There was double cause for celebration in the Curtis household this weekend, as Hoddesdon 1st XI spinner Jamie Curtis delivered a sensational, career-best performance to scoop this week’s Greene King Level Head Green Jacket award – on the very same day his wife Charlotte celebrated her 40th birthday.

The experienced right-arm spinner tore through the Chorleywood batting order on Saturday afternoon, claiming a remarkable 7-wicket haul in a dazzling spell that left spectators wide-eyed and the opposition bamboozled. It was Curtis at his cunning, crafty best – mixing guile with precision and turning the screw from the moment he came on.

It was no surprise that captain Rob Walters tossed him the ball early on – and it proved a golden move. Chorleywood, chasing 267 for victory after Hoddesdon elected to bat first, were quickly tangled in Curtis’s web, losing wickets at regular intervals and struggling to decipher his flight, dip, and devilish turn.

By the time the last wicket fell, Chorleywood had been skittled for just 117, handing Hoddesdon a dominant 149-run win and giving Curtis his richly-deserved moment in the sun. His figures weren’t just match-defining – they were career-defining.

"That was a masterclass,” said captain Walters after the match. “Curtis bowled like a dream today – he had them on toast. You won’t see many better spells than that at this level.”

There were jubilant scenes at Lowfield as the Green Jacket was presented post-match – a now-iconic sight of Hoddesdon’s finest donning the emerald garb of honour. Curtis grinned broadly as he posed with his jacket, sponsored by Greene King Level Head IPA, his teammates applauding what will go down as one of the standout bowling displays of the season.

Curtis delivered a stunning spell of 7 for 23 from 15.1 overs, including five maidens, at an economy of just 1.52.

There was perhaps only one person prouder than his captain – and that was his wife. With balloons, cake, wickets and beer flowing in equal measure, Charlotte Curtis's 40th turned into a celebration of two milestones in one household.

Let’s hope she doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight — because James Curtis certainly stole the show on this particular Saturday.

Stick that on your Instagram.

#GreenMachine