Knebworth Park kept the pressure on the top two in Division Two B of the Herts Cricket League with a tense and hard-fought four wicket success over Flitwick.

Charlie Randall was the home hero with an unbeaten and painstaking 50 after they had been in deep trouble chasing a meagre total of 124.

Three of their first four batsmen fell without scoring and although Josh Roseberry (27) assisted Randall in the initial recovery from 2-2, at 37-4 they were still very much in the mire.

Archie Stephens and Kobie Richmond patiently provided Randall with vital support to take them in sight of the winning line while Alex Richmond chipped in with 11 not out to complete the win with plenty of overs to spare.

Randall had taken 2-16 opening the bowling and, along with Gareth Jones, they had Flitwick reeling at 17-3.

They rallied to 71 before Stephens (3-27) and Kobie Richmond triggered a collapse as four wickets fell for only 20.

Spinners Alex Richmond (2-1) and Jack Orchard (1-4) whisked away the last few to dismiss them for 124. 

This ninth win of the season cemented third place in the league with two matches remaining but still an agonising 19 behind the second place promotion slot.

The second team were comfortably beaten by 109 runs at Hertford, relegating them from Division Six A.

They did pick up 13 points though, closing the gap to Letchworth above them to just two.

Park had won the toss and asked Hertford to bat and restricted them to 94-3 off 25 overs.

And once the fourth-wicket partnership of 161 between Cliff Cavener (95) and Connor Ives (86) was broken, wickets fell regularly with Hertford finishing on 281-9.

Knebworth's reply started slowing and by the 17th over had only reached 43-2.

James Hobbs (38) and James Bedford (42) increased the run rate until Bedford was out hit wicket with the score on 112.

Wickets continued to fall with little impact on the score apart from Jack Randall who scored 37 out of the 39 runs collected after the sixth wicket, Park all out in the 41st over for 163.

David Mantle's wily swing bowling bagged him a hat-trick and 5-17 as the thirds eased to a 10-wicket win over Stevenage 5ths. 

At 14-5 and then 20-8, Stevenage were on the ropes all through their innings with only a late rally from Zach Vernon (45) got them to 80.

Knebworth's U13 Trent Hildebrandt took 2-15.

In response the Hassall father and son pair of Adam (23) and Ryan (48) saw Knebworth home to lift them out of the bottom two in Division 10 North. 

The fourths lost by eight wickets at Wheathampstead.

They grafted hard for 109-8 with Tom Ruxton junior getting 60 not out but Wheathampstead got home in 22 overs.

Datchworth beat Totteridge Millhillians in Division Three A, Mitch Constable taking 4-32 and scoring 43 while Tom Bennett chipped in with 4-33.

Tewin won by 45 runs in Division Three B away to leaders Welwyn Garden City seconds to move 21 points behind them in second.

Noah Lipschitz top-scored with 86 as Tewin got to 280-3 but there was plenty of valuable support from Ash Patel (63), Luke Wilde (39), Josh Cutchett (37) and Edward Fielding (33). 

James Hewitt (65) and Dylan Dhesi (54) threatened to undo Tewin on their own, putting on 125 for the first wicket, but when they departed only Patrick Lynch, with 36 not out, and a rapid 30 from Edward Tucker gave WGC any hope.

They eventually ran out of overs with the score on 235-6, Will Pickworth's 3-49 the best of the Tewin bowlers.

Hatfield & Crusaders lost by three wickets to Old Camdenians in Division Four A while Hatfield Hyde lost by four wickets to Cheshunt Rosedale.

Bentley Heath had a 62-run success against Clifton in Division Five B after smashing a whopping 329 in their innings.

Sannan Mohammad was the main reason with 109 from just 55 deliveries, including 11 fours and five sixes.

Michael Hubbard also got 84 before Babar Ali took 3-48 as Clifton finished on 267-7.

Heath are third, 19 points behind Preston and promotion.