Big win for Potters Bar but big loss for Old Owens on day one

The pair face off against each other on Saturday, the champions going to Old Owens Sports Ground, and they go on the back of a big eight wicket win against newly promoted Shenley Village.

The title holders, looking to made it three in a row, had been asked to bowl first after losing the toss and had seemingly got off to a great start when James Scott had the dangerous Charles Thurston trapped lbw for just four.

But the rest of the top four moved the score along nicely, if not spectacularly.

Nish Selvakumar was timing his shots well, but not finding the gaps and after making 17, he went to a smart catch at mid-on by Steve Gale.

New recruit from Welwyn Garden City, Mo Rizvi, and England Deaf player Umesh Valjee put on 50 in 57 balls though, taking Shenley to 85-2 in 22 overs and with a pretty good platform to build on.

But the introduction of skipper Luke Chapman and Thilan Walallawita sparked chaos in their batting and begun a huge collapse.

Mo Rizvi went back to one that skidded on from Chapman for 21 and then Will Thomson departed for two.

Valjee had played well for his 40 but was out to a fine diving catch by Charlie Scott at extra cover and when Matt Stear was bowled by Chapman for a second-ball duck, Shenley had gone from 85-2 to 88-6 in 24 balls.

There was a brief respite as Oliver White and visiting captain Morgan Stanley took them over 100 in the 31st over but another good catch by Charlie Scott at cover saw the end of the latter for nine.

White would finish unbeaten on 10 but the final three wickets went quickly, leaving Shenley all out for 118 after 40 overs.

Chapman, playing in his 200th league game for the club, collected 5-20, his eighth five-wicket haul, while Walallawita managed 2-22.

It would only take less than 20 overs for Bar to seal the victory but there was concern when Gale was out for just two.

Those nerves were heightened when Rizvi found the edge of James Seward's bat for just 13 but from there it was easy sailing as the dependable pairing of Reece Hussain and Charlie Scott took the game away from Shenley in double-quick time.

They put on 78 in 55 balls, Hussain getting to 82 from 57 balls, the last 37 of them arriving in just eight deliveries, while Scott was 14 not out.

Brad Lane top scored with the bat for Old Owens. Picture: KARYN HADDON (Image: Karyn Haddon)

For Old Owens though, day one of the campaign was the complete opposite as they lost by nine wickets to a Harpenden side who look like being a big challenger for Bar's title.

Like Shenley, Owens were all out after 40 overs but they did at least make it to 131, Brad Lane getting 35 and opener Stephen Williams 33, with 20 for Dylan Ranjan.

James Latham was out facing his second ball in the Harpenden reply, Jack Bloxham taking the wicket and Chris Palmer the catch, but Scott Galloway and Cole Briggs ripped the rest of the attack apart, both facing 29 deliveries with Galloway getting 62 and Briggs 63, seven of them sixes.