Old Owens 305 for 8, Knebworth Park 134 all out
Knebworth Park were well beaten as the bowlers struggled to contain league leaders Old Owens’ in-form batsmen.
Only Sam McCrow (3 for 43) and Mo Asif (2 for 41) finished with economical bowling figures.
Even the normally frugal bowling of skipper Guy Warman could not curtail the run scoring in scorching weather on a very good batting surface.
In the run chase, the Park suffered an early blow with the loss of aggressive opener Asif.
Josh Roseberry was again looking in excellent form until he was run out and his side slid from a hopeful 47 for 1 to 77 for 8.
Charlie Randall, pictured, then struck a superb aggressive 57 which brought a little respectability to proceedings before he holed out and they finished on 134 all out.
Parkfield and Headstone 322-7, Knebworth Park 2nds 202 all out
Knebworth Park Seconds came to rue key dropped catches that allowed the North West London side to pile up a huge score that led to them losing by 120 runs.
Niels Hart with an accurate 1 for 36 off ten overs was the pick of the bowlers, while Graham Fisher returned a useful 1 for 43.
Ollie O’Brien bagged two wickets at the end and Karl Padalia’s leg spin brought him three wickets, helping to gain some points from their endeavour in the heat as opening bat Jameel Hussain struck a dominating 135 in the total of 322 for 7.
Skipper Jono Evetts (41) and Rob Morley (19) gave the Park an encouraging start of 71 in ten overs but then the other front line batsmen fell cheaply as they slid from 71-0 to 100 for 5.
The middle and lower order than fought hard with Hart the pick with 34 not out, adding 42 for the ninth wicket with Jack Randall (12), to help them gain some valuable points.
Old Owens 2nds 276-3, Knebworth Park III 245-8
Ian Pickering hit a magnificent first league century as the Thirds made a brave chase for victory, falling 32 runs short in their Division 7A game away to Old Owens II.
It was a game of two halves where dropped catches prove costly, allowing the home team to pile on a bigger total than might have been.
On a scorcher of a day and a belter of a pitch, stand-in skipper Bobby Orlandi knew it was a crucial toss to win, but he called wrong and the Park were bowling first.
Park conceded 26 from the first two overs but tightened up their lines and lengths which saw Spencer Bayford claimed the opening wicket.
Drinks were reached at 56-1 and the Park felt they weredefinitely in the game.
With Old Owens looking to increase the run rate they gave a series of chances. However, too many were spilled as the the run rate rose to more than eight per over.
The Old Owens opener went on to score his hundred with one of the many edges that went for four.
Pickering finally made the breakthrough with a caught behind off a thick outside edge with the score on 180.
With boundaries flowing nothing skipper Orlandi was doing seemed to work and in relentless heat the innings finally came to a close on 276 with Mark Taylor being the pick of the bowlers.
Park’s innings began brightly with Spencer Bayford latching on to anything loose, while Tom Hills batted cleverly to give the strike to his partner.
With the score moving to 55-0 off 11 overs. Hills succumbed to a clever piece of bowling from Old Owens’ veteran spinner.
Pickering began latching on to anything loose, smacking one huge six over square leg.
After Bayford fell for a superb 48, he built a superb partnership with Danny Digweed (23), he built a superb partnership smashing the ball all round the wicket.
The Park were beginning to think of victory but Pickering then pulled up with a groin injury.
However, he soldiered on to see him through to 101 before holing out to deep mid wicket.
With the run rate going past ten per over, Orlandi (20) came to the crease with Pete Bayford and with some lusty blows with eight fielders on the boundary, they fell 30 runs short of the target but reached full batting points.
There were lots of positives to take away from this, a solid batting performance, but the old saying ‘catches win matches’ certainly rings true.
Knebworth Park IV 188-8, Old Owens III 175 all out
Dean Digweed hit his first half century for the club that helped to set up a fine 13-run win for the Park’s Fourths team over Old Owens III. It was the Fourth’s third successive win at home.
His innings of 60 came after they had plunged from a runaway 68 for the first wicket to 77 for 5 and looked destined for a dismal total.
Phil Wheeler (46) and skipper Jonathan Cirkel (17) had given them that fine start before Digweed, assisted by Richard Wheeler (12) hauled the innings round.
Digweed, who hit ten fours, was last man out as the total rose to 188 for 8 which was further boosted by a total of 30 extras.
In the visitors’ reply, Bella Hopcraft, who finished with 2 for 47, took the first two wickets before the slow bowling of John Inman (3 for 20), Cirkel (1 for 37) and Richard Wheeler (2 for 20) restricted the visitors’ run chase.
James Roos also returned to the attack to remove the one batsman threatening to haul Owens back into the game.
With the pressure building on KPCC and only 15 runs required by Owens, Ethan Murrill entered the attack and a superb wicket maiden then led to Richard Wheeler claiming the last wicket in the 39th over.
