Welwyn Garden City are heading back to the top flight of the Herts Cricket League at the first time of asking after a dramatic play-off win at home to Shenley Village.

The three-times winners had been relegated last year for the first time in their history and missed out on the Championship title to runaway Flitwick.

However, second place earned them a play-off against Shenley, who finished second bottom of the Premiership, and a 10-run success means WGC are heading back.

Skipper Connor Emerton has taken Welwyn Garden City back up at the first attempt. Picture: TGS PHOTOSkipper Connor Emerton has taken Welwyn Garden City back up at the first attempt. Picture: TGS PHOTO (Image: Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo) The match came down to the final after both sides had shone with the bat.

Chasing Welwyn's 325, Shenley had been behind the run rate for most of the game but arrived with two overs to play needing 25 from 12 deliveries.

They still had Yash Lakhani and former Welwyn favourite Mo Rizvi at the crease and the pair knocked off 11 in the first five balls of the penultimate over.

However, the final delivery on the 49th over saw Lakhani caught by Alex Chalker off the bowling of skipper Connor Emerton. He made 90 in 73 balls with seven fours and five sixes.

And then the first ball of the final over saw Rizvi trapped by Radhakrishna Marripati after a wonderful 161 in 149 deliveries.

He had sent 15 to the rope while another four cleared it, but their departures lefr Shenley all of a sudden on 312-9 and needing 14 in five balls, with just the two tail-enders left.

They only managed three before Dhruv Sapra was out for a duck on the final ball, the game already won by then.

Up until the last seven balls, Rizvi and Lakhani had threatened to pull off a wonderful come from behind success for Shenley.

Coming together on 126-7 in the 27th over, the pair put on a cracking 186 in just 135 balls.

Lakhani's wicket was Emerton's only one of the match but Marripati ended up with 4-57 from his 10 overs.

The beginning of the Shenley innings had seen Al Mahmud Hassan take 3-43, including the wicket of the Villagers' dangerman Will Thomson, removed for just 16.

Jacob Logan chipped in with 2-48 from his nine overs bowled, the only other bowler to claim a scalp, but he had starred with the bat earlier on.

The opener smashed 119 in 100 balls, 18 of them going for four and one for six.

He had made the majority of two solid opening partnerships, 34 with Fayaz Homyoon and 63 with Dylan Dhesi, moving WGC onto 97-2 before combining excellently with Owais Shah.

They made 115 in 101 balls before Shah went for 54 in 59.

That was in the 36th over and it proved a costly one as three balls later Logan too was walking back to the pavilion.

Radhakrishna Marripati hit 55 in 36 balls and there was 39 in 28 from Chalker, all helping to keep the scoreboard ticking over until the tail fell away very late on.

Welwyn will now join Flitwick in the new division, playing the likes of Potters Bar, North Mymms and champions Harpenden.

Shenley will take their place back in the Championship as will Old Owens, relegated at the end of the regular season.