Rishi Patel plundered a century as Potters Bar cruised to a comfortable 116-run success in the Herts Cricket League Premier Division at home to Hoddesdon – their 17th match unbeaten.

The Essex star came in at four with Bar 66-2 and played what was arguably his most imposing innings to date in a Bar shirt.

He got off to a flier, blasting two sixes and a four from the first 14 deliveries faced, and went on to smash a total of nine fours and six maximums in a wonderful 108 not out, crafted from a mere 77 balls.

He and Steve Gale had put on 50 in just 43 balls as Bar’s predicted total was starting to look a winning total pretty early in the piece as the visitors just couldn’t contain the scoring rate.

Skipper Gale completed his 50 in 71 balls but was out in the very next over for 55.

This just brought Charlie Scott to the crease and with a platform to bat with freedom and enjoyment.

And he did just that, putting on a partnership of 146 in 113 balls with Patel and equalling his best score in a first-team shirt.

His 76 in 70 balls, hitting 10 fours and a six, was ended in the last over but that just allowed the spotlight to fall back on Patel who was on 94 and with three balls to grab his hundred.

The first ball went for two and the second for six, but only after slipping through the fielder’s hands, much to the delight and relief of both Patel and the watching crowd.

The last ball too was dispatched for six and meant Potters Bar finished on 293-4.

Hoddesdon were already staring into the jaws of defeat but two wickets from Jigar Mehta in the opening six overs, the first one with the very first ball, had them reeling at 32-2.

Some nice shots from Jayden Broodryk got the score to 74-2 but five wickets in 65 balls stopped that in its tracks.

James Scott got one of them but it was Bradley Sayers who was the star of that spell as the slow left-armer went on to take 5-24.

Only some defiant lower order batting got the visitors up to 177 before Teddy Duke had last man Harry Mason well caught by Gale.

Mehta finished on 3-49.

Bar head to West Herts on Saturday looking to stretch their run to 18 matches unbeaten, a sequence which equates to a whole season.