CRICKETERS will be hoping that the downpours stay away on Saturday ahead of what promises to be a titanic final day title decider in the top flight of the Middlesex County League.

Persistent showers shortened the action at the weekend with two Premier Division matches being abandoned, while the remaining three fixtures that did survive the weather had to be decided using the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method (DLS) – a mathematical calculation used to work out target scores when rain interrupts play.

League leaders North Middlesex managed to get all 50 of their allotted overs in against already-relegated Twickenham. And the home side looked to have used those overs well enough as they finished their innings at Park Road in Crouch End boasting one of their highest totals of the season after ending play on 245-9.

Joe Cracknell top-scored for the hosts with a rapid 41 runs off 51 balls, while opener Divyanshu Bhartiya also batted well for 40.

With the rain closing in, Michael Hogan quickly set about dismissing Twickenham’s top-order. The Australian seamer removed openers Patrick Dixon, for a duck, and Neville Talbot, for six, on his way to taking three wickets at the expense of just 18 runs.

Hogan also removed Don Manuwelge, but not before he could forge what would prove a crucial third-wicket partnership with his skipper, Carlos Nunes.

The pair combined to add 110 runs to the scoreboard, with Nunes going on to top-score with 65, while Manuwelge hit 47 to help Twickenham reach 171-6 from 24.3 overs. Using DLS, that was enough to earn the visitors a four-wicket win.

More importantly, it denied North Midd the chance to be crowned champions. They instead now find themselves just three points ahead of Stanmore, who, again using DLS, scraped a seven-run victory away to Ealing.

As fate would have it, North Midd’s final game of the campaign is, of course, away to Stanmore in what will be a winner-takes-all showdown – one that fans will hope isn’t impacted by the rain.

Life is just as tense at the other end of the table, with Hampstead travelling to Shepherd’s Bush in their final outing this weekend knowing that they have to better Finchley’s result away to Twickenham to avoid relegation.

Hampstead suffered a five-wicket defeat in their final home game of the season on Saturday against Crouch End. Callum Jackson, who top-scored at Lymington Road with 47, and Amogh Karpe, who hit 46, formed a solid third-wicket partnership, putting on 103 runs. That helped the home side reach 173 before being bowled out in the 45th over.

Crouch End, however, did enough to take the win as DLS again came into play.

Led by Dhaval Narotam’s unbeaten 42, the visitors posted 109-5 in less than 15 overs before the weather won out – which was more than enough to take all 10 points, and leave the Hampstead players sweating on their survival going into the final weekend.