Hatfield & Crusaders Division 5A campaign reached a thrilling denouement in the penultimate game of the season. Playing host to relegation-threatened Bentley Heath, Hatfield & Crusaders required one win from the final two fixtures to seal a hard-fought promotion.

After the visitors won the toss and elected to bat, Ian Golder produced a magnificent spell with the new ball, taking three wickets for just 18 runs in a 10 unchanged overs which included four maidens. Bowling a consistently full length, Golder unerringly attacked the stumps and gave Hatfield & Crusaders the upper hand in the early stages. Aman Sofat (2/36) provided excellent support, and claimed two crucial wickets, including captain Hubbard for a quick-fire 36.

Bentley Heath recovered from a rocky position of 55/5 to reach 103/5 before a rain shower interrupted proceedings. Hatfield & Crusaders regrouped well after the resumption, and three quick wickets looked to have swung the game decisively their way. Skipper Gareth Wynne (2/27) bowled a characteristically miserly spell, trapping two batsmen in front, before Sam Edge emphatically threw the stumps down to leave Bentley Heath 119/8 with overs running out.

Undaunted, Mohammad unfurled a flurry of powerful strokes to drag his side to a respectable total. Capitalising on an extraordinary sequence of dropped chances by Hatfield & Crusaders, he struck 12 fours to go with a pair of sixes to finish unbeaten on 80, as Bentley Heath closed on 196/8 from 46 overs.

Hatfield & Crusaders started well in response, reaching 37 without loss in the 11th over before Francis had Yugal Kalaskar caught behind for 11. Heath Bond continued to bat fluently, finding the boundary with regularity in a stand worth 68 with Mark Collins (20). Bond struck the ball powerfully, clearing the ropes three times in an innings that also included six fours, before being bowled for an impressive 64. However his dismissal prompted a collapse, as Hatfield & Crusaders slipped from a dominant position of 105/1 to 108/4.

Deepak Hasiza stemmed the flow of wickets with a determined knock, combining deft deflections with well-judged aggression to punish any loose deliveries, before he was castled by the returning Francis for 39. With the match on the line, Francis bowled an excellent spell to claim 4/25 and leave Hatfield & Crusaders teetering on 172/9. In the gathering gloom, the last pair required an unlikely 21 from the final two overs.

With nerves jangling on the sideline, Sofat opened his shoulders and struck three powerful boundaries to restore some hope. When he took a single in the final over, leaving three runs from the final two deliveries, the chance to be the hero fell to captain and long-standing club legend Gareth Wynne. And he delivered in style, unveiling a flamboyant pull shot – not seen since about 1982 - in the near-total darkness to dispatch the ball to the fence.

Hatfield & Crusaders sealed the win with one wicket and just one ball to spare in the tensest climax imaginable, as Sofat (18*) and Wynne (6*) added a priceless 26 runs for the final wicket. With promotion in the bag, the side travel to St Albans II next week requiring one more point to clinch the league title and secure a spot in Division 4A next season.

The 2nds fell to a narrow defeat away to Old Elizabethans II. Ben Pulham starred with the bat, making an impressive 56, and was supported well by Yasir Shafi (25) and Andy Foster (24). Although Hatfield & Crusaders produced a determined bowling performance – including 3/22 from Shafi, 2/39 from Asif Ghafoor, 1/41 from Foster and an economical 1/17 from Tony Jakes – Old Elizabethans reached their target with two wickets in hand. A pleasing season for the 3rds ended in a disappointing defeat at Stevenage V, who were victorious by a margin of 116 runs.

Weekend August 18th
Hatfield & Crusaders 88 London Colney 91-3

Hatfield & Crusaders slipped to an emphatic defeat at Holtwhites Trinibis II, just the third of the season, as their lead at the top of Division 5A was halved.
Having lost a crucial toss and been inserted by the hosts on a tricky pitch, H&C struggled to adapt to the conditions and an excellent bowling display from Holtwhites saw them struggle to 32-6.
Only Sam Edge provided any real resistance with the bat, a defiant 28 dragging the team to a below-par 88 all out.
That effort was never likely to threaten promotion-chasing Holtwhites, who reached their target in the 25th over with seven wickets to spare.
With two games remaining, Hatfield & Crusaders still occupy top spot and with a lead of 29 points, one win from the final two fixtures will be enough to secure promotion.
There was similar disappointment for the other sides, as the 2nds succumbed by 125 runs at home to Boxmoor, and the 3rds were defeated by 4 wickets by Hoddesdon IV.