London Colney battled to a four-wicket victory over Hatfield & Crusaders in Herts Division Five A on Saturday.

Winning the toss, captain Ricky Zeiderman again backed his bowlers to put the opposition under pressure and despite being without the services of Andy Cole and Tim Fretter, who have taken 17 wickets between them in three matches this season, the Colney attack were quickly on top.

Finding away swing and occasional steep bounce, Dave Goff quickly removed the home side’s number one and three batsmen, while he took the wicket of Sukhi Grewal, bowled without offering a shot. The obstinate Keven Whitehead (15) was trapped leg before wicket by John Pinkham, before David Goff won an LBW decision to remove Yugal Kalaskar to finish with fine figures of three for 28 from an unchanged ten over spell.

Hatfield rebuilt their innings before Simon Fretter (three for 18) trapped Hasiza for 47. Bowling in tandem, Colney off spinners Fretter and Matt Bristow quickly wrapped up the Hatfield innings for 150 in the 41st over, with the final three batsman all bowled by turning deliveries showing that there was still help in the surface.

Needing exactly three runs an over on a surface not conducive to free-flowing shot making, Colney's response was suitably measured. Captain Zeiderman (35) and opening partner Mitch Bradley (28) made steady if not spectacular progress, adding 63 for the first wicket in 25 overs before Bradley fell to the spin of Hasiza.

Zeiderman fell, tamely chipping to square leg in between two run outs, to leave Colney needing 43 runs from 12 overs with six wickets in hand. Craig Parker (32) and Bristow (13) added a swift partnership of 19 before Bristow was trapped LBW and Parker was dismissed.

The match swung Colney’s way in the 48th over. Needing 16 to win from the final 18 balls, John Pinkam hit the second ball of the over high over extra-cover for four before launching the following ball for a towering six over mid-wicket.

This left the visitors requiring four runs from the last two overs which duly came from Pinkham's blade as he finished with a match winning 17 not out.

London Colney Seconds suffered a 19-run defeat to Leverstock Green Thirds in Division Nine B.

The star of the home side’s attack was Maclan Gedera who returned the outstanding figures of four for eight from his ten overs, a spell which included five maidens. He was well supported by Paul Hadley who took three for 18 from his eight overs as Leverstock Green were dismissed for 110 in 36 overs.

But in reply, Colney found no answer to the visitors’ opening attack with only Paul Hadley (24) making a meaningful contribution.

Despite a valiant 19 from Kevin Lawrence, Colney fell 19 runs short as they were disappointingly dismissed for 91 in 35.2 overs.