Hoddesdon Cricket Club maintained its excellent start to the season with all four of its teams chalking up wins for the second week running. The First Team welcomed back skipper Rob Walters, unavailable for the previous week. He and Jamie Curtis, the latter for the second week running, were largely responsible for securing a comprehensive win away at Dunstable. Hoddesdon opted to bowl first and restricted Dunstable to 214-8 off 50 overs. It was a solid all-round bowling performance, in which Jayden Broodryk and Bill Thorne led the way but all bowlers played their part in keeping Dunstable in check.

When Walters and Curtis had rattled up 50 in only 8 overs, Dunstable’s total seemed inadequate. And then the opening pair just kept going, ticking along at almost a run a ball and parted only after a partnership of 195. While Curtis fell five short of a second consecutive League century, dismissed by fatigue as much as anything else, Walters saw his side home with a magnificent 113 not out off 115 balls. It had taken only 41 overs to overhaul Dunstable’s score and Broodryk, whose 197 not out the previous week will long be remembered, was 1 not out off a solitary ball.

Back at Lowfield the Second Team notched up a win in a much closer rain-affected game that was won ultimately on overall run-rate. Hoddesdon’s score of 233-7 off 50 overs was just enough as Dunstable 2nd X1 managed 106 -4 off 23 overs before rain prevented any further play. The runs had been spread around, skipper Adam Sturdy’s 49 being the top individual score.

The Third team were comfortable winners at Roydon against Great Gaddesden, Chris Gooch (106 not out) and Rob Harcombe (74 not out) the stars the batting as Hoddesdon compiled a healthy 224-3 off 45 overs, Great Gaddesen were 91-7 in reply off 27 overs when the weather intervened. Alex Charles-Wall took the first three wickets, Angus Watson bowled quickly and well, while Tom Grover snook in for a couple of wickets and 13-year old Johnny Munday on debut showed promise as an off-spinner.
The Fourth Team was involved in another tight game winning by only six runs. Hoddesdon’s main contributors in a score of 195-9 were 14-year old Connor Hunt on debut (41), Neil Connor (39 not out) and skipper Ross Maughan (33). Terry Savanhu, Jack Osborne and James Buse each took a couple of wickets as Frogmore were restricting to 189-7.

Another good day all-round for the Lowfielders.