St Albans made the perfect start to the new cricket season with their best batting score for three years seeing off newly-promoted Bishop’s Stortford.

They stacked up 305 for eight as they opened up their Herts League Division Two B campaign with their first score in excess of 250 for almost three seasons.

But their decision to bat first looked as though it might backfire as the batting demons from last season surfaced again as Saints’ top three were dismissed for 38 before the team hit their straps.

New overseas player, Mbekezeli Mabuza, and captain, Matt Howeson, put together 90 for the fourth wicket with both increasing the scoring rate as their innings progressed.

Mabuza’s first false shot brought his downfall for 43 and Howeson departed soon after but Sandipan Chanda and Max Capaldi were keen to take up the challenge.

The keeper scored quickly throughout his stay at the crease with the first of three sixes from Capaldi announcing his intentions. Their 74-run partnership took little more than ten overs before Chanda was stumped for 37.

Phil Caley kept up the momentum, giving most of the strike to Capaldi, whose 50 arrived in 53 balls.

The visitors needed a strong platform to chase such a total but with Murti Hussain, picking up four wickets on his return to St Albans and Capaldi taking three wickets, they were skittled all out for 153.

Saints travel to North Enfield on Saturday.

St Albans’ third team paid the price for too many dropped catches and some poor top order batting as they were beaten by Langleybury’s third team.

Saints asked Langleybury to bat first but seven dropped catches did not help their cause and allowed their visitors to climb up to 180 for nine.

In reply, Saints’ top-order batsmen were as out-of-sorts as their fielders had been earlier on and Saints were in real trouble at 35 for five.

James Everdell, top-scored with 25 for his team, to briefly unnerve the opposition, but it wasn’t enough and Saints’ final tally of 138 was 42 short.

Meanwhile, Nick James scored 74 and Andy Knill-Jones hit 50 as Saints’ fourth team amassed 228 for six to beat Frogmore seconds, who fell 46 runs short.