Ben Frazer took 4-19 as Harpenden moved up to third in the Herts League Premier Division with a five-wicket win over Botany Bay on Saturday.

Frazer, removed four of the Bay’s top five batters with all five of the early starters back in the pavilion for a combined total of 33.

But, having whisked out the main boys without too much trouble, they found batsmen further down the order much harder to shift.

Number six Paul Summerskill frustrated them with 58, before he was caught by Jake Pankhurst off the bowling of Ben Clements, while number ten bat Darren James was proving just as difficult to remove until, Pankhurst again, had him caught on 44.

That ended the Botany innings on 192 in 49 overs, which was far more than they had looked like getting earlier in the day.

It still wasn’t enough though as Harps raced past the target inside 37 overs, thanks in the large part to Clements’ 88 not out, a knock that included 13 fours and two sixes.

Scott Galloway also performed with honours, totting up 55 runs in the chase, after coming in at number six.

In Division Two B, leaders St Albans fell to their first defeat of the season, going down to a two-wicket defeat at the hands of Potton.

The Saints won the toss and decided to bat first, a decision which didn’t look too clever when they were 18-2. But they steadied the ship to climb to 229-all out with Mbekezeli Mabuza’s 74, before he was run out, being the highlight aided by some good middle order support from Matt Howeson (26), Max Capaldi (34) and Sandipan Chanda (28).

Potton’s winning reply was built around Sean Stevens’ 105 and, with him in such sterling form, Saints did not need to give them extra help by gifting Potton 24 extra runs in wides.