GREAT Chishill overcame a strong-looking NCI side on Saturday to maintain their position as joint leaders of Div 2SA of the CCA. Replying to an NCI total of 210-5 Ollie Stoop advanced quickly to his half-century in an opening partnership of 107 with Paul

GREAT Chishill overcame a strong-looking NCI side on Saturday to maintain their position as joint leaders of Div 2SA of the CCA.

Replying to an NCI total of 210-5 Ollie Stoop advanced quickly to his half-century in an opening partnership of 107 with Paul Drury.

Stoop then made further strides towards his century before falling on 86 and leaving skipper Angus Gent to hit an educated 67 to take the home side to a seven-wicket win.

Earlier Sam Stoop had bowled with venom to take 2-22 off his 10 overs but Australian batsman Flack hit an unbeaten century to set a healthy target for Chishill to chase, a task they accomplished with eight overs remaining.

Bassingbourn chalked up their second league victory of the season with a three wicket win against Camden.

After winning the toss Bas' took to the field and wickets fell early as Allen and Ferris picked up two wickets each.

Robinson replaced Allen but beat the bat regularly with no luck.

On a slow track Bass introduced spin at both ends and Andrews' 3-37 and Bill Mac (2-18) restricted Camden to 146 all out with only three batsmen reaching double figures.

In reply Tegg went early in the innings, but Thompson looked in good form making a fluent 18 unlucky to be given out caught behind.

This brought Robinson to the crease and he looked in good touch top scoring with 34, a welcome return for his first match of the season, saw Taff make a hard hitting 29.

At 30 overs Bass' needing 54 for victory, but having lost six wickets it looked like being a tense finish.

Matt Andrews joined his brother Tom and looked to have taken Bass to victory but Tom was bowled with 22 still needed.

However Allen stayed with Andrews (24 not out) to see Bass' home.

Barley chalked up their first victory of the season as they won a tight game against Cambridge St Giles.

On an afternoon where the captains tossed more to see which team would get to watch the England football match rather than who wanted to bat first, the St Giles skipper duly elected to bat first.

Salmon and Gallop felt at ease against the bowling of Chuck (0-26 off six) and Symes and got of to an excellent start.

Going at five an over, Barley looked set for a score of 250 plus. Mick Ross then came on to bowl and began to peg them back.

Salmon sliced one to Eric Davis at gully, then Stace was bowled.

Philip George made a very sharp stumping to dismiss Gallop who by then had passed his 50.

Sorenson was then bowled for Ross's fourth wicket in what was an excellent spell (4-49 off 10).

Carnaby and Davis bowled tidy spells and Jamie Walters (2-59 off 10) snapped up a pair of wickets with some full tosses and long hops.

Symes (0-32 off 8) came back and bowled very sharply at the death.

Some good bowling and excellent fielding from all the Barley players left them needing 214 to win.

Having scored only 29 in total the week before, it was with some trepidation that the Barley batsmen Walters and Allan opened the innings.

The pitch was a beauty however, and the bowling predictable, so Barley set off at the required rate.

Following some exquisite stroke-play Allan then skied one which was brilliantly caught in the outfield.

Chris Markham and Jason Busby then repeated the feat before first Brian Symes and then Adam Pattison played their cameo innings.

Both slashed the ball to the boundary in swashbuckling fashion. Following an enormous six, Pattison then had a rush of blood to the head and ran himself out going for an impossible second.

Walters, who had all this time been playing beautifully, passed his 50 with another crashing four.

Once Walters was out it was left to the lower order to get the runs. Bruce Carnaby, who had earlier fallen heavily whilst bowling, came to the crease needing a runner.

The former Botany Bay player showed plenty of class as he pushed the ball around the ground. Pip George and Mick Ross both clubbed excellent boundaries to keep Barley in touch.

But with 32 still needed from the last four overs it was still a tall order to win. Carnaby however opened his shoulders and crashed a series of boundaries past the forlorn St Giles fielders.

Victory came with one last four and just three balls to go. The Barley support was ecstatic and the St.Giles players crestfallen as they could scarcely believe they had lost.

Carnaby finished 43 not out, Walters with 54 and Ross with four wickets.

Hatley & Arrington returned to winning ways with a convincing eight-wicket success at Hare Street & Hormead on Sunday.

Batting first, the home side struggled to make progress in the face of tight bowling by opening bowlers Matt Knibbs and Will Perry, who conceded just 25 runs between them from their combined total of 12 overs.

However, the wickets really began to tumble once Nick Lenton (3-12) and captain for the day Steve Hooley (4-19) came on to bowl.

Angus Batey top scored for Hare Street with 38 and he got good support from Barry Hume who made 25.

Veteran Hare Street all-rounder Mike Grimsdale also struck his first ever six at home, lifting a Steve Warman delivery high over the mid-wicket boundary, to help boost the final innings total to 144.

In reply, Hatley lost guest opener Will Oddey early on but John Anderson held the innings together with a steady 59 not out.

He got good support from Andy Jakes, who hit a typically aggressive 38, before under-rated all-rounder Tim Davenport produced a classy 23 not out to see the visitors to victory with just two wickets down.

Baldock's miserable start to the season continued at Radlett III on Saturday as they were soundly beaten by 10 wickets.

Having won the toss Baldock elected to bat and on a good wicket, they struggled to 30-4 off 10 overs.

Despite the wicket levelling out Baldock struggled to find any fluency and they limped to a very disappointing 127 all out off 50 overs.

Only Graham Letford with a solid 44 managed to get runs of note.

It soon became apparent that the wicket had no demons in the second half as Radlett worked the Baldock bowlers around with ease albeit in scorching conditions.

They got to their target in 23 overs, reaching 129-0 with no chances given.

Baldock now lie fifth from bottom in Herts League Division Five and need to register a win to restore some confidence. They will seek to do this against Hertingfordbury on Saturday at Avenue Park.

The following day, Baldock's Sunday side travelled to Offley and Stopsley and lost by 93 runs.

Offley batted first and got off to a good start reaching 70-2 in quick time.

The introduction of Ben Diplock and Graham Letford though managed to peg back the hosts as they asserted some control.

Both bowlers bowled tidy spells and when Letford took three quick wickets Offley were beginning to labour.

However R Barker took control back scoring 68 and Tattershall with a hard hitting 44 took the run rate back up to six an over.

Baldock took late wickets but Offley totalled 208-8 in 40 overs, with Alistair Jones also taking three wickets.

In reply Baldock never got going and despite an entertaining 35 from Letford they only managed 115 all out of 33.2 overs.