Enfield's own nomads, the Northampton Exiles were in action last weekend.

The first team came through in another very close game to maintain their lead at the top of Division Four of the Saracens Herts Cricket League.

Put in to bat at Potton Town, on a pitch that, affected by recent rain, gave variable bounce, particularly early on, Exiles lost both openers for ducks to be 4-2 in the fifth over.

A partial recovery by Rizwan Badar (26) and Steve Plum took the score to 40 before a middle-order collapse to Potton's M Janaway (3-20) and N Hamshere (2-31) saw four wickets fall for just three runs over an eight-over spell as runs dried up almost completely.

Exiles were rescued by a classy display from Wayne Lawler (43) who virtually doubled the score in partnership with Adrian Browne (22) before eking out valuable runs with the tail as Exiles eventually totalled 119 before being dismissed in the 49th over.

With the pitch easing by tea, Exiles had to bowl and field tightly to give themselves a chance of victory, and Browne (7-52 in 22.1 overs) stepped up to the mark in a superbly controlled unbroken spell of left-arm spin.

Although wickets fell at regular intervals, with an unlucky Haroon Akhtar and Harit Patel (2-36) supporting Browne well, dogged displays down the order kept Potton in the game, and Exiles had only seven runs to spare when Browne bowled their last man with the score on 112 with nearly seven overs remaining.

Meanwhile, second XI joined the promotion hopefuls in Div 9 with a six-wicket victory over Rickmansworth 3rd XI.

Nathan Knox (4-47) and Salman Butt (2-32) led the way and, with Anil Mistry (3-11) and Corin Hosier (1-31) mopping up after a stubborn seventh-wicket stand, Rickmansworth were dismissed for 125.

Despite the loss of a wicket to the first ball of their reply, Exiles took charge as Butt (60) and Bernie Bower (39) posted a century partnership and cruised to victory at 126-4.

Elsewhere, Exiles 3rd XI had the better of a draw with Hertingfordbury 2nd XI in their Div 11 encounter.

Jaydip Desai (39) ensured a brisk start and, despite a slump to 101-6, James Cook (37) and Irfan Farooq (46*) gave Exiles a defendable total of 177-8.

Exiles were unlucky that two bowlers suffered early twinges, as Dharmesh Patel (6-37 in 18 overs) kept Hertingfordbury on the back foot so that they clung on at 141-8. Keeper Pranav Roy took five catches.

Desai (48) and Cook (19) again batted well in Exiles' Sunday friendly at West Essex, but the highlight of Exiles' 165 was 50 at better than a run a ball from Kasim Shamim in his first game of the season.

Exiles went down to a six-wicket defeat despite a nagging spell in the middle of the innings from Astley Tomlinson (2-22).

Mohammad Waqas (86) guiding West Essex to within 10 of victory at 166-4 before he fell to a smart boundary catch by John Panico.