The Villagers had the best of a challenging draw at the Shenley Cricket Centre on Saturday.

The visitors won the toss and asked Shenley to bat. After a quiet first 20 minutes during which openers Richard Evans and Vernon Senanayake accumulated 19 runs Botany Bay got their first breakthrough in the sixth over when Senanayake was bowled via his pads.

The next over saw things take a turn for the worse for Shenley when Evans and Chris McDonald were dismissed in consecutive balls, both stumped.

With the score standing at 21-3 the visitors looked in the box seat but the fourth wicket pair of Rahul Gajjar and Steve Scott had other ideas and built a club record fourth wicket stand of 154.

The stand ended when Scott was stranded in the middle of the wicket just four short of a well deserved half century.

Dave Affleck joined the fray and helped see Gajjar through to an excellent hundred. Gajjar departed shortly afterwards for 103 when he was the victim of another mix up that saw him run out by several yards.

The score was now 217 and skipper Matt Woodward was thinking about timing his declaration as he joined Affleck, however these thoughts were quickly changed as he saw another three wickets tumble at the other end in the 42nd over.

Affleck was bowled for 19 the ball after Gajjar had been run out, Will Hodge replaced him and lasted only three balls before he was stumped for a duck. Next man in, Ed Lillywhite, dangled his bat at his first ball and was bowled, meaning the hosts had crumpled from 217-4 at the start of the over to 217-8 by the time the last ball was bowled.

Number ten batsman Tom Blackman joined his captain and together they added 25 over the course of the next five overs, Woodward (21 not out) calling a halt to proceedings at 242-8 with 47 overs being used.

In reply Botany Bay lost an early wicket when Jon Haley had opener Steel caught at cover by Woodward. Senanyake caught the other opener at mid-wicket off the bowling of Haley and keeper Tom Blackman completed a regulation catch off Lillywhite to send back Clark for 15.

Woodward and Scott replaced the opening pair and soon both had wickets and when Gajjar ran McCabe out for 19 Botany Bay were struggling at 70-6.

It was at this time that they gave up any attempt of taking on the run-chase and started to close up for the draw,

Haley returned for a final spell of quality pace bowling and Shenley captured nine wickets but the last wicket pair saw out the last three overs to claim the draw.

f=GillSans |Sawbridgeworth lll 149-10|

|Shenley ll 148-8|

|Saracens Herts League|

|Division Nine|o

The Shenley second team went on safari at the weekend to the Hertfordshire/Essex borders and came away ruing a chance to stay joint top of the table.

Winning the toss skipper Munting put Sawbridgeworth in, but had only seven fielders. As the first over finished with Jon Clark being hit for just two runs the remaining team members arrived.

As the overs whittled down to close the innings Steven Elliott was brought back into the attack and proceeded to take a well deserved hat-trick his first for the club. He also bowled the last man out and finished the day with 6 for 32 in his 11.4 over spell with Sawbrigeworth on 149.

In reply Shenley soon lost opener Stanley for two. Lewis was joined by Stubbs and they had put on 45 when Stubbs was caught for 21. Lewis was then caught at second slip for 23 soon to be followed by Green (15) and Davenall (4).

Shenley took the game to the last over with four required to win. Burkhardt was bowled on the first ball for a noble 34. Wood came to the crease and took a leg bye and with balls running out Shenley required two to tie and three to win. The last ball was hit over the bowler and the run chase began but Wood was run out before he could make his ground for the second run.

Shenley Village 242-9

Botany Bay II 142-9

Saracens Herts League Division Seven