The battle for the play-offs at the top of the Herts Cricket League Premier Division is starting to heat up - but both Potters Bar and Welwyn Garden City could miss out with North Mymms one of those on the charge.

Just 24 points separates second-placed Harpenden from seventh-placed Mymms with three games to go and reigning champions Potters Bar and three-times winners WGC are both outside of the top four as it stands.

WGC fell to a three-wicket defeat at home to Hoddesdon in what was another dismal display.


Having failed to win in over a month, the hosts opted to bat first in the hope of getting a good start but Mo Rizvi was out in three overs and was soon followed back into the pavilion by
Zaid Faleel with Welwyn on 20-2.

They got up to 70-4 wickets but with Owais Shah and Andrew Nolan (30) hoping to save the innings, Shah was stumped for 33 and from there the wickets tended to fall all too regularly and Welwyn lost their last five wickets for just 30 runs in 11 overs to finish on 127 all out.

Their main strength this year has been their ability to bowl sides out and for moments in the chase that appeared a likely outcome, especially with Hoddesdon on 75-7.

But when a difficult catch wasn’t taken, the game swung back to the visitors and Rob Jones (53*) and Jayden Broodryk (16*) put together a match-winning partnership, the winning runs coming in the 34th over.

Connor Emerton took 3-28 and there were two wickets each for Shah and David O’Sullivan.

Bar's defeat came by 36 runs at West Herts.

Teddy Duke took 3-44 while there were a brace of wickets each for Blaine Bannister, Luke Chapman and Ashish Padki as the home side made 195.

But in reply they could find a winning partnership. Bannister made 33, Padki 28 and Patrick Scott 20 but Bar were all out for 159 in the penultimate over.

The results leave Welwyn in fifth and Bar in sixth.

North Mymms are now hot on their heels though after a six-wicket win over Reed.

Ajeet Dale and Muhammad Rahim led the charge with three wickets each, with Matthew Sampson providing the only real threat for the visitors to Home Farm.

He hit a stubborn 47 from 90 runs but his departure as ninth man out heralded the end with Reed all out for 118.

Victory for Mymms was then only a matter of time and as it turned out a little more than 18 overs only was required.

Armaan Randhawa put on 36 for the first wicket with Hamza Ahmed and then another 59 with Neil Bamford (37) for the second before he was out for 41 in 42 deliveries.

Chanaka Ruwansiri and skipper Nesan Jeyaratnam were there at the end for a comfortable win.

Potters Bar and Mymms now clash in a pivotal game at The Walk on Saturday while WGC go to Hertford.