Derby matches between Welwyn Garden City and Potters Bar have often carried much significance - this one though may have been the most significant of them all.

The 137-run success for Potters Bar at The Walk means they remain top of the Herts Cricket League Premiership with two games to go, five points clear of Harpenden in second.

But at the other end, time is about to be called on Welwyn's stay in the top flight, a tenure that has seen them involved since the league's inception and win three titles along the way.

Now though, only mathematics is keeping their hopes alive, and with a gap of 44 points to Old Owens above them, and a maximum of 50 left to play for, even maths is looking at making a sharp exit from the party.

Without two of their regular players from this season, Jack Clayton and Dylan Van Der Westhuizen, WGC knew they were in for a difficult game.

And, after Bar skipper Luke Chapman won the toss and decided to bat, Welwyn needed to start well.

It wasn’t until the seventh over that they made an initial breakthrough with Alex Roberts catching James Seward off Alex Chalker for seven, with the home side on 32-1.

Eleven overs and 40 runs later, Chalker (2-44) made a further breakthrough with the first ball of his final over, James Scott caught by Zaid Faleel for 44.

The game then swung the way of the visitors though as Welwyn ripped through Potters Bar’s middle order.

Radha Marripati's controlled 10-over spell saw him take 4-30 and leave Bar on 113-6 after 31 overs.

One more breakthrough and Welwyn would have been chasing a total they would have been confident of making.

But Esam Rahman and Anmol Maheshram conjured up a wonderful 87-run, 92-ball partnership to frustrate them, taking Potters Bar to 200.

That was when debutant Australian, Patrick Holding, took his first wicket for Welwyn's first team, a caught and bowled effort removing Maheshram for a 48-ball 40.

There were still four overs remaining though and to further add to Welwyn’s woes, those four overs produced 31 runs with Rahman taking his score to 71 not out, made off 90 balls.

It gave Bar a final total of 231-7 but with a required run rate of 4.62 to secure victory, it was not an impossible task for WGC.

That was on paper at least because the visitors contrived to get their innings off to an awful start.

Faleel, promoted to opener in place of the Van Der Westhuizen, was LBW to James Scott for three off the fourth ball of the fourth over.

Scott then struck again eight balls later, when Roberts was bowled for a third ball duck, and Welwyn were on 7-2.

When Marripati, playing his attacking style of cricket, was caught by Teddy Duke off Maheshram for 22, which included two fours and two sixes, the mountain they needed to climb looked even steeper.

Four wickets for three runs then made the mountain unsurmountable.

Maheshram took his second and third wickets to dismiss Fayaz Homyoon, caught by Seward for a 75-ball 11, and Chalker was stumped by Seward for one.

Two more stumpings, this time off Chapman, took care of Holding for 22 and WGC skipper Connor Emerton.

And from 74-7, Welwyn were all out for 94 in the 32nd over, Capman going on to finish on wonderful figures of 5-7 in just five overs.

Maheshram with 3-34 and Scott's 2-20 were Potters Bar’s other wicket takers.

Welwyn are at home to North Mymms on Saturday, one place above the bottom two, while Potters Bar go to Totteridge Millhillians.