Harpenden remain hot on the heels of Potters Bar in what now looks like a two-horse race for the Herts Cricket League Premiership title.

They won game number 16 of the season by five wickets over Radlett, ending the Cobden Hill club's hopes of winning the crown themselves.

Harps remain second, five points behind the Bar with two games to go.

Radlett are still third but now 36 adrift of the leaders.

The match down Watling Street started with the home side winning the toss and electing to bat.

And there was a solid enough start, with 51 for the first wicket, but they then hit a speed bump as both Dominic Chatfield and Kabir Toor departed within a run of each other.

Fraser Crawford remained at the crease though until he was the sixth man out, having scored 50 from 89 runs and been involved in some decent, if not spectacular partnerships.

That left Radlett on 153-6 but there was still time for one more flourish, Delon Lett chipping in with 32 from 36 deliveries, eventually last man out in the 49th over with the score on 204.

Arthur Garrett led the Harpenden bowling with 3-31 while there were two wickets each for Andrew Neal and Harry Seagrave.

Herts Advertiser: Arthur Garrett was the pick of the Harpenden bowlers against Radlett. Picture: KARYN HADDONArthur Garrett was the pick of the Harpenden bowlers against Radlett. Picture: KARYN HADDON (Image: Karyn Haddon)

The start to the Harpenden reply though can only be described as horrible as Scott Galloway, James Latham and Bill Meacock were all out with Harpenden just on 12.

Danyaal Khalid proved their saviour as he stuck around for two and a half hours, remaining unbeaten on 97 having hit 14 fours and a six from the 124 deliveries he faced.

Neal (36), Usman Farooq (34*) and Chris Swanson (28) provided valuable support at the other end and they claimed victory with more than five overs to spare.

It hadn't always been easy though, they had been well behind the run rate until the halfway point before kicking on.

Randeep Sanghara with 2-40 was the pick of the Radlett bowlers.

Harpenden go to West Herts for their penultimate game while up next for Radlett is a trip to Bishop's Stortford.

Saturday will also bring a crunch clash in the Championship, with Redbourn at home to Hemel Hempstead Town.

The village side are in the relegation places, 22 points behind their next visitors and defeat would send them down.

Victory though would put them in the driving seat to stay up.

Their latest game ended in a five-wicket loss against another side who had been struggling, Dunstable Town.

They made 185 batting first with Johnson (48) and Adam Pritchard (47*) the only players who made a real impression, putting on 83 for the sixth wicket.

The home side though wrapped the win up after 45 overs, Josh Arnold and Conor Yorath managing two wickets each in reply.

St Albans are comfortably mid-table in fifth but lost by five wickets to Preston, the side now directly below them.

Jamie Regan (62) and Tom O'Toole (57) were their main batsmen, sharing a fourth-wicket stand of 86, in a total of 230-6.

Josh Mulvanney took 3-57 as Preston reached 233-5 in the 44th over.

Shenley Village, who had already confirmed both promotion and the title, lost for the first time this season at home to Broxbourne.

Charles Thurston's 4-66 and 67 from Umesh Valjee were their standout performances.