IN 2018, Leverstock Green CC's 1st XI will take their place in the Championship Division of the Saracens Herts Premier Cricket League.

It will be the highest division at which The Green have ever competed in the club's history, with a third-place finish in Division One proving enough for promotion.

Yet it was a strange afternoon at LGCC for the season finale, with Levy succumbing to Kings Langley by 29 runs - a result which saved the neighbouring club from relegation.

But news of Old Owens' defeat - coming just before Levy lost their last wicket - meant Green had accrued sufficient bonus points to secure third spot, and the celebrations began upon the final dismissal.

So it was good news all round for local teams. Hemel Hempstead Town won to seal second place, Kings staved off the drop and Levy took advantage of Harpenden II not being allowed to move up to claim the second Championship berth.

Dayle Littlejohn's side won nine of their 18 league fixtures, with one draw and one no-result. Ninety-six bonus points amassed across the summer would ultimately prove crucial however, keeping Green seven points above Old Owens who won 10 games - albeit only three after a barnstorming early-season run of seven wins from seven matches.

Levy finished 24 points off Harpenden II in top spot and 10 points behind Hemel, who were beaten at The Green in what proved to be the penultimate win of the campaign.

Congratulations to Dayle and all those players who represented the 1st XI in 2017. It's a great time to be part of it at the club with the county's warmest welcome in sport.

Note: With a mix of 11.30am and 12noon starts in Championship cricket, LGCC is currently reviewing its plans for junior training - which will definitely be moving away from the current Saturday morning slot.

ROUNDING up the fortunes of the other three Saturday teams, we start with the 4th XI who were promoted in Regional Division C West's second spot - behind champions Old Eastcotians.

Dave Young's Green 4s now move up to Regional Division B West, where they will be challenged with a tougher standard of cricket. Congratulations to the 4th XI squad.

Although the 2nd XI missed out on promotion by just eight points in Division 5A, the inability to convert promising positions into victories ultimately cost Imran Iqbal's team any chance of moving on up.

The costliest defeat came on the penultimate weekend when fellow promotion-chasers St. Albans II beat Levy at The Green before wrapping up the divisional title ahead of Old Haberdashers.

The 3rd XI were blighted by early-season draws when wins looked likelier, and then holiday availability was unhelpful so they were left to scramble to safety by accruing sufficient bonus points on the summer's final day to once again secure their spot in Division 9B.