Nick Brown reflected on the disappointing display at North Middlesex in the Middlesex County League Premier Division

Ham & High: Eloise Porter in action for Hampstead women's first-team at Hutton on her way to a hundred (pic: Jim Lynch).Eloise Porter in action for Hampstead women's first-team at Hutton on her way to a hundred (pic: Jim Lynch). (Image: Archant)

Hampstead’s two women teams both won last weekend after some strong batting displays on the road.

The first XI visited Essex club Hutton in the Southern League Collins and managed to triumph by 169 runs.

After winning the toss, Imogen Webb decided to bat first and it proved a great decision with Hampstead posting 260-3 from 40 overs.

Sian Culley (64) and Sally Dixon (36) put on 77 for the first wicket before Eloise Porter smashed an unbeaten 118 from only 71 balls.

Porter hit 18 fours and it was too many runs for Hutton to chase down as they were all out for 91 in the 28th over.

Culley claimed 3-13 from 7.5 overs while Emma Edwards snapped up 3-20 from six overs on a great day for the first-team.

It was an equally good afternoon for the second XI after they won by seven wickets away to Hitchin in the Four Counties Cricket League 30-over Division

The hosts decided to bat first, but were all out for 137 with 13 balls of their innings left thanks to the efforts of Hampstead trio Mollie Chapman (3-17), Hollie Summerfield (2-9) and Beatrix Lovell-Viggers (2-30).

Harriet Millard’s team were always in control of their reply with Summerfield backing up her bowling display with an unbeaten 43 to take the visitors home in the 23rd over.

Captain Millard said: “I’m so proud of the team for putting in another solid performance like they’ve put into all of our games.

“I’m confident we can continue this positive momentum until the end of the season.”

Both teams remain top of their respective divisions and the first XI are in action again on Sunday away to Actonians.

There was not such good news for the men’s first-team last weekend after they lost by seven wickets at North Middlesex in the Middlesex County League Premier Division.

Liam Hughes won the toss and batted first, but only George Adair could stick around for a sustained period of time.

Hampstead’s opener eventually went for an 80-ball innings of 76 and the next best score was 28 by Matt Watson with the visitors all out for 171.

North Middlesex made light work of the chase and got home in the 31st over despite 2-33 from Will Hughes.

Chairman Nick Brown said: “We can have no complaints about the result because we were well beaten.

“In truth, we were down on availability for a variety of reasons and if we had any chance we were going to need our regular first-team batters to deliver 200 plus runs, more or less what happened at Richmond when we got a score of 332 all out.

“That’s a pretty big expectation against a good North Middlesex team and in spite of a great innings from George Adair, our total was never going to be enough.”

Fourth-placed Hampstead will seek to bounce back at home to Teddington this weekend with the visitors currently eighth in the table after nine fixtures.