BUNTINGFORD will travel to Stansted Hall on Saturday knowing that victory will give them the Herts & Essex League championship after ending Rickling Ramblers title aspirations. Heavy overnight rain had left the wicket wet and a delayed start meant the ga

BUNTINGFORD will travel to Stansted Hall on Saturday knowing that victory will give them the Herts & Essex League championship after ending Rickling Ramblers' title aspirations.

Heavy overnight rain had left the wicket wet and a delayed start meant the game was reduced to 40 overs per side.

Rickling skipper Stuart Prentice won the toss and he had no hesitation in choosing to bowl first on the wet pitch.

The Buntingford opening pair of Martin Coote (28) and John Clements (32) batted with great patience on a difficult surface for a stand of 75 from 19 overs.

This good start was followed by another fine partnership of 83 between Chris Chambers (41) and Richard Pearce (50).

The Buntingford total looked like being a decent one until Dixon arrived at the crease and turned the score into a very good one.

Dixon's 27 bludgeoned runs from just 11 balls included three sixes and this meant that Buntingford's total of 217-8 was always going to be a difficult target for the Rickling batsman.

Prentice got Rickling off to a good start, but fell for 41 to a great catch from Izuru Channa off the bowling of Richard Pearce, who followed up his fine batting performance with an even better display of swing bowling.

His 2-18 from nine overs put Rickling behind the run rate, a position from which they never recovered.

Dan Duff yet again bowled a fine spell, taking 2-30 from nine overs and Steve Paola chipped in with 2-38.

Some fine ball striking from Ian Fairall (49 not out from 43 balls) late on, took Rickling's total to 176-8 at the finish of their allotted overs.

Buntingford acheived the double over Ramblers on Saturday, when their second team recorded an easy win at Rickling II.

Batting first, Rickling had a let off when Lodge was dropped off the very first ball.

He went on to top score with 55, but other than Bunting (17), no other Rickling batsman got in to double figures.

Steve Baker returned the best bowling figures with 6.5-2-16-4 and he was backed up by Clive Glasscock 10-1-24-2 and Karl White 7-1-22-3.

Rickling were all out for 126 with three overs remaining from their allotted 45.

In reply, skipper Neale Dookheran and Stuart Lawrence shared an opening stand of 31 before Dookheran was bowled for 18.

Lawrence and Kev Poulton then took the score to 67, when Poulton was out for 14.

Sean McGrath came to the crease and was immediately dismissed for a duck. Lawrence fell three runs later for 19 to leave Buntingford on 70-4.

Andy Nash and Steve Baker came together and they ensured there were no more hiccups, by sharing a stand of 57 to see Buntingford over the winning line with still 12 overs remaining.

Nash finished on 17 not out and Baker added to his fine bowling performance by being unbeaten on 35.

After a blank Saturday due to neighbours Cottered pulling out of the Herts League, Baldock completed their North Herts League campaign with a three wicket loss against Crawley Green Nomads.

In a low scoring, but good game of cricket, Baldock batted first and against an accurate bowling attack and on a damp seaming wicket, got 122-7 off 40 overs.

Bhavesh Paun top scored with 31 not out and he and Tim Dean (19) added 53 for the seventh wicket to rescue Baldock from a very low score.

In reply Crawley Green off to a solid but quite slow start reaching 75-1 but then Baldock fought back and took wickets regularly to make the hosts work for a very hard earned win as they got to 126-7 from 38.1 overs.

Rob Peacock took 3-20, Logan Newman 2-20, Tim Dean 1-35 and Alistair Jones 1-16. Howeverm Baldock look to have secured their Division One status, as results went their way this weekend.

Baldock II saw their promotion hopes damaged on Saturday as they were hammered by 10 wickets against Harpenden Dolphins.

The visitors posted a low score of just 59 all out, and they will look to get their season back on track when they host strugglers St Albans IV on Saturday.