Ryan Skeggs is the new captain of Knebworth Park Cricket Club. He was elected at the club’s Annual Meeting on Friday, 29 January.

It is his second spell at the helm and he takes over from his brother Tony who has led the club for the past three seasons.

Ryan was a prominent member of the Park side which last season powered to promotion as champions from the Saracens Herts League Division One with two games to spare.

He said: “I’m thrilled to take over the reins again. We have a squad brimming with talent which I’m sure can make a strong challenge in the Home Counties Premier League. Our young players will be even stronger and more experienced than last year.

“We’re also in the process of adding to that group of players with a couple of all-rounders in the pipeline as well as another, Guy Warman, who is back after four years away – and he has been looking highly impressive in winter training.”

The Park are currently practising at the Herts Indoor Sports Village on Saturdays at 5 to 6pm. Any players interested in joining for any of the club’s six seniors elevens or juniors teams, should phone 07867580492.

The club also has a new Chairman in Brian Sheffield and Gareth Cowell takes over in leading the Junior Section.
Two other new captains for the forthcoming season are David Barwick who leads the Fifth team and Eddie Large who takes charge of the Sixths.

President Lord Cobbold praised the club for another outstanding season with all the senior sides performing well – and the club’s first-class juniors teams, from age of six to 15, providing a continuing production line of talented players.

He congratulated all captains and youth team managers – and all the whole membership - for working so hard and with so much enthusiasm in maintaining the record of success.

Knebworth Park demolished Langleybury to guarantee promotion and virtually secure the championship in Saracens Herts League Division One.

Bouncing back from last week ' s disappointing county cup semi-final loss to Radlett, it was the perfect tonic by dismissing Langleybury for just 60 and completing an emphatic 11th league win by eight wickets. Taking only 13.4 overs to pass the target, the victory lifts them to within one point of ensuring the Saracens Herts League Division One title with two matches remaining.

With second-placed Berkhamsted losing, they are now 59 points clear with Hitchin a further four points behind in third place.

A damp Langleybury wicket always looked likely to favour the bowling side. And it proved exactly that when the home team's captain Lee Channer was caught and bowled to a delivery from Sam McCrow that stood up and struck the splice of the bat to spoon up an return and easy chance back to the bowler. The second wicket quickly followed to Paul Slade from the other end, having No.3 Oxley caught for a duck by Ryan Skeggs attempting an ambitious drive given the conditions.

The hosts began to show signs of combating the wet conditions through positive intent and the clean hitting of opener Nahim Amin, who struck three 6s and four 4s, taking Slade for 21 off on over on his way to 41. A terrible mix up with No.4 Ross Channer saw him stranded in the middle of the wicket. McCrow picked up cleanly at point to direct a perfect throw over the top of the stumps at the bowler's end for Slade to take the bails off and reduce the score to 45 for 3 off nine overs.

This saw a collapse of the Langleybury middle order who proceeded to lose a further four further wickets in the next five overs for just 6 runs, the openers taking two apiece to reduce them to 51-7 off just 14 overs. The lower order showed no more aptitude, application or fight for survival and succumbed in quick succession to be all out for 60 in 22 overs, Paul Slade finishing with 5-35 off 11 and Sam McCrow 4-17 off 11.

The Park ' s response, led by Jarrod Turner and Ryan Skeggs began with a first over that took over 10 minutes to complete as a result of a cut thumb on Turner ' s bottom hand after a length ball reared to provide a painful blow that required treatment. During which time a large branch of an over hanging tree crashed to the ground and had to be lifted off the playing area.

The delay proved Skeggs undoing as he edged his very first ball to the ' keeper off the bowling of Josh Godden from the other end with the score on just 6. This bought Steve Gregory to the crease who applied good discipline and skill to negotiate a wicket that was still proving every bit as tricky to survive and score runs on. The pair took the score to 26 before Turner was caught in slips off another rising ball that this time took the edge from the bowling Goddin.

Young Louis Champion (13 not out) joined Gregory at the crease and the pair led by Gregory (31 not out), continued to apply a watchful but positive approach that was enough to chase down the Langleybury total without any further loss of wickets.

In Sunday’s County Cup semi-final the Park were swept aside by Radlett who bowled them out for 123. Champion 24, Turner 28 and McCrow 27 were the top scorers, all unable to capitalise on good starts. Former Park player Tom Jenkins 57 not out then led the home side to victory.

The Park had taken a substantial number of supporters to the game. While the result was disappointing, it was an excellent achievement to reach this stage, beating two teams from the division above en route. Now it leaves the Park to concentrate on the task of securing promotion to the Home Counties League.

Knebworth Park fought out a rare and dramatic tie in their top of the table match away to third-placed Totteridge Millhillians.

On a wicket of indifferent bounce where batting was difficult, the Park shot out the hosts for only 107 in 33 overs with the last five wickets falling for only six runs.

In the chase for victory, the last Knebworth pair needing to scramble eight runs, an edge through the slip by Tom Hemingway and single made the scores level when Charlie Randall was cleaned bowled for a tie.

The 20 points gained stretched the lead at the top of the table to 44 points after second-placed Berkhamsted were held to a draw by bottom club Dunstable and Hitchin moved in to third place, 63 points adrift of Knebworth with three games left.

Totteridge’s openers Chris Mason 23 and Gregg Cruder 19 compiled the highest stand of the match to add 33 before Randall made the first breakthrough. Sam McCrow, who went on to take 4 for 49, then shot out the dangerous Shaun O’Brien. Javed Soomro 21 struck further precious runs before Paul Slade trapped him lbw at 10. This triggered a dramatic collapse as off-spinner Tom Hemingway picked up with 3 for 14.

The alarm bells were soon sounding as the Park’s crack batsman Jarrod Turner was dropped three times before falling for 15. Steve Gregory 11 and Louis Champion 12 chipped in with valuable contributions, but the chase was under severe threat as they slid from 67 for 3 to 70 for 6.

Phil Simpson with a long and patient match-saving 27 and Sam McCrow 12 with a crucial stand of 30 put victory within sight. Then, with the total on 100 they were two of three more wickets to fall as the momentum swung back Totteridge’s way.

Peter Such, the former England Test player, was near unplayable in taking 4 for 21 and Indian overseas player paceman Dinesh Ramalingam 4 for 24 was an equally difficult proposition.

Finally Hemingway and Randall snaffled the runs that clinched a tie after defeat had looked favourite for much of their innings – and a crucial step was made towards promotion.

Knebworth Park, in partnership with Aston cricket club, are hosting a county Under 17 match between Herts and Berkshire.

The county were short of a ground to stage the game which is now being staged at Aston, near Stevenage, this Saturday, 15 August.

The Herts team includes Knebworth's Charlotte Baird. The staging of the game highlights the Park's status as a Focus Club in working closely with Aston where the Park play its fifth and sixth eleven matches. It also reflects the Chance to Shine coaching programme of teaching girls cricket in the schools.

Knebworth Park skipper Tony Skeggs extraordinary figures of 6 for 13 off 16 overs in setting up another win over St Margaretsbury continued the push for promotion from Saracens Herts League Division One.

With four games remaining, the tenth win of the season keeps the Park 37 points clear of second-placed Berkhamsted and 68 ahead of Totteridge Millihillians in third place who they place this Saturday.

On a damp surface which aided seam bowling, the home side struggled for runs, finally being bowled out for 122. Then Knebworth Park worked hard without ever being seriously troubled in winning by four wickets.

Sam McCrow made the initial breakthrough after a full toss was hit straight back to him for a caught and bowled. A partnership was laying a sound foundation before off-spinner Tom Hemingway removed Wallis.

Skeggs then took charge, the highlight being two wickets in quick succession which swung in and then nipped away off the seam to clip off stump.

The Park again fielded well with Tony Skeggs, Hemingway and Jarrod Turner all bagging good catches.

After the early loss of Turner, partnerships between Phil Simpson and Steve Gregory and then Louis Champion and Ryan Skeggs lifted the total on to 99 for 4.

From thereon victory was never in doubt although they lost a couple more wickets before the end as McCrow clubbed the winning runs.

Knebworth Park 2nds fell to defeat following a depressingly one-sided encounter away at Old Finchleians. The Park's total of 123 was knocked off for the loss of just two wickets in 42 overs, meaning The Park took just two points from some 91 overs play.

The toss proved crucial on a drying wicket, and having lost the toss and been inserted the Park slumped to 25-4 following some impressive bowling which fully exploited the capricious surface.

A gritty stand of 64 between Adam Sergeant (52) and Ed Wright (40), gave the Park some hope of a miraculous recovery, but the opening bowlers returned to take the final five wickets for just 8 runs, the combination of Chetam Depala (5-29) and Mayur Depala (4-27) proving too good for the tail.

The Finchleians reply began in perfect circumstances for the Park, with Bill Thorne taking a wicket with the first ball of the innings. Thorne followed up with a second wicket soon after to leave the hosts 7 for2 and the game seemingly wide open.

Sadly, there were no further wickets as the partnership of Chetam Depala (69) and Wynn-Jones (46) saw them home with some patient batting on an improving wicket. Robert Crowe (0-26) and Graham Fisher (0-11) bowled tightly without any joy as the game meandered towards a tedious conclusion. Thorne was the only wicket-taker for the Park, with 2-41 off 9.4 overs.

Young seamer Matt Hutchinson claimed four wickets as the Thirds battled to a much-needed victory over St Albans West Indians on Saturday.

The under-17, who has been struggling with a groin injury for most of the season, bowled two steady spells off a reduced run-up to finish with the impressive figures of 4-14 off 12 overs. He cleaned up the tail as St Albans fell 14 runs short of their target in a tense match which could have gone either way.

Earlier, the Park found the going difficult against tidy bowling on a sticky wicket. The very lush outfield on a large ground made scoring boundaries almost impossible and it proved physically gruelling to keep up the scoring rate in the hot, humid conditions.

The Park only managed four boundary 4s and one six in their score of 169-9 off 53 overs. Opener Bret Painter led the way with a stylish 36 before Michael Carter top scored with a well-made 44.

The St Albans reply got off to the worse possible start with under-16 Tom Elliott (2-24) producing an absolute peach of a delivery to claim a wicket with the first ball of the innings. The home side were reduced to 16-3 but batted belligerently and, helped by a string of dropped chances, looked favourites to win at 137-6.

But Hutchinson produced his decisive second spell to set Park on course for victory before off spinner Richard Jerome (3-37) claimed the last wicket to clinch the 30 points.

An excellent all round performance from the 4ths helped them to a comfortable win over Wormley 2s.

On a pitch that looked like it would offer plenty for the bowlers Wormley won the toss and unsurprisingly elected to bowl. Despite bowling well the Wormley couldn’t find a way through openers Mark 'Manuel' Turner and Richard Boydell.

The breakthrough in the 27th over dismissed Boydell for 38 after a stand of 89 that had given an excellent platform. Mark Woods along with Turner carried on the good work, taking the score to 130 before Turner fell for 57.

Aided by good support from Karl Padalia (27) in the middle order Woods put the Wormley to the sword in reaching his 50 off just 47 balls. Woods was eventually dismissed in the 49th over after making 78 in 66 deliveries in an innings that included seven 4s fours and three 6s in a total of 243-7 declared.

Joe Elliott (2-25) made the early bowling the Wormley opener and then removing their captain thanks to an excellent catch from Turner. When Ben McGahan (1-24) picked up the third wicket with the score on 40 it looked like it would end the game as a contest.

A stubborn partnership of 49 in 14 overs gave the visitors hope of a draw but Padalia (2-26) helped by another excellent catch from Pete Bayford helped to keep wickets falling at regular intervals. Ross Courtney (2-13) edged them closer before Michael Darlow (2-25) finished the job, dismissing Wormley in the 45th over for 144.

In a fantastic finish the Park 5ths scrambled home by one wicket off the last ball against Sawbridgeworth 4ths.

After choosing to bowl first, Knebworth gave an excellent all-round fielding performance with two catches by Ed Emsley, one by Mark Folwell and one by Richard Jones.

But it was the bowling that once again stood out with Dave Mantle taking the honours with another outstanding six-wicket haul in 12.4 overs for 49 runs.

Tight and also very productive bowling at the other end saw Richard Evans secure great figures of 3 for 48 s in 17 overs, including two bowled around their legs. Dave Murphy chipped in with 1 for 17 in 7.4 overs before an injury cut short his spell and unluckily Alex Duff pulled up with an injury curtailing his opening spell short. Knebworth successfully bowled out Sawbo for 138 off 42.2 overs.

Struggling in the chase it was Gareth Jones batting turned the game in Knebworth’s favour with an excellent 37, backed up by Alex Duff, 22, including an enormous six the ball before being brilliantly caught in the deep and Richard Jones 20.

Sawbridgeworth never gave up and took Knebworth to the wire and in a tense last over Richard Evans (7 not out) successfully pushed the single to secure the win for the Park off the last ball.