Weekend Roundup 13/14 May

Hemel Hempstead Clinch Championship Opener Against Preston

Kicking off the cricket Championship season, Hemel Hempstead narrowly triumphed over Preston, winning by 7 runs. Batting first in challenging conditions, Hemel Hempstead posted 199/9 in their 50 overs, with captain Hemish Ilangaratne (43) leading the charge. Preston’s new Austrailian signing Daniel Scholz (3/34) and veteran Peter Murrell (3/20), shone despite the defeat, restricting Hemel’s total.

Responding to the competitive target, Edward Wharton (35), Jake George (20), and William Gallimore (30) contributed significantly to Preston’s counter-attack.

However, consistent wicket-taking from Hemel Hempstead and a last-ditch 20 from Jack Stevens could not prevent Preston from falling short, as they were bowled out for 192 with five balls remaining.

Preston 2s were off against Leverstock Green due to rain

Preston 3s faced a disappointing defeat against Cockfosters 2s, falling short by 8 wickets. Despite an initially promising target of 121 on a slow outfield, the hosts quickly surpassed the total with an aerial approach. Early wickets from Bhav Patel and a commendable senior debut from 13-year-old Rohan Ramsoomar were the silver linings for Preston.

The match between Stevenage V and Preston 4s was characterised by a slow outfield and inconsistent bounce on a damp pitch. Stevenage V managed to score 140-9 from their 40 overs, thanks to tight bowling and proficient fielding by Preston. However, early wickets and challenging conditions held Preston back, with only late hitting by Robert Webb (30) elevating the run rate. Preston was dismissed for 96 in the 38th over, marking a low-scoring encounter.

Sunday 14th saw Preston play in the Readers HERTS 20/20 Group Cup match re-arranged from the start of the season versus Broxbourne CC. Preston won the toss but soon found the innings floundering with only James Skirrow posting any decent score (35) as the Preston innings crawled to 97 all out in 19.3 overs.

In reply Broxbourne made a strong start before opener Dissanayake was adjudged LBW by young Jacob Williamson for 37. With 35 from no.4 George Davies the game was taken away from Preston and Broxbourne reached 99 for 3 in the 20th over to secure a comfortable win.