The first top-flight Potters Bar derby in the Herts Cricket League Premiership went the way of the scrappy underdogs - bottom club Old Owens beating the club bearing the name of the town.

The 61-run success for the home club lifted them off the bottom and above Welwyn Garden City, with Potters Bar losing top spot in the process to Radlett.

It wasn't a day for runs, Owens having made just 189-8 in their 60 overs.

But two wickets in the opening 15 balls gave the hosts a huge amount of belief and they dismissed Bar for 128 in the 43rd over.

Owens too had started slowly, Jigar Mehta removing both openers for just 11 runs while the next two batsmen had returned to the pavilion just 30 runs later.

Remarkably of the 41 scored for the first four wickets, 30 had come from Rhys Carter.

At one point he had teamed up with Jack Timms and the latter went on to grind out 50, having hit six of the 117 balls faced for fours.

Ralph Lane was in patient mood too, hitting 31 from 78 deliveries, and the pair put on 77 for the fifth wicket, sticking around for 27 overs.

Jake Whickham was in far more of a hurry and thumped an unbeaten run-a-ball 46 before Taj Thakkar added an almost as quick 16 to close the innings.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Jigar Mehta was the pick of the bowlers for Potters Bar. Picture: KARYN HADDONJigar Mehta was the pick of the bowlers for Potters Bar. Picture: KARYN HADDON (Image: Archant)

Mehta was the one Potters Bar bowler to make a decent impact, taking 3-43, while there was one wicket each for Teddy Duke, who took an impressive 1-8 from five overs, Anmol Maheshram and skipper Luke Chapman.

Any thoughts that Bar had of making inroads into the target were give a rude awakening in the first three overs as both James Scott and James Seward departed with just seven on the board.

And it didn't get too much better as Reece Hussain disappeared with the score on 25.

Charlie Scott and Steve Gale did make a good stab at reversing the fortunes with 34 and 35 but they too would find themselves back in the dressing room before three figures had been reached.

So too did Maheshram and Chapman, Brad Lane striking twice in an over to leave Bar on 90-7 and with only Esam Rahman seemingly able to prevent defeat.

He and Mehta took the score up to 124 before Chris Palmer whipped his bails away off the bowling of Carter.

The end came four runs and seven balls later.

Lane was the pick of the Owens bowlers, 3-14 in five overs, while Carter took 3-30. Wickham managed 2-42 and Jack Bloxham and Thakkar managed one wicket each.

Bar will look to get their title challenge back on track when they go to Hertford.

Owens have another home derby on Saturday with North Mymms the visitors.

Mymms go into that on the back of a battling draw away to Totteridge Millhillians.

The hosts had batted first and made 306-8 before declaring, Rhys Wynne, Dharmarajsinh Jhala and Jakob Bhula each getting two wickets.

And they looked to be tumbling to defeat when they were reduced to 77-5 in the 29th over.

However, Bhula was still sticking around and with big assists from Yuvresh Malhotra (26 from 79 balls) and Jhala (34 from 50), they eased through their 62 overs.

Bhula finished unbeaten on 76 having faced 144 deliveries.