Defending Bedfordshire County Cricket League Premier Division champions Vauxhall Motors CC got their title defence off to a flying start with maximum points from their first game as they beat Clifton by 145 runs.

On a damp wicket at Toddington Manor, Vauxhall batted first, scoring 273-8 from 46 overs. Zaheer Khan hammered seven fours on his way to 34, while Sajid Sharif top scored with 52 off just 49 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes.

In reply, Clifton never looked like getting anywhere near the target as they were dismissed for 128 from 32.3 overs, with Mohammed Irshad snaring 4-5 and Ahtzaz Ahmed 4-25 as Clifton's last seven wickets went down for a mere 15 runs.

In Division Two, Luton Town and Indians II suffered an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Cople Argus. Pete Bonham's knock of 16 was the best they could muster in a miserly 41.4 overs, totalling just 66. Cople made light work of their run chase, knocking off the winning 67 runs in just 16.4 overs with all 10 wickets still intact.

Elsewhere in the division, Vauxhall Motors edged past Kempston Hammers by seven runs. Motors batted first, scoring 192-9 off their allotted 46 overs and squeezed home after bowling out Kempston for 185 with the last ball of the match.

On Sunday, Luton Town and Indians slipped to a six-wicket home defeat to Flitwick in their Saracens Herts League Division Two clash. Nitin Parsooth scored 61, although Town were bowled out cheaply for 162 in 43 overs. In response, the visitors reached their target of 163 in 34.3 overs for the loss of just four wickets, with Dipesh Patel taking 2-26.
Elsewhere, Hitesh Chauhan finished unbeaten on 64 as Luton Town and Indians CC II drew at St Albans West Indians CC.

Responding to the home side's 180-7 off 53 overs, Chauhan steered Luton to 147-7 off 47 overs.

Their thirds, meanwhile, also drew at the weekend. Viren Patel, 82, and an unbeaten 64 from Akash Shah were the highlights of their 224-7 off 50 overs. But opponents Weston CC dug their heels in and managed to snatch a draw, finishing on 125-7 after 50 overs, despite the best efforts of Masud Rafiq and Munwar Hussain, who took three wickets apiece.

In Division Two of the Saracens Hertfordshire League Luton Town and Indians suffered a disappointing two wicket defeat to Potters Bar II.
Luton were dismissed for just 95 off 32.2 overs, despite Jeremy Page's 31.

In reply, Potters Bar reached their target in just 31.2 overs, but were given a scare by Luton, with Divyesh Patel taking 4-36. However they just made it over the line, winning narrowly by two wickets after scoring 96-8.