STANMORE had the better of their Middlesex County League Premier Division clash with Winchmore Hill on Saturday before the rain hit game was brought to a premature halt.
When skipper Marc Reingold won the toss and put the visitors in to bat first, the decision paid swift dividends as Hamish McCarthy and Paul McIver struck early blows to leave Winchmore Hill reeling at 12 for three.
Prior (31) and Gatting led the recovery and, with useful contributions lower down, the visitors declared with 188 for nine from 54 overs.
McCarthy (4-47) was the pick of the home bowlers, while McIver (2-43) and Reingold (2-17) also bowled well, while wicketkeeper Richard Black snapped up five victims behind the stumps.
The Stanmore reply only lasted 14 overs before the elements finally prevailed. They lost the dismissed Umesh Valjee and the hurt Steve Mehra in that time in making 35 for one.
*On Sunday Stanmore won through to the next round of the National Cockspur Cup with a 49-run win at Radlett.
Steve Mehra (86), Angus Fraser (61) and J Hand (42 not out) starred with the bat as Stanmore rattled up a big total of 273 for nine from their 45 overs.
Radlett were dismissed for 224 in 39 overs in their reply.
