Welwyn Garden City continue to face the threat of relegation after a further defeat in the Herts Cricket League Premiership.

The six-wicket defeat away to Bishop's Stortford was the seventh loss in 11 for the Digswell Park outfit and with Old Owens racking up another massive win, this one against league leaders Radlett, Welwyn are now well adrift at the foot of the table, 48 points behind the Potters Bar side.

Once again, they were unable to score enough runs for their bowlers to exert any run rate pressure on the opposition, allowing their hosts to coast to victory,

Forced to bat first, their luck was immediately out as the second delivery of the second over caught on the wind and lofted from Dylan Van der Westhuizen's bat far enough for Simon Lindop to take the diving catch.

Fayaz Homyoon followed for 14 and Radha Marripati was given out caught by Jake Carder at slip off Ben Twohig for four.

Alex Roberts and Zaid Faleel were quickly behind them and at 42-5, WGC were reeling.

Jack Clayton, calmly batted through the loss of these wickets though and with Alex Chalker alongside him, the pair brought a sense of clam to the innings.

They made 60 in 79 balls to take WGC to 102-5 at lunch in 31 overs, and with nearly half of their overs remaining.

But the hope that a competitive score could be on the cards disappeared upon the resumption.

Having scored a couple of runs off the first four balls of Twohig’s first over after lunch, Stortford then got a team hat trick.

A mix up off the fifth ball saw Alex Chalker run out for 31, the sixth ball saw Clayton LBW for 38 and the first ball of the next over saw Dom Clutterbuck bowl skipper Conner Emerton for a duck.

It left Welwyn 104-8 and Twohig went on to get his fifth wicket as Welwyn were all out for 124.

Emerton managed to get a wicket on the fifth ball of his second over and then Dan Orchard struck three balls later and suddenly life seemed a bit brighter with Stortford on 12-2.

Emerton had his second victim 18 runs later but that was as good as it got for the away side as a 92-run partnership between Twohig and Joe Burslem took the hosts to the brink of victory.

The skipper did get his third wicket to finish on 3-34, Twohig out for 52, but Burslem helped guide Stortford over the line in the 35th over.

Life is far better for Knebworth Park in Division Two B after a thumping 153-run win over rock bottom Hoddesdon.

They are still third but in hot pursuit of the two above them, West Herts and Eversholt, the latter up next at home.

This victory was dominated by a century from opening bat Haydon Bartlett Tasker, eventually sent back to the pavilion for 104.

Louis Champion chipped in with 55 as the pair put on 112 for the first wicket in 17 overs.

Others came in to support Tasker and there was a fine cameo of 22 in 13 balls from Owen Watkins as Park finished on 306.

Hoddesdon struggled to score under the pressure of Gareth Jones and Charlie Randall but it was the spin attack that did the main damage.

Skipper Matt Hutchinson took 2-49, Alex Richmond 4-17 and Dave Roberts 3-40 to wipe out the middle order and leave the innings done on 153. 

The seconds had their game against Lutonians washed out but the third and fourth teams were involved in thrilling finishes.

The threes fell eight runs short against Ickleford in a match reduced to 30 overs per side.

Louis Hobbs took 2-17, as did Iain Hildebrandt, but Ickleford made 157-5 in spite of a slow start.

Park lost their top three batsmen early but Hildebrandt (20) and Jonathan Cirkel (47) put on 48 runs and Trent Hidebrandt scored 18 to take Knebworth onto 125-6.

Ryan Ellis nearly blasted them to victory with 25 but fell with two overs to go and 15 needed.

And despite the best efforts of the tail, they were all out for 150 and one ball to spare. 

The fourths lost by one wicket to Baldock 3s after their young spinners almost turned the game on its head. 

Having made 135-9 from their 40 overs, Ryan Loonan on 39, Baldock looked in control with just 14 required.

Ahmed Abdi (2-22) and Finn Hobbs (1-20) suddenly sent the opposition down to nine wickets but the last pair were able to just about hold their nerve.