North Enfield Cricket Club’s 1st XI were unable to make the most of a great start with the ball against Flamstead at Strayfield Road on Saturday in their 31 run defeat.
They were bowled out for 135 when chasing 167, despite earlier reducing the visitors to 111 - 8 in their Division 4B encounter of the Hertfordshire Premier Cricket League.
Despite losing a couple of early wickets, North Enfield looked relatively well set at 62 - 2 and 82 - 3, but lost wickets in clusters, amidst some tight Flamstead bowling.
Steve Gandy (21) and Freddie Pearson (17*) gave the hosts faint hopes of salvaging 30 points from the game, but when Gandy was caught at mid-wicket, the momentum firmly swung towards Flamstead.
The lower order did their best to keep up with the required rate, but North Enfield ultimately had to settle for 12 points from the day’s cricket.
North Enfield had been in the ascendancy, when Pearson and Oliver Munt claimed two early scalps, alongside a Munt run out to reduce Flamstead to 32 - 3.
Munt and Coughlan then traded wickets, before Abbie Jones got in on the act and reduced Flamstead to 88 - 7.
When Coughlan struck for the third time, the hosts harboured hopes of claiming the final two wickets quickly and dismissing Flamstead for a below par total.
However, the Flamstead lower order dug in and ran well, whilst a few dropped catches also allowed them to get away from North Enfield slightly towards the end of their innings.
A third wicket for Munt and first for Gandy finally wrapped the Flamstead innings up on 166, but the damage had already been done.
On a gripping surface, the chase was always going to be a tricky one for North Enfield and they were ultimately unable to get over the line, although still sit sixth in their division.
Elsewhere, 63 from Andrew Pearson and a final ball four from Garry Orton (41*) helped the club’s 2nd XI tie at St Albans, whilst a 102 run partnership between William Munt (67) and Freddie Pearson (69*) was unable to prevent a six wicket defeat for the club’s Friendly XI against Roving Reporters on Sunday.
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