Datchworth lock down Luton Town with clinical performance
Sam Bridgeman bowls Guy Bowden as Datchworth seconds beat St Margaretsbury. Picture: WILL NASH - Credit: Archant
Datchworth are up to third in Division Three A of the Herts Cricket League after a comprehensive win over Luton Town & Indians.
Merv Croucher in action for Datchworth seconds against St Margaretsbury. Picture: WILL NASH - Credit: Archant
The villagers lost the toss but their bowlers piled the pressure on from the start to leave Luton all out for 103.
Mitchell Constable (1-19) and debutant Ross Courtney (2-28) made early inroads, assisted by a superb one-handed catch by Connor Finn, and Warren Clarke and Tom Braithwaite (1-18) kept it going with regular wickets.
Clarke was the pick of the bowlers with 3-27 while youngster Joe Thompson cleaned up the last wickets to finish on 2-9.
Tom Butler bowls Nick Anstead in Datchworth seconds' win over St Margaretsbury. Picture: WILL NASH - Credit: Archant
Skipper Gregory and Spencer Bayford found scoring tough early on due to excellent bowling from Waqar Arif, Tegbir Singh and Devang Shah but Tom Vits and Kieran Atkinson continued their superb form with the bat as they formed a solid partnership.
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Vits went to the end with 40 not out as Datchworth won by six wickets.
The second team and the Sunday team also won.
Merv Croucher claims a wicket for Datchworth against St Margaretsbury. Picture: WILL NASH - Credit: Archant
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The seconds beat St Margaretsbury by 29 runs at Datchworth Green with a strong team performance.
Batting first they got 162-9 in their 40 overs, Gary Hitch going on to complete his half-century before being run out, while there was 20 for Stuart Warrington and an unbeaten 17 from Richard Kemp as he marshalled the tail.
For a time though it looked as if the visitors would cruise to the target as the top three all chipped in with runs.
Merv Croucher (2-23) broke the resistance though with the key wickets of Jack Ellis and Ryan Richards, taking the score from 99-3 to 104-5.
Tom Butler (2-27) and Sam Bridgman (3-26) then saw off the lower order before Jamie Coath (2-19) snapped up the last wicket in the 38th over.
A quick-fire century partnership between Tom Bennett (83) and Will Nash (42) took the game away from the Outlaws on Sunday as they tried to defend 181 on a slow track.
With wickets shared around the Datchworth attack, Sam Haslam’s 40 had helped the visitors post a modest total but some unforgiving batting from the Datchworth openers saw them race to 113 in 12 overs.
Spencer Bayford continued the onslaught and finished 40 not out as Datch cruised home inside 20 overs.
The third team were unable to make it a clean sweep though as they lost by nine wickets to Hitchin, Micky Nash’s 40 the only real positive from the contest.
