CONVINCING WIN OVER LEAGUE WINNERS - NOW FOR THE PLAYOFFS

Potters Bar concluded their regular season with a convincing 48-run win over League Winners Radlett at a cold but sunny Cobden Hill ground.

Bar lost the toss and found themselves batting first on a pretty flat surface and got off to a flier with Steve Gale and Pat Scott putting on a seasons best 79 for the first wicket. Skipper Steve Gale became the clubs highest ever ECB League run scorer on just 10 but he perished on 25 as he was leg before in Kabir Toor's first over of the game.

Pat Scott was going like the express trains the other side of the hedge and he and Rehan Hassan kept the scoreboard ticking over as the hosts, now deprived of overseas Nathan Smith who has gone back to New Zealand, looked short on ideas as Bar were headed for a 300+ score.

Pat Scott completed his 50 and powered towards a deserved hundred but he went on 90 as he was stumped. 178 for 2 saw the pair put on 99 and Rehan Hassan was joined by Rishi Patel and they started to up the rate. The third 50 plus stand of the innings ensued and Hassan went past 50 but the hosts had pulled things back a tad and the boundary ball that was evident for large parts had disappeared along with the warm sunshine.

Hassan went for 74 as he was bowled by Abdul Mulla and there was then a mini collapse as Charlie Scott and James Scott both went for 8 and Ashan Wijesuriya for a duck as the overs were disappearing. However an excellent unbeaten 46 from Rishi Patel got Bar to a decent total of 280.

Radlett fresh from their title success of last weekend got off to a slow start and never really got going. Tom Jenkins was clean bowled by James Scott for 16 and the prized wicket of Kabir Toor for just 3 as Teddy Duke deflected a firm straight drive from de Caires onto the stumps and he was run out.

Josh de Caires batted solidly but needed support and whilst he got that from Fraser Crawford (31) and Chris Arul (31) the run rate was around 8 an over and the talented youngster was running out of capable partners.

Bar tightened up in the field and eased their way to an 11th league win of the season and a run of just 1 defeat in 14 matches. Luke Chapman took 4 wickets to end up with 39 league victims and 2 for Jigar Mehta who finished with 30 for the season. de Caires finished on 97 before he perished and the win was wrapped up with 48 runs to spare.

Bar now enter the playoffs where they travel to play Welwyn Garden City who finished second for what is set to be a fantastic game of cricket between two fine teams. The winners face the victors of the Radlett v Totteridge Millhillians in the Playoff Final on September 21.