharan was then taken out of the attack and replaced by Richard Hazeldene who soon had his first wicket by dismissing the dangerous looking Karim LBW. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals as the momentum is the game continued to sway both ways. Hatfield were now being frustrated by a developing partnership between Rourke and Hayat but Rourke was superbly stumped by Ben Gethin-Golder of the bowling of Desai who now had two wickets, this left the visitors with only three wickets in hand. As the game went into the 51^stand last over a Hatfield victory looked unlikely, with two wickets needed and 7 runs being needed for the opponents to gain victory. The turning point of the game came when Alan Jakes took a stunning diving catch on the deep mid wicket boundary to dismiss Hayat for 75, now needing 4 to win the number 11 came to the crease and his eyes lit up when he saw a low full toss coming his way from Desai but he missed his attempted sweep and was out plumb LBW which gave Desai his 5^th wicket and more importantly gave the home side a much needed win.

Hatfield 2^nd XI 116 Luton Town and Indians 3^rd XI 103-7

The heavy rain in Luton caused an early finish to this division eight fixture as Hatfield drew this game and made it three matches unbeaten in the league. Hatfield got off to encouraging start and found themselves 75-2 with John McCarthy and Dave Clayton both going early on. The third wicket of Kevin Whitehead for 43 triggered the collapse has Hatfield went from 96-3 to a disappointing 116 all out. Only one other batsman contributed double figures and extras were also to thank for putting this score beyond 100.

Hatfield would now have to bowl well to gain any positive result out of this game. But the rain eventually ruined the day after Joe Bigley and Mark Golder both produced impressive spells of bowling and ended with three wickets each. The game ended with the home side on 103-7 and Hatfield would have fancied themselves to claim an unlikely victory. This encouraging fielding display helped Hatfield to seven points and let their hosts frustrated with only five points for their troubles.

Hatfield 229-6 Southgate Synagouge 148-10

Hatfield strolled to an easy victory in this Sunday friendly. Ben Gethin-Golder top scored with 59 and contributions of 32 and 28 not out came from Alex Digby and Lewis Wynne as the innings ended on 229-6. Southgate never looked likely to worry Hatfield and wickets came from Gavin Welch, Joe Bigley, Ben Clark and Tony Foster who all claimed two scalps each and the other wickets coming from Lewis Wynne and a run out. Hatfield run out easy winners by 80 runs as their visitors were bowled out for 148.Hatfield return to league action away against Liley next Sunday.

Match Reports – Weekend 2/7/11

Hatfield 170 Letchworth 2ndXI 171-1

Hatfield suffered a disappointing loss away at table toppers Letchworth on Saturday. Batting first Hatfield got off to flying start with opener Heath Bond punishing anything to short or to full. As he raced along his partner Andy Ashley-Smith batted with patience and also played some attractive strokes. The first wicket didn’t fall until the score reached 95 when Bond was caught for a typically aggressive 62. Unfortunately this triggered a collapse for Hatfield with Chris Reid being given out first ball for 0. The wickets continued to fall at an alarming rate and the scoreboard read 108-5 as a result of Andy Ashley-Smith being run out for 29. Hatfield’s lower order batsmen came and went quickly as they looked to force runs in order to gain batting bonus points. The last pair of Tony Jakes and Richard Hazeldene took the score up to 170 which gained Hatfield 6 points and soon after the last wicket fell which left their opponents with a target of 171.

The Letchworth openers attempted to take the attack to the opening spin bowlers straight away. A few sharp chances went down in the field as the Letchworth openers rode their luck at times. The breakthrough came with the score on 85 courtesy of Ian Golder who bowled accurately without giving too much away. The Letchworth number 3 batsmen survived a loud appeal for LBW first ball but after this Hatfield were never really in the game as chances were few and far between. Eventually the home side reached their required target with plenty of overs to spare with veteran opening batsmen Elder finishing on 85 not out.

Botany Bay 2^nd XI 149-10 Hatfield 2^nd XI 150-3

Hatfield 2^nd XI cruised to their second successive win against promotion hopefuls Botany Bay 2^nd XI. Despite having their opponents 110-8 their tail ender’s managed to muster up another 39 runs to boost their total up to something more challenging. All of Hatfield’s bowlers made positive contributions to the team effort with Gareth Wynne and Alan Jakes particularly impressing taking three wickets each in extremely accurate spells which frustrated the Botany Bay batting line up. Sean Edge and Joe Bigley both claimed a wicket each and Mark Stephenson continued his current good form with another two wickets as the visitors ended on 149 all out.

In reply Hatfield made a worrying start as the scoreboard read 9-2, but as a result of this the partnership of Mick Ford and Gavin Ross began. Both players batted with real power and aggression as they found the boundary with regularity. Both passed fifty in quick time until Mick Ford was run out for an important knock of 56. Gavin Ross continued to bat with Belligerence and saw his side home with a magnificent and vital knock of 84 not out. This important win moves Gareth Wynne’s men further away from the foot of the table and relegation trouble as they look to push on to a position of mid table security in division eight.

Hatfield 3rd XI 109 Harpenden V 113-4

Hatfield 3rdXI batted first made a solid start with openers Clive Wilson (27) and Bruce Percival (25) putting on 48 runs Number 3 bat Bill Bigley hit 23 but when he was out with the score on 84 Hatfield's batting crumbled to 109 all out. Bill Bigley took 2 wickets but it was not enough to stop Harpenden cantering to a six wicket win.

Hatfield XI 199-9 Tring Park XI 195-7

Ben Gethin-Golder scored a well constructed 84 in Hatfield’s total of 199 in a Sunday friendly at home to Tring Park. Kevin Whitehead and Billy Bigley also made contributions of 20 which helped the total along.Tring made a good fist of the run chase but eventually finished on 195-7 giving Hatfield a welcome victory by 4 runs. The wickets came courtesy of Lewis Wynne, Joe Bigley, Billy Bigley and 2 run outs.

Match Reports – Weekend 25/6/11

Hatfield 2ndXI 140 Knebworth Park 4thXI 103

Hatfield 2^nd XI gained a much needed first victory of the season at home against Knebworth Park. Ben Gethin-Golder provided the main contribution of 42 and newcomer Vichitra Joshi also chipped in with a valuable 27 to take the score to a respectable score of 140. In reply Knebworth Park batted slowly and rarely went above two runs per over.
The introduction of Mark Stephenson changed the course of the game as he claimed wickets at regular intervals to claim 5-26 and also helped the teams cause with two impressive catches at slip. Vichitra Joshi went on claim two scalps to complete his good all round game and other wickets came courtesy of Matt Saxby and Sean Edge as Knebworth were bowled out for 98. This was a much needed 30 point haul for Hatfield as they look to get themselves out of trouble at the bottom of the division eight table.

Berkhamstead 4thXI 181-10 Hatfield 3rdXI 103-10

Wickets came courtesy of Gavin Welch (3-58) and skipper Alan Dudman (3-31) as their opponents posted 181 all out. In reply Hatfield were always up against it as wickets fell regularly, Billy Bigley contributed with a typically aggressive 41 but others failed to contribute as Alan Dudman’s team were skittled out for a disappointing 103. Hatfield will need to improve on this performance as they attempt make their way off the foot of the division twelve table.

Hatfield's 1stXI match was cancelled as the ground at Totteridge was waterlogged.

Sunday Hatfield took part in round 2 of the North Herts League 20 over competition. Two defeats saw them go out of competition.

Match Reports – Weekend 18/6/11

Hatfield 154 Potters Bar 2ndXI 96-5

Hatfield and Potters Bar were both left frustrated by the rain on Saturday afternoon as their division three match was abandoned due to the heavy showers. Batting first Hatfield got off to a good start with both Heath Bond and Ben Gethin-Golder finding the boundary regularly, after seeing off the seam attack the two Hatfield faced the task off fending of the spin of Potters Bar. Heath Bond found the flight to tempting and attempted a one big shot to many and was bowled for a belligerent 45. Gethin-Golder looked in good nick at the other end and continued to wait for the bad ball. Darashan Desai was next in but was back to the pavilion quickly smacking a loose delivery straight to mid on and was caught. Dave Clayton who was making his 1st XI debut for Hatfield looked very correct and played some encouraging strokes before hitting a long hop straight to extra cover. The scoreboard now read 100-4 and soon read 120-6 when Lewis Wynne and Barry Phillips both went in quick succession. Gethin-Golder continued to battle on but was also soon dismissed after being stumped for well constructed innings of 62. From then on Hatfield lost wickets at regular intervals, they past the 140 runs mark to claim the first batting bonus points .And despite some lusty late blows from some members of the lower order the visiting side were eventually bowled out for 154 after skipper Richard Hazeldene was caught at deep mid wicket.
Potters Bar started in positive style against Hatfield’s opening spin attack but also rode their luck when a sharp chance went down at slip of the first ball of the innings. The first wicket came courtesy of Ian Golder who dismissed the opening batsmen LBW. The score moved on at a reasonably quick rate but the batsmen continued play and miss at deliveries to leave Hatfield’s opening bowlers frustrated. With the score on 62-1 the first big shower of the day came and the players left the field and were off for a good hour before returning. With the over’s now reduced the Potters Bar batsmen would have to score quickly if they were gain victory from this game. Quick wickets came courtesy of Sumit Saharan and Ian Golder as the score moved onto 94-5. But once again the rain came down, and with 25 overs gone in the second innings the action so far had not constituted a match. This final shower was enough for both umpires to decide that enough was enough and the game was called off as a draw with both teams collecting 10 points each.

Heavy rain at Mid-day saw both 2nd and 3rd XI grounds waterlogged and their matches were cancelled.

Sunday Hatfield took part in the inaugural North Herts League 20 over competition. A win over Rosslyn by 60 runs saw them go through to the 2nd round.

Match Reports – Weekend 11/6/11

Hatfield 218-8 London Colney 139

Hatfield got back to winning ways with an important victory against London Colney on Saturday. Batting first Hatfield made a solid start on a pitch which looked like it had something in it for the bowlers as well as proving a decent surface for batting, the score got to 26 when Heath Bond was given out LBW for 5. Barry Phillips was next in and looked in good touch until he was caught at mid off for 18, this bought Darshan Desai to the crease and played some lovely strokes until was caught at long off for a brisk 19. After the loss of a few quick wickets the scoreboard read 76-3 and it was now important someone stepped up to steady the innings and despite riding his luck early on in his innings Mick Ford dispatched the ball to all corners of the ground and pushed the score on with his partner Ben Gethin-Golder until the latter was bowled for a well constructed 33. At this stage Hatfield were looking to their middle and lower order to provide some much needed impetus to boost the total up to and over 200. Mick Ford continued to bat aggressively and reached his 50 in good time until he was bowled for 52. Ian Golder, Mark Golder and Lewis Wynne all made contributions towards the end of the innings and helped the home side to a total of 218.

Sumit Saharan opened the bowling with Ian Golder and both made life difficult for the Colney openers to found it difficult to come to grips the movement the Hatfield attack were getting from the ball. Saharan provided the much needed break as dismissed the Colney opening bat LBW with a well disguised slower ball and soon after Ian Golder dismissed the other opener by the same method. Hatfield were now on top but still had work to do if they were to take maximum points from this game. After a steady start from the Hatfield bowlers London Colney needed a partnership in order to bat themselves back in to the game, and this came courtesy of Hadley and Holloway who both batted with aggression and had some luck until Alan Jakes dismissed Hadley caught behind, and this proved to be the pivotal wicket for the home side. Alan Jakes went on to claim two more victims to complete his trifecta of dismissals and Darshan Desai mopped up the middle and lower order as he helped himself to 4 wickets for just 15 runs. Contributions also came from Ian Golder who claimed two victims and also took the winning catch at point to provide the Ascots Lane side with morale boosting victory as they bowled their opponents out for 139.

Hatfield 2^nd XI 179-6 London Colney 140-7

Hatfield played out an encouraging draw against their London Colney counterparts. Batting first Hatfield made 179-6 on a slow wicket a number of batsmen made positive contributions including opening partners Kevin Whitehead and John McCarthy who made 42 and 20 respectively and Mark Stephenson who kept the momentum going towards the end of the innings with a important 37 not out.
In reply London Colney played out the draw with 3 wickets in hand despite Hatfield doing their best to try and force the win. Wickets came courtesy of Gareth Wynne (3-31) and Sean Edge (2-21) as Colney ended their innings on 140-7.Hatfield took 13 points and their opponents taking 8 points from this game. Gareth Wynne’s team continue to look for their first of the season and will hope this comes next week at home versus Langleybury 3^rdXI.

Hatfield 3^rd XI 140-10 Met Police Bushey 3^rd XI 141-1

Hatfield 3^rd XI suffered a heavy defeat against Met Police Bushey. Alan Dudman’s team could only muster up 140 in their innings with Joe Bigley top scoring with an impressive 39 and Clive Wilson also contributing 32. Hatfield found it difficult going in the field and their opponents raced along to the required total in 26 overs for the loss of just one wicket. Joe Bigley took the solitary wicket as his team slumped to 9 wicket defeat.

No game Sunday Rain.

Match Reports – Weekend 4/6/11

Hatfield 117 Holtwhites Trinibis 118-5

Hatfield slipped to five wicket defeat away at Holtwhites on Saturday. After winning the toss Hatfield batted first and got off to the worst possible start, Heath Bond being caught at slip first ball of the game for 0. Three balls later it was 1-2 when Ben Gethin-Golder was out the same way. Darshan Desai was next in and got off the mark with a cut for four but was also out quickly after got a leading edge back to the bowler and was out caught and bowled. The scoreboard now read 5-3 and Hatfield were in real trouble. Dave Hughes making his first league appearance of the season was next in and got the score up to 18 before being dismissed. Barry Phillips was at the other watching other batsmen come and go very quickly, and next in was Andy Ashley-Smith who soon out for 1 courtesy of the ball of the day; a in swinging Yorker which took out his middle stump. At this stage it was looking unlikely that Hatfield would reach three figures and it got worse for Richard Hazeldene’s men when Barry Phillips was run out by a direct hit after making 14 and looking in good touch. With score now on 30-6, Ian Golder and Lewis Wynne started to go on a rescue mission in order to save Hatfield from any further embarrassment. Ian Golder showed no nerves and hit the ball cleanly to the boundary regularly and quickly found himself on 34, his innings soon came to an end as he was bowled with the score on 70. Wynne batting at 7 took a while to get going but soon got into his stride with a few well hit boundaries including a six over long on. Sumit Saharan came to the crease and hit some much needed four’s but was soon caught for 9. Richard Hazeldene was next in and he and Wynne took the score past 100, he soon got off the mark with a well struck four and then went onto reach the ropes on two more occasions before he was bowled for 15. The score went onto 117 until Lewis Wynne was bowled for 27.

Holtwhites Trinibis would have been confident that they could knock this total off with little trouble given their good form so far this season. Hatfield were surprised to see the Holtwhites openers start the way they did with the ball dropping in gaps and racing across the quick outfield into boundary ropes. The score reached 16 when Ian Golder dismissed the aggressive opener LBW. Fellow opening bowler Sumit Saharan bowled with good pace and was involved in the next wicket by deflecting the ball onto the stumps to run out the non striking batsmen. He soon took a wicket himself when the number three swiped the ball straight to Heath Bond at mid wicket. Hatfield now fancied their chances with score reading 18-3 and had further chances to make life more difficult for their opponents. Holtwhites continued to ride their luck and despite a fine diving catch by keeper Ben Gethin-Golder they made use of the quick outfield and raced along to their target in side 20 overs.

Hatfield ended up being defeated by 5 wickets and as a result took 5 points from this game.

Hatfield 2^nd XI 199 Holtwhites Trinibis 2^nd XI 202-1

Despite an encouraging batting performance Hatfield 2^nd XI fell to a 9 wicket defeat to their Holtwhites counterparts. Contributions came from Kevin Whitehead and Gavin Ross who both made impressive fifties. Hatfield would have hoped to have made over 200 but some quick wickets restricted the hosts to a respectable total of 199. Their opponents made light work of their target with opener Jogesh looking a class player as he made an extremely impressive 142 not out. And despite a wicket from skipper Gareth Wynne Hatfield were defeated comfortably by 9 wickets and their difficult start to the season continued.

Hatfield 3^rd XI 121 Southgate Compton 2^nd XI 115

Hatfield 3^rd XI finally got their season underway with an encouraging victory over Southgate Compton. Hatfield were all out for 121 with a number of batsmen making double figures and Gavin Welch top scoring with 17. On a typically unpredictable surface at King George Hatfield would have fancied their chances to snatch a victory. Some sharp wicket keeping from Anand Krishnan and accurate bowling from Gavin Welch and old timer Tony Foster helped the home side to a 6 run victory. Foster claimed four scalps to help his side to their first victory of the season.

Hatfield 229-6 Weston 231-4

Hatfield suffered a disappointing 6 wicket defeat against fellow pace setters Weston. Batting first Hatfield were restricted to less than three an over for the first 10 over’s courtesy of some good accurate medium pace bowling from their opponents. Batting patiently the score went passed 60 when Kevin Whitehead was out caught behind for 28. Billy Bigley continued the momentum and hit a quickfire 41 and took the up towards 150. At the other end Ben Gethin-Golder continued to bat sensibly and reached 71 and moved the score nearer to 200. Some late blows from Lewis Wynne took the score up 229.

Weston started quickly but some good bowling by Rory Gethin-Golder bought Hatfield 2 wickets and Billy Bigley worried the batsmen with some quick deliveries. But the rain started to fall and the ball became difficult to grip as their visitors started to find the boundary with regularity. Weston reached their target with 2 over’s to go for the loss of just 4 wickets as Hatfield suffered their first Sunday defeat since the first day defeat against Holwell.

Match Reports – Weekend 28/5/11

Hatfield 272-8 Southgate Adelaide 233-9

Hatfield played out a high scoring draw against a high flying Southgate Adelaide team and turned in a much improved all round performance. Batting first openers Bond and Gethin-Golder got Hatfield off to a flying start and stormed past the fifty mark in the sixth over courtesy of some big sixes from Heath Bond and some more conservative stroke play by Ben Gethin-Golder. The partnership reached 63 when Bond was un done by a rare straight ball from the erratic Adelaide attack. The second wicket was soon to follow when Ankit Jain was caught at slip for 0. This then bought Darshan Desai to the crease and quickly made his mark on the game by producing a flurry of boundaries. His partner Gethin-Golder was looking comfortable at the crease until he sweetly hit the ball unfortunately straight to square leg and was out for a well compiled 29. This bought Andy Ashley-Smith to the crease and he looked confident from the word go playing nice shots all around the wicket especially through the leg side, his partner Desai raced past 50 until he was out LBW for typically aggressive 58. Ashley-Smith continued to play gracefully and hit boundaries regularly as the score moved towards 200, Lewis Wynne joined him at the crease but was soon out to a loose shot. Hard hitting Tony Jakes was next in and scored quickly and alongside Ashley-Smith they moved the score past 250. Ashley-Smith who had done a great job for his side was eventually bowled for fluent 71 and Jakes was also bowled for valuable 42. The innings closed on 272-8 and Hatfield skipper Richard Hazeldene would have been very pleased with his team’s efforts in securing maximum batting points.

In reply Southgate Adelaide also came out the traps quickly as they looked chase down this large total. Both openers looked in good nick as they looked to keep up with the run rate. The first wicket came courtesy of Alan Jakes when a full delivery was hit straight to Mark Golder at mid on. On his return to first team action Sumit Saharan bowled with good pace and took the second wicket, clean bowling the Adelaide skipper. As the innings progressed anything but a draw was looking unlikely with the middle overs producing a quiet period for Hatfield. To visiting team’s credit they continued to bat aggressively and looked to win the game which provided chances for Hatfield. Sumit Saharan returned to the attack and took another 2 wickets as the home side pressed for the win. Alan Jakes, Richard Hazeldene and Darshan Desai were also amongst the wickets as the game came towards its conclusion. And despite some sharp catching chances for the Hatfield fielders they were unable to force the last wicket and Southgate Adelaide ended on 233-9 to finish an exciting game of cricket. But Hatfield will be pleased with this encouraging performance and will look for a win next week away at Holtwhites Trinibis.

Hatfield 2^nd XI 171-9 Sawbridgeworth 3^rd XI 172-2

Hatfield 2^nd XI suffered another defeat, this time away at Sawbridgeworth. Batting first Hatfield posted a respectable 171-9 with most batsmen reaching double figures and David Clayton top scoring with 29. Skipper Gareth Wynne would have been pleased that his team would have a total to bowl at unlike some previous games. In reply Hatfield opened the bowling with the slow options of Graham Causton and Gareth Wynne and were frustrated as the Sawbridgeworth rode their luck as they regularly chipped the ball in the air and found the gaps in the field. Skipper Wynne used all the bowling options available to him but ultimately it wasn’t going to be his team’s day. Sawbridgeworth eventually eased to an 8 wicket win with the two Hatfield wickets coming courtesy of Graham Causton and Gareth Wynne.

Breachwood Green 135-10 Hatfield 139-2

Hatfield eased their way to another win the North Herts League by beating Breachwood Green. Batting first Breachwood Green got away with some streaky boundaries as they struggled with the pace of Billy Bigley on an unpredictable wicket. The first wicket was soon to fall courtesy of a slip catch by Lewis Wynne of the bowling of Bigley. Alan Jakes was also amongst wickets as he claimed two scalps including a stunning caught and bowled, Bigley took another wicket and Rory Gethin-Golder, Gavin Welch, Tony Jakes and Lewis Wynne all chipped in with a wicket each. Despite an under par fielding display from Hatfield they bowled their opponents for 135.

Chasing a total such as this one could have proved difficult on this awkward surface but their hosts served up some generous deliveries and a Hatfield victory never looked in doubt. Hatfield strolled to their fourth consecutive Sunday League win, Ben Gethin-Golder finishing 61 not out and Billy Bigley also contributing with a quick 24. A fair synopsis of this game was that Hatfield should of kept their opponents down to a lower total but eventually run out easy winners and they will happy with the maximum haul of points taken from this Division two match.

Match Reports – Weekend 21/5/11

Hertingfordbury 202-7 Hatfield 143

Hatfield suffered their third loss of the season at home to Hertingfordbury. Stand in skipper Ian Golder won the toss and bowled first on the green wicket that looked like it may benefit the bowlers. Hatfield got off to a good start with Sean Edge and Ian Golder bowling with great consistency. Sean Edge who returned to the 1^st XI action beat the bat regularly by bowling some great deliveries. Despite the good start Hatfield’s change bowlers didn’t have as much luck as a few chances went down in the outfield. Except Tony Jakes who will be pleased with his contribution of 3-26. Hertingfordbury’s number 7 Bambling batted sensibly and finished on 77 not out to boost his sides total up to 202 after looking in danger at 79-5.

In reply Hatfield got off to a quick start with Heath Bond looking back to his aggressive best hitting 29 in quick time before being bowled, his opening partner Ankit Jain was soon to follow as Hatfield looked to steady the ship and make a charge for victory. Ben-Gethin Golder who dropped down the order got off the mark with a lovely cover drive for four but was soon dismissed courtesy of a good catch at slip. Soon after both Darshan Desai and Kevin Whitehead were dismissed and the score read 59-5. Mick Ford playing his first game of the season was next in and despite a slow start he soon got in his stride and started to play some beautiful strokes including a flick of the legs into gypsy lane. Supported by Lewis Wynne, Ford continued to hit the ball with force as he looked to bat Hatfield back into the game. Wynne and Ford took their partnership beyond 50 before Wynne was caught behind for 15. With the score reading 125-6 there was still a chance of Hatfield getting a win until Ford was superbly caught on the boundary for a magnificent 49. Despite the efforts of the lower order Hatfield could only muster up 143, leaving the home side with a disappointing 4 points and Man of the match would certainly go to the visitors all rounder Bambling who finished with 6-35 following his superb batting efforts earlier on in the afternoon.

Stevenage 3rd XI 276-6 Hatfield 2nd 76-10

Hatfield 2nd XI continued their difficult start to the season after a crushing defeat away to Stevenage. Hatfield skipper Gareth Wynne regularly changed his bowlers in order to try and find some wickets but only slow bowler Graham Causton had any lucky finishing with an impressive 5-59. Stevenage ended up on a mammoth total of 276 and Hatfield were facing an uphill task to get anywhere near the opponents score. Stevenage’s effort was helped by their number 8 smashing an unbeaten 80.

Hatfield never looked like competing and lost wicket s regularly only Gavin Ross contributing 23 made any real contribution as a result Hatfield slumped to comprehensive defeat and were bowled out for miserly 76.

Hatfield 377-3 Graveley 97-10

Bill Bigley 242 not out Records were smashed and many balls were lost courtesy of Billy Bigley as Hatfield’s Sunday XI claimed their third consecutive win in emphatic style away at Graveley, and despite the changeable weather conditions the game started on time. Hatfield loss the toss and were inserted, Matt Jennings was first to go after being bowled for 1 in the second over. Then the innings which will not be forgotten by those who witnessed it began. Billy Bigley took a liking to all of the Graveley bowlers and continuously smashed the ball into the neighbouring fields and soon reached his 50 as the innings went into the 8^th over. 5 over’s later the score went past 100 and Hatfield were hoping for a big score. The scoreboard was now moving along at an incredible rate, rarely going below 8 runs an over. Bigley was well supported by Whitehead who passed his fifty in good time but soon it was Bigley who was celebrating again as he went to his 100 in style as he planted a huge six over long off. Whitehead was dismissed for a well constructed 58, and Bigley was joined by Dave Clayton who continued the demolition job and contributed 39 until he was stumped. Soon after this wicket Bigley stormed past Steve Gale’s club record of 161 and then rapidly went past 200 and then finished on an incredible 242 not out. His incredible innings included 31 4’s and 11 6’s and Hatfield finished on a formidable 377-3.
As well as breaking the individual batting record, records for the biggest winning margin and the record second wicket partnership also fell courtesy of the 220 runs compiled between Bigley and Whitehead.

In reply Graveley were never in with a chance and early wickets from Joe Bigley and Sumit Saharan reduced their hosts to 20-2. Daniel Winch was then introduced to the attack and continued the good start to his Hatfield career after taking 3-20, wickets also came courtesy of Graham Causton (3-15), Lewis Wynne (1-10) and a fortunate run out. Hatfield completed a historic victory by bowling out their opponents for 97 and made it three wins a row in the North Herts League. But this game will be remembered for the incredible record breaking knock by Hatfield youngster Billy Bigley.

Match Reports – Weekend 14/5/11

Hatfield succumbed to their second defeat of the season away at Northchurch despite the superb batting efforts of Darshan Desai. Batting first openers Heath Bond and Ben Gethin-Golder were both removed cheaply. This bought Desai to the crease, despite his slow start it wasn’t long until he started finding the boundary regularly. He reached fifty in quick time and continued to score rapidly especially at the expense of the young Northchurch spinner. His partner Ankit Jain supported Desai for 20 overs until Jain was caught behind for an extremely patient 14. After that two more quick wickets fell; Kevin Whitehead and Lewis Wynne both going cheaply .Andy Ashley – Smith then came to the crease and hit his first ball superbly through the covers for four. Desai continued to play with confidence and looked set for a big hundred until he was caught on the long off boundary for a magnificent 96. Ashley-Smith ran well between the wickets and got Hatfield past the 170 mark which set their opposition a competitive total.

In reply Northchurch started confidently with a few early boundaries. Ian Golder soon had Hatfield of the mark by dismissing the hosts skipper LBW. The Northchurch number two batsmen looked in fine form as he punished any loose deliveries by the Hatfield attack and reached 50 in quick time until he was bowled for 52 by Desai with the score on 86, the score reached 89 and another wicket fell courtesy of Desai and at this stage Hatfield may have felt that there was still a chance of snatching an unlikely victory. The score past 100 quickly and then the game was interrupted by rain which halted Hatfield’s progress. After the game resumed Hatfield never really looked like threatening the Northchurch batsmen and the Impressive Aussie all – rounder Eccles saw his side home to a comfortable 7 wicket victory by finishing on 41 not out.

Hatfield 2^nd XI produced a battling display to secure a draw and take 13 points in their match versus Waltham Cross Rosedale. Batting first Waltham Cross batted steadily against the opening bowling of Sean Edge and Rory Gethin–Golder as they looked to post a big score. First change bowler Matt Saxby took the wicket of opener Waller for 15 as Hatfield looked to peg back their visitors. Number three batsmen Patel then came to the crease and played some impressive shots as he made his way past 50 at this stage captain Gareth Wynne rotated his bowlers regularly in order to find a break through. Wickets were hard to come by for the Hatfield attack but the home side managed to conjure up five wickets, Alan Dudman taking two and Gareth Wynne, Matt Saxby and Graham Causton all getting one each. The Waltham Cross innings ended on 220-5.

In reply Hatfield openers Clive Wilson and John McCarthy both scored 17 each in a partnership of 47 which gave the home side a solid platform to build on. But the Loss of McCarthy triggered a batting collapse and Hatfield soon found themselves 59-4. Despite this Gavin Ross battled on and played some lovely shots as he went on to make 40 in an important partnership with Graham Causton who made a valuable 43. Two quick wickets then fell and Hatfield were now looking to save the game with the score at 145-7. Rory Gethin-Golder was next to the crease and he played some solid defensive shots along with some impressive attacking shots. He and Gareth Wynne batted sensibly and looked set to see their side to a comfortable draw until Gethin–Golder was bowled for an important 23 runs. Number 11 Alan Dudman had to survive the last over to secure a draw, and he did so. Hatfield finished on 186-9 in this hard fought draw with skipper Gareth Wynne finished on 10 not out.

Hatfield secured their second Sunday League win of the season versus Datchworth. Batting first Hatfield score a competitive 162-8. This was largely thanks to contributions of 34 from Ben Gethin-Golder and 27 from Kevin Whitehead and some late order hitting from Gavin Welch who chipped in with an important 21 not out.

Hatfield’s bowlers got off to a great start and Datchworth were quickly three wickets down for just ten runs, with both Gavin Welch and Billy Bigley proving difficult to handle. The score moved on to 59 until the next wicket fell when Sumit Saharan took his first wicket of the season. Debutant Dan Winch was then introduced to the attack and got off to a great start by taking 3 wickets in his first over and finishing with 4 for 16. By now the game was over and despite some late boundaries Hatfield run out comfortable winners by bowling Datchworth out for 103.

Hatfield 1^st XI secured their first victory of the season with a solid all round performance away at Rickmansworth. Hatfield skipper Richard Hazeldene won the toss and did not hesitate to put Rickmansworth in to bat on a very unpredictable surface. The home side struggled to get going and soon found themselves 1 wicket down when Alan Jakes clean bowled opener Basir for 0, it got even better for Hatfield when Ian Golder dismissed Hussain LBW and the scoreboard now read 2-2. Number 3 Hannif hit a couple of boundaries to get the score up to 13 until his partner Almond was caught by Hazeldene off the bowling of Alan Jakes. A quiet period then came along for Hatfield as Hannif and Plummer built a partnership to put the score up to 75 when Desai dismissed the unorthodox Hannif for 22. Plummer went on to reach fifty but he did not receive any support from his fellow batsmen. Desai went onto clean up the tail and finished with remarkable figures of 5-6, credit must also go to Alan Jakes and Ian Golder who between them bowled 31 overs for just 48 runs.

After tea Hatfield openers Ben Gethin-Golder and Heath Bond took to the crease aware of the difficulties which this pitch provided. Heath Bond was first to go and was unfortunately bowled after the ball deflected down onto the stumps off his elbow. At this stage runs were difficult to come by and number three Ankit Jain was next to go, caught at mid wicket, the scoreboard now read 14-2. Darshan Desai was next in and moved the score along to 40 before being undone by a beauty from opening bowler Latiff who posed the Hatfield batsmen problems during his spell. Kevin Whitehead was next in but was soon out LBW courtesy of some generous decision making from the home umpire, Hatfield were now 45-4 and the game was still in the balance. Gethin-Golder still battling along was joined by fellow youngster Lewis Wynne. Wynne was soon of the mark with a boundary as the youthful pair looked to take the game away from their hosts. Some poor bowling from Rickmansworth was capitalised upon by Wynne as he took 14 from an over, this swung the game back in the favour of Hatfield. The score moved onto 97 before Ben Gethin-Golder was removed LBW for a patient 35. But two overs later the game was over, four byes and then a four from Wynne sealed victory. Hatfield winning by five wickets and Lewis Wynne finishing on 37 not out.

Hatfield 2’s took 11 points from a drawn game with Letchworth. John McCarthy was the main contributor with a steady 63, he shared a 113 runs partnership with new comer David Clayton who impressed with a well made 44. Graham Causton and Matt Saxby hit some late boundaries which boosted the total, Hatfield ended their 53 overs on 175-9.

9 man Letchworth batted steadily, aware that losing any early wickets would put the rest of the order under pressure to produce. After losing both openers in quick succession the, they shut up shop and played out a number of maidens especially off the bowling of Tony Jakes who bowled 15 overs for just 18 runs. Stephenson, Saxby and Tony Jakes all contributed 1 wicket each, Gavin Welch took the other 2 wickets as the petered out into a draw, Letchworth finishing on 117-5.

Hatfield gained their first victory in the North Herts League after a comfortable 120 run win against Lilley. Hatfield won the toss and batted, Bruce Percival opened the innings with Matt Jennings. Percival was first to go without scoring with the score on 6, Hatfield were making slow progress and in the 12^th over the score was 34-2 after Jennings was bowled for 19. The in form Ben Gethin-Golder continued his rich vein of form with fluent 67, when he was caught out at fine leg the scoreboard read 156 and Hatfield were now in control. Kevin Whitehead who has had a difficult start to his season went to make a valuable 74 not out; he was joined by Billy Bigley who provided some lusty blows which boosted the score up to 204.

In reply the Lilley openers got off to a steady reaching 23 before opener Mills was comprehensively bowled by Billy Bigley, the scoreboard soon read 32-2 as Gareth Wynne removed Tompkins after the batsmen had became frustrated by the disciplined bowling by the Hatfield attack. At this stage Hatfield were in complete control as wickets fell at regular intervals. Lilley collapsed to 84 all out courtesy of some sharp catches and accurate bowling from the home side. Captain Lewis Wynne shared the bowling responsibilities around and wickets were once again shared around. Billy Bigley taking two, Dan Ward, Lewis Wynne and Joe Bigley all taking one each and veteran Gareth Wynne who claimed 3 scalps.

Hatfield welcomed newly promoted Met Police to Ascots Lane for the first division three fixture of the season. Batting first Ben Gethin – Golder and Heath Bond opened the innings and both survived some early short pitched, quick bowling. Typically Bond hit boundaries early on but was caught with the score on 24 as he tried to work one into the leg side. Next in was Ankit Jain who didn’t last long and was bowled for 0 three balls later, Hatfield now needed to steady the ship. Darshan Desai was next to the crease and found it slightly diffifculy early on against an accurate Met Police attack, but he did not struggle for long and was back to his belligerent best finding the boundary with regularity. Gethin- Golder and Desai began to build a much needed partnership, Desai passed fifty in quick time as Gethin-Golder stood firm at the other end. The partnership passed 100 before Desai was caught for a superb 81, next to go was Gethin-Golder who was caught at slip for a patient 49. The score now stood at 148-4 and the home side were hoping for a score of 200 plus. Unfortunately for Hazeldene’s men the Hatfield batting capitulated to a disappointing 164 all out.

After tea Hatfield were given some encouragement after opener Thomson pulled a short ball from Ian Golder straight to son Ben at square leg, at this stage the scoreboard read 0-1. Number three West was next to the crease and moved the score on to 47 before edging an Alan Jakes delivery to Kevin Whitehead. Hatfield continued to struggle to stem the flow of runs and no wickets came until Hazeldene dismissed Moore for a well made 31. Met Police batsmen Klaxton and Long saw the game out relatively easily with plenty of overs to spare finishing on 165-3 in the 41^st over.

Hatfield’s 2^nd XI suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of their Met Police counterparts. Met Police batted first and suffered the loss of opener West courtesy of Graham Causton delivery which trapped him in front without scoring. This was one of few highlights for the team as Met Police reached an imposing 231-6, this score was no thanks to a number of dropped catches from Hatfield. Tony Jakes contributed with 2 wickets and 2 catches.

In reply Hatfield were never really up with the run rate and lost wickets at regular intervals. The only contribution of any note came in the form of 25 from Graham Causton as Hatfield collapsed to 119 all out and were convincingly beaten in the process. Gareth Wynne’s side will hoping that there are too many more days like this again this season.

Without a Sunday league fixture Hatfield welcomed Stanmore to Ascots Lane. Hatfield skipper Lewis Wynne won the toss and elected to field on another lovely day for cricket. Hatfield’s opening bowlers didn’t have much luck early on as a couple of difficult chances went down. The first wicket came when Billy Bigley bowled the Stanmore opener with a quick Yorker that took out leg stump with the score on 47. 12 year old Ben Clark was then given a chance to show his potential and impressed by taking 2-30 with his out swing bowling. Stanmore started to lose wickets regularly and Ben Gethin-Golder was amongst the wickets once again taking 5-31, Stanmore ended the innings on 154 all out with other wickets coming from Lewis Wynne and new signing David Clayton.

Hatfield, chasing 154 for victory got off to a promising start with Matt Jennings scoring an impressive 37 runs in quick time. After Jennings was bowled the score board read 57-1. Hatfield then found themselves behind the run rate as the innings went on and lost wickets regularly. Opener Kunal Shah stood firm for a large part of the innings until he was run out for 48 in the 38^th over. Unfortunately for the home side the innings ended when Gavin Welch was bowled and Hatfield were defeated by 15 runs.

Hatfield gained their first victory of the season away against Broxbourne. Batting first Hatfield opened the Innings with John McCarthy scoring 32 and Heath Bond 22 both of whom took advantage of the short boundaries. Darshan Desai also contributed with a typically aggressive 30 runs. But the real fireworks were left for the 2^nd half of the Hatfield innings in which Mark Collins and Ian Golder struck the ball to all parts of the ground, both reached 50 in quick time as the score raced on to 212 for the loss of 6 wickets.

After tea Broxbourne would have fancied their chances to chase down this score. But a tight opening spell by Mark Golder (1-18 of 8) restricted the opponents scoring options. Wickets were once again shared around the Hatfield attack with Darshan Desai and Richard Hazeldene claiming two scalps each and Gavin Welch also contributing a wicket to the teams cause. Hazeldene’s men wrapped up the victory by bowling out their opponents for 185 in this tightly contested friendly match.

Hatfield welcomed unfamiliar opponents to Ascots Lane in the shape of Greenwood Park. Batting first Hatfield produced a score of 210, The bulk of the runs were provided by Joe Bigley who impressed with a knock of 53 and hard hitting Tony Jakes who powered his way to a well deserved knock of 77.The home side would have been pleased with their efforts at the half way point and fancied their chances of victory.

Sadly for Alan Dudman and his team Greenwood Park eased to victory by only losing two wickets. Veteran bowlers Tony Foster and Alan Dudman both claimed a wicket each before succumbing to defeat.

On Sunday Hatfield’s team travelled to old rivals Holwell in their opening match of the North Herts League. After winning the toss Hatfield skipper Lewis Wynne elected to field first on a wicket that looked like it may provide something for the Hatfield attack. The Holwell innings was opened by their main man Parkin and skipper Rudder, Rudder was first to go early on after being bowled by Joe Bigley. Typically Parkin found the boundary with regularity as his team raced towards 100 at the 20 over mark; this was until the spin of Ben Gethin-Golder was introduced. Gethin-Golder’s leg spin gave something else to the Holwell batsmen to think about as he beat the bat regularly. The prize wicket of Parkin came in the form of a good stumping from Kevin Whitehead off the bowling of Gethin-Golder, the Holwell batsmen being dismissed for 63. In the second half of the Holwell innings wickets fell at regular intervals. Kunal Shah taking 3 and Lewis Wynne also claiming 2 late wickets to restrict their opponents to 187 all out.

The reply Hatfield made was in complete Juxtaposition to the start made by Holwell. Openers Alex Digby and Ben Gethin-Golder bided their time and built a partnership of 49 until Digby was bowled for a patient 17. Wickets tumbled around Gethin-Golder as Hatfield Struggled to 85-5 at this point Kunal Shah joined him at the crease and provided some lusty blows in a score of 21. The task of keeping up with the run rate became too much and Hatfield were eventually bowled out for 145. Joe Bigley once again impressing with a confident looking 15 not out.

Hatfield welcomed Middlesex Tamils to Ascots Lane for the now traditional season opener. Hatfield batted first and posted 168-9 of their 40 overs. Contributions came from Ben Gethin – Golder with 22 and debutant Ankit Jain who scored 23. Darshan Desai produced a knock of 30 and Ian Golder provided a number of late blows down the order to boost Hatfield’s score with a quick fire 21. Some late entertainment was provided by Gavin Welch who hit a couple of boundaries in his score of 12.

Middlesex came out after tea needing 169 for victory. Both teams would have fancied their chances as the game progressed. Unfortunately for Hatfield the visitors came out on top winning by a margin of two wickets, this was largely thanks to 55 from opener Sangaraia who was dismissed by the leg spin of Mark Collins.

Most of Hatfield bowlers will be happy with their performances with Darshan Desai taking 3 for 20 and Gavin Welch, Mark Golder and David Hughes all contributing with a wicket each.

The Sunday XI welcomed regular visitors Mayfield to Ascots Lane. Hatfield won the toss and elected to field. Mayfield made slow progress and found themselves a wicket down early on when their opener skied a short ball from Joe Bigley and was caught at mid wicket. Mayfield’s next pair made steady progress and put any punished any loose ball which the Hatfield attack provided them with. This Partnership was finally broken by Gareth Wynne who removed Swann caught and bowled for 35. Opener Bentley continued to frustrate Hatfield with his reserved batting style was finally dismissed for 45 in the 35^th over. Some late blows from the Mayfield lower order boosted their score up to a respectable 155/7.

The wickets were shared around the Hatfield bowlers, With Ben Gethin-Golder taking 3-19 with his promising leg spin and Alan Jakes, Lewis Wynne and Gareth Wynne all contributing a wicket each as well as the latter taking 3 catches.

Hatfield opened the innings with Kevin Whitehead and Matt Jennings, the score had reached 8 before Whitehead was bowled for 0 by Mayfield’s impressive opening bowler with a good looking in swinger. Alex Digby was next in and did not last long as he was also out bowled. The scoreboard at this time read 11-2; Ben Gethin-Golder was next in as he looked to re- build Hatfield’s innings. A third wicket was soon to follow as Jennings was unfortunately run out and this continued to be the theme to the Home team’s innings. Gethin-Golder was run out, as was Percival who contributed a patient 21. Wickets fell at a regular interval and Hatfield were bowled out for 113 despite some late order hitting from the Jakes’ brothers.