Sawbridgeworth were left to reflect on another disappointing batting performance as they suffered a second successive Saracens Hertfordshire League, Division One defeat at Abbots Langley on Saturday, writes Richard White.
Having travelled to the newly-promoted side, who they had not played in the league since their double-winning campaign of 2003, Sawbo were unsurprisingly asked to bat first after a rain delay of more than two hours saw the game reduced to 30 overs per side.
For the first time in 270 league appearances for the club, Michael Burrell (58) opened the batting for the visitors and the decision paid off as he raced to a half-century off just 41 balls to help his side reach 96-2 at the halfway stage.
But this was as good as it got for the away side as they suffered another cataclysmic collapse and crumbled to 120 all out, losing their last eight wickets for 24 runs off just 53 balls in 31 minutes.
Rehman Ahmed (17), Joe Joyce (15) and Steve Ashman (10) were the only other players to reach double figures as Sawbo also wasted over 18% of their allotted deliveries as they were dismissed with 5.3 overs unused.
The majority of Abbots’ line-up also struggled in reply as they were reduced to 80-7 in the 25th over with George Kenny (2-15), Max Osborne (2-16), Joyce (2-30) and Sayed Aziz (1-18) taking the wickets.
But Leo Connolly (46 off 42 balls) took the hosts to the brink of victory before holing out to Ahmed off the bowling of Alan Ison (1-13), with Abbots sealing their two-wicket win with eight balls to spare.
To add to Sawbo’s frustrating afternoon, Matt Billings was unable to bowl after suffering a hamstring injury while fielding and could potentially face several weeks on the sidelines.
The visitors took nine bonus points from the game which saw them drop one place to fourth in the table after they were overtaken by Hitchin, who beat St Margaretsbury by 40 runs.
Amazingly, just 46 points separate all 10 sides in Division One. Sawbo are 22 points adrift of second-placed Luton Town & Indians, who they face at Town Fields this weekend, and are also only 15 clear of the relegation zone.
There was also disappointment for the second team as they lost to struggling Frogmore by three wickets at Town Fields in 5B.
They were all out for 93 in 24.5 overs after being put in to bat, but took seven wickets - and the same number of bonus points - before the visitors reached 95-7.
Despite the defeat, Harry Gale’s side remain fifth in the table.
Thethird team remain third from bottom in Tees Herts & Essex Border League, Division One after losing their local derby to Bishop’s Stortford IV by 59 runs.