Old Owens will be playing in the top flight of the Herts Cricket League next season after being crowned Championship champions.

They did it with a three-wicket success at home nearest challengers Shenley Village and with four games to spare.

It is a remarkable rise for the club who were in Division Seven back in 2004.

Rhys Carter set them on their way with 6-35 as Shenley were all out for 158 and the total was reached in the 44th over, Chris Palmer top-scoring with 52.

Welwyn Garden City are one of the surprise teams who could replace them.

They are just 12 points above the promotion-relegation play-off place and 29 clear of bottom club Hoddesdon after a draw at home to West Herts.

Strangely they could also make the play-offs with four games to go, next week's opponents Totteridge Millhillians are fourth and only 27 points ahead but the draw at Digswell Park was a missed opportunity.

Chances went begging in the field and meant that they were constantly chasing a total that was always slightly out of reach.

West Herts batted first and made 304-5 in their 60 overs and the loss of two wickets for just 34 runs put Welwyn on the back foot in reply.

But Owais Shah hit 79 and skipper Dan Blacktopp 46 before the ninth wicket pairing of Zaid Faleel and Dan Roomans saw off 12 overs to claim the draw.

North Mymms are also starting to slip down the table, with a seven-wicket loss to bottom at start of play Bishop's Stortford their third in a row.

Guganeshan Muralitharan (46) and Nesan Jeyaratnam (62) put on 104 for the second wicket but only a seventh-wicket stand of 54 between Rhys Wynne (40) and Imran Qayyum (26) saved them from utter collapse.

And their 195 all out was easily eclipsed in the 41st over to leave them sixth, one place and 12 points above WGC.

Potters Bar saw their lead at the top of the Premier Division cut to 16 points after a draw at Totteridge.

Bar made a wonderful 342-2 declared in 57 overs with 184 from James Seward and 111 not out for Reece Hussain as the pair put on 300 for the second-wicket.

Both Seward's knock and the partnership were club records but although Bar took three wickets for one run late on, the hosts were able to comfortably see out the overs with four wickets in hand.