Joe Joyce starred with the bat for the second week running as he helped Sawbridgeworth beat Lutonian and move back into the promotion places on Saturday (June 29), writes Richard White.
On a record-breaking day at Town Fields, he scored a second consecutive century as he followed up his 164 against Luton Town & Indians last week with an unbeaten 181 in the Saracens Hertfordshire League, Division One contest.
He struck 16 fours and six sixes from 159 balls as he helped his side rack up 316-5 from their 50 overs, which was the second-highest total Sawbo have recorded in a league game.
Joyce shared an opening stand of 101 in 19 overs with Rob Sanders (40) before dominating a second-wicket partnership of 149 with Rehman Ahmed (50), who scored his second successive league half-century and third in total.
In reply, the visitors produced a valiant effort as they finished 11 runs short on 305-9, with the match aggregate of 621 runs being the highest seen in a first-team league match at Town Fields.
Joyce also picked up 3-43 with his off-spin, starting with the key wicket of opener Mohammed Adeel (70), to end a third-wicket stand of 52 with Zahid Ali Khan (45). He also fell to the same bowler courtesy of a spectacular diving catch on the boundary by George Kenny, who also took a wicket (1-40) on his 100th first-team league appearance for Sawbo.
Sayed Aziz (2-70) took two wickets with Charlie Rudkin, Max Osborne and Alan Ison taking one apiece as the visitors managed only eight of the 20 runs they needed off the final over.
The result moves Sawbridgeworth up to second place in the table, just two points behind leaders Hitchin.
There was mixed news for the second team as they picked up 18 bonus points despite losing by 114 runs at their Old Finchleians counterparts in 5B.
Meet Depala (84) and Neil Depala (55) led a spectacular recovery from 60-4 to 332 all out as the hosts were dismissed with four balls left of their 50 overs.
Rhys Ashman top-scored with 58 for the visitors as they were removed for 218.
Thethird team lost out in a dramatic Tees Herts & Essex Border League, Division One encounter at home to Stansted by one wicket with two balls to spare after dropping two catches in the closing stages.
Gary Barnett top-scored with 41 for Sawbo, who were all out for 182 in 36.3 overs. Cope (3-37) and Elliott (3-23) took three wickets each for Stansted, who conceded 43 extras.
Charles Robinson (3-22) reduced the visitors to 49-3 before Elliott (28) and Ben Baker (37) added 57 as they took the score to 106.
Wickets fell regularly to Romesh Paktsun (2-45), Andrew Foster (3-33) and Adam MacDonald (1-18), but Stansted held their nerve to reach 183-9.