Jigar Mehta produced his best bowling figures for Potters Bar as they secured their third consecutive red ball win to remain 15 points off top spot in the Herts League Premier Division after beating Hertford by five wickets.

Luke Chapman lost the toss for the eighth match in a row and Bar found themselves in the field on a warm day and a wicket that was to offer little help to the bowlers throughout.

The visitors got off to a good start as Max Lawrence was well taken at second slip by Ashleigh Cox, but that was as good as it got as Hugh Cavener and Lewis Harris played sensibly and used the pace of the ball and the outfield to score at around four an over.

The breakthrough finally came when Cavener was taken at point at the second attempt by Anmol Maheshram off the bowling of Ashen Kavinda, leaving Hertford 86-2 which they progressed to 128-2 at lunch.

Harris completed his half-century in the first over after the break and the innings started to look as if it was getting away from Bar as the pair put on 100 in 142 balls, with Bailey Eustance reaching his 50 off 80 deliveries.

The away side kept chipping away and Maheshram got the wicket of Harris for 75, but it was the return of Mehta who brought his side back into the game.

He took 5-20 in five overs in his second spell to finish with the club-best figures of 6-67 as Hertford were restricted to 267-9.

Steve Gale and James Seward got Bar’s reply off to a strong start, reaching tea at 74-0 to leave 194 to win off 37 overs.

Both duly completed their half-centuries as they upped the tempo, before Gale was the first to depart, bowled for 60.

Reece Hussain then fell for eight but Seward completed his fourth league century in 123 balls as the target fell below 50.

Seward’s innings ended on 110 and when Charlie Scott (33) and Kavinda (2) were quickly gone, Bar were still 28 short, but Cox (22 not out) and James Scott (nine not out) saw their side home.

North Mymms in action battingNorth Mymms in action batting (Image: Danny Loo Photography)

North Mymms remain fourth in the top flight after a fine performance in the field saw them to a five-wicket victory over Bishop’s Stortford.

The visitors’ decision to bat first at Home Farm backfired as they were dismissed for 140, with Mymms reaching the target in 38.5 overs.

The home side had early success when Richard Oxley dismissed Tom Howes for a duck, but Joe Hawkins (45) set about building a score before William Jones (4-38) took centre stage.

He took four of the next five wickets to fall as Stortford slumped to 71-6.

Oxley (3-36) and Dharmarajsinh Jhala (3-46) also weighed in with three wickets apiece to leave their side in charge.

Mymms didn’t have all their own way in reply as they were reduced to 28-3, and then 61-5, but that brought Armaan Randhawa (51 not out) and Jones (45 not out) together to see their side home.

Old Owens slipped to ninth in the table after slumping to an eight-wicket defeat at Radlett.

Danyaal Khalid (32) and Dylan Ranjan (25) were the only batters to make it past 20 as Owens dismissed for 119 in 46.1 overs.

The hosts wasted no time in reaching the target, getting home in 18 overs after Fraser Crawford (44) and Dominic Chatfield (34) put on 84 for the first wicket.