Pacy Lenton’s in fine Nick

EXPERIENCED all-rounder Nick Lenton rolled back the years with a fine spell of seam bowling to set Hatley & Arrington on the way to victory over Longstowe on Sunday.

Batting first, Longstowe looked to be heading for a big total as Gary Mills-Thomas (28) and John Collins (21) put on a brisk 40 for the second wicket to take their team to 65-1.

However, the picture quickly changed when Lenton was brought into the attack. Longstowe's middle order were unable to cope with his deceptive pace on a skidding wicket as he claimed 4-16.

With Will Perry and Frank Hooley claiming two wickets apiece, and John Anderson and Tim Davenport each producing two good catches, the visitors crumbled to 109 all out.

Hatley lost an early wicket before Anderson struck a stylish 49 and, in tandem with Davenport (22), put on 64 for the second wicket to set the home side on the way to a comfortable five-wicket win.

This Sunday, Hatley are at Steeple Morden for what is usually a close-fought encounter.

Bassingbourn prepared for the start of their 2SA league campaign with a friendly at Newton.

The visitors' team included three players from last year's under-16 side.

Newton elected to bat and made a solid start, putting on 40 runs for the first wicket, with youngster Matt Andrews getting the breakthrough.

Opener Newman retired after making a solid 50, and wickets fell at regular intervals until Aspinall hit a quickfire 53, including four sixes, as the home side scored 217 in their 40 overs, with bowlers Andrews and Thompson finishing with two wickets each.

Although wicketless, Ben Allen also bowled a tidy spell of five overs, conceding only nine runs.

After tea, Bassingbourn came out in a positive mood and set about chasing down the Newton score.

Thompson and Tegg put on 35 for the first wicket with some good running between the wickets before Thompson was unlucky to be run out backing up.

Tegg was next out for a well-made 33, but with Smith making 43 and Robinson 42, Bassingbourn remained near the rate required.

However, needing nearly six an over off the last 10, Bassingbourn could not keep up with the rate, finishing on 200 and Green with 2-25.

Bassingbourn travel to Cambridge to play NCI II on Saturday in their opening league match.

Reed started with a great early-season performance against London Colney at home on Saturday.

After losing the toss and opener Baz Curtis in the first over, it seemed Reed were going to struggle against a lively new-ball attack.

However, the loss of the early wicket bought together new vice-captain James Heslam and his predecessor Chris Jackson.

Both batsman defended well, however, stroking the ball to all corners of the ground with an array of strokes.

The pair raced to their half-centuries in the 14th over. After losing Heslam for 62, it brought in the returning wicketkeeper batsman James Bell to the Reed team. He started slowly but solidly and batted well with Jackson.

Chris Jackson cruised to 101 before retiring to keep his early season of good form continuing.

Bell (35) and skipper Simon Jackson (45 not out) saw Reed to an imposing 270-5 in their allotted overs.

With Reed taking the second new ball it gave new arrival Andy Young his first opportunity to bowl at Reed.

His electric pace unsettled the Colney batting line up, but thanks to dropped catches and lots of luck for the Colney batsman he finished his nine over spell with just the 1-32.

The end of the Young spell allowed Will Clarke the chance to start bowling after his 2005 sabbatical.

Clarke bowled with great accuracy, taking 3-36. McLauglin batted throughout the Colney innings for 97 before being one of Chris Jackson two wickets in his final double-wicket maiden over.

London Colney finished well short of the Reed total, scoring 182-8 in their 45 overs, which meant Reed won by 88 runs.

Reed under-15s were left cursing poor light as their game against Welwyn Garden City was abandoned.

The Reed batsmen started steadily against some tight WGC bowling and after 11 overs were 35-0.

But with Tom Greaves, after playing himself in, racing to his maiden 50 and Ed Garrott scoring 17 off 10 balls, Reed posted a competitive score of 106-1 off their 20 overs.

WGC's batsmen started brightly, but with the score on 33 after five overs, Jack Tidey took three quick wickets, and with Garrott taking 2-8 off his four overs, the game looked like Reed's.

But with the score on 56-6 and with just 21 deliveries remaining, the game had to be abandoned because the light was so bad it was becoming dangerous.

A nailbiting opening day for Aspenden Standon & Puckeridge saw them fight back from 38-5 to sneak victory by a wicket against Cokenach.

Starting the season in the field, a fine opening spell from ASP's Matt King went unrewarded before Si Lindsay picked up Wardell with a full toss which was expertly snaffled by Potter at fine leg.

Clarke went on to make 50 and then retired to let Field enter the fray.

ASP's first change bowlers, Mark Potter and Michael Strange, put a lid on the scoring rate as Cokenach found runs hard to come by.

Strange dismissed Johnston thanks to a scintillating slip catch by Si Lindsay, while Potter had Harry Pearman caught behind.

Stone went quickly, bowled by one that kept low from Strange, and then Ford, after kissing his bat on arrival at the crease, was done like a kipper by Mark Pankhurst, who bowled him all ends up.

Skipper John Yates trusted the last 10 overs to his two youngest bowlers, Mark Pankhurst and Lewis Robinson, and they responded superbly, especially Pankhurst, who bowled five overs and took 2-10 as Cokenach finished on 148-7.

In reply, Matt Booth and Strange opened the batting in a sedate fashion as the bowling was very tidy.

Strange was first to go for seven after inside edging on to his pads and the ball trickled on to his stumps. Yates soon followed lbw to Ford before Groom holed out and Booth was bowled for 14.

Rob Devonshire was adjudged lbw for two and ASP were in a hole at 38-5.

This bought Potter and King to the crease and, after a scratchy start, Potter began to smash the bowling to all parts. King kept the scoreboard ticking while Potter reached a deserved half-century.

Potter was then bowled by Clarke with 12 needed and ASP started to get jittery.

King was bowled by Clarke and with Si and Steve Lindsay both going cheaply, it was left to Lewis Robinson and Mark Pankhurst to score the last eight runs.

This they duly did, with Robinson smashing the winning runs over mid-on in the 39th over to finish with one of the best 10 not outs likely to be seen at this level.