North Enfield Cricket Club I vs Hatfield & Crusaders I (H) - Saturday 25th May 2024

North Enfield Cricket Club’s 1s returned to winning ways with a dominant all-round performance against Hatfield & Crusaders to move second in Division 4A of the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League.

Pat Honnor’s impressive 91 led them to a five wicket victory, after three wickets apiece from Freddie Pearson and Josh Jones earlier enabled North Enfield to bowl out their visitors for 175 from their 50 overs.

After being put into bat, the visistors were soon in deep trouble, as Pearson ripped through the top order, bowling three opposition batters and leaving them 20 - 3.

North Enfield continued to frustrate their visitors, with two wickets from Thomas Munt reducing the visitors to 80 - 5.

Hatfield briefly threatened to break away, with a cameo from former North Enfield player Juvin James (24), but three quick wickets from Josh Jones cleaned up the Hatfield tail and saw North Enfield set a target of 176 to win.

Despite the early loss of William Munt for a duck, North Enfield got off to a steady start, with Chris Gillman and Honnor seeing off the dangerous opposition openers. When Gillman fell (13), Honnor was joined at the crease by Tom Coughlan, with both batters settling quickly and putting away any loose balls to up the run rate.

Honnor reached a solid half century and continued to guide the hosts towards victory, who continued to look in control, regardless of James removing Coughlan (33) and Ishan Tilakaratna in successive balls. With victory in sight, Honnor (91) failed to reach a deserved century, pulling a short ball straight to the only fielder in the deep, but the damage had been done, as Kieran Jones (14*) and Will Grisedale (12*) guided North Enfield home with 29 balls to spare.

Elsewhere, a solid bowling performance from North Enfield’s 2s was in vain, as they fell to a 26 run defeat at Southgate Compton, whilst Sunday saw the 80^th birthday of club president Richard ‘The Colonel’ Sanders celebrated through a match between a Club XI and the President’s XI, with the President’s XI winning by nine wickets.

Next weekend also sees the first match to celebrate North Enfield’s 70^th anniversary year at their Strayfield Road ground, with Ferme Park visiting as they did in the club’s first year at the ground.