North Enfield Cricket Club I vs Stevenage II (H) - Saturday 02nd August 2025

North Enfield Cricket Club’s 1^st XI lost out to Stevenage in a last over thriller at Strayfield Road on Saturday in Division 4B of the Hertfordshire Premier Cricket League.

Chasing 214 for victory, the hosts ended up on 208 - 8 and lost by just five runs, after winning a similarly close fixture by the same margin against Preston last weekend.

With a six required from the final delivery to tie the game, North Enfield only managed one and were forced to settle for 15 points from their efforts.

After Kieran Jones (20) was bowled by a delivery that kept low and Chris Gillman (28) was stumped relatively early on, North Enfield were sitting relatively pretty at 153 - 2 in the 38^th over, courtesy of a 98 run partnership between William Munt (50) and Tom Coughlan (49).

However, when Coughlan was trapped LBW and both captain Ishan Tilakaratna (1) and Munt fell in quick succession, the hosts’ run chase stalled.

Steve Gandy (23) threatened to make them the favourites once again with a four and a six, but was run out attempting to keep the strike in the penultimate over.

The task ultimately proved too much for North Enfield, as they only musted four runs from the final over, rather than the required 10.

A 77 run partnership for the seventh wicket had earlier allowed Stevenage to propel themselves past 200 and what would eventually prove to be a winning total.

Despite a couple of sharp Keith Alexander stumpings off the bowling of Kieran Jones late on and a tight final over from Coughlan, the visitors were able to finish on 213 - 8.

North Enfield were on top at multiple points of the Stevenage innings, with the score at 31 - 2 and then 123 - 6, as Oliver Munt (2 - 29) made the early breakthroughs and Jones (3 - 30) chipped away through the middle overs.

A late flourish from their opponents though meant that Stevenage left with the maximum points and a disappointed home contingent.

Elsewhere, the club’s 2^nd XI lost to Bamville by five wickets, whilst William Munt made 100* and Tom Coughlan 55* in an entertaining draw for the club’s Friendly XI at Nazeing Common on Sunday.