Club Sponsors - Marconato Italian Restaurant Club Sponser - Saffron Indian Restaurant
Back

Login

Don’t have an account?Register
Powered By
Pitchero
1st XI
Matches
Sat 24 May 2025  ·  HPCL Championship Division - 50/50
Chorleywood CC - 1st XI
167
171/3
Hoddesdon Cricket Club
1st XI
COMMON PEOPLE

COMMON PEOPLE

Jon Dean27 May - 18:21

Hoddy Grind Hosts To A Pulp

Chorleywood CC 1st XI vs Hoddesdon CC 1st XI
HPCL Championship – Saturday 24th May 2025 | The Common, Chorleywood
Result: Hoddesdon CC won by 7 wickets

Hoddesdon March On After Crushing 7-Wicket Victory at The Common

Hoddesdon Cricket Club’s 1st XI made it back-to-back league wins in the 2025 HPCL Championship with a clinical 7-wicket victory away to Chorleywood CC at The Common on Saturday. The result lifts Rob Walters’ side into third place in the table after three rounds, level on points with Shenley Village and just behind the unbeaten leaders Broxbourne and Old Owens.

On gloomy afternoon, Walters won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bowl first on a surface offering early seam movement. His bowling unit didn’t disappoint, bundling Chorleywood out for 167 in 44.4 overs through a disciplined, relentless effort spearheaded by James Curtis, Olly Arkinstall and James F Mitchell. In response, Hoddesdon’s top order calmly chased down the target with 14.5 overs to spare, thanks to fluent innings from Walters (55), Arkinstall (60*), and Will Steward (25), sealing a dominant win and another maximum 25-point haul.

Match Summary
Chorleywood CC 1st XI – 167 all out (44.4 overs)
Edward Rogers 42, Ryan Toms 21, Callum Neal 20
James Curtis 4-31, James Mitchell 2-16, Oliver Arkinstall 2-32

Hoddesdon CC 1st XI – 171/3 (35.1 overs)
Rob Walters 55, Oliver Arkinstall 60*, Will Steward 25
James Smithson 2-42

Result: Hoddesdon CC won by 7 wickets
Points: Hoddesdon 25, Chorleywood 3

Toss and Setup
Conditions were ideal for cricket: cloud cover in the morning burned away by midday, revealing a bright, dry outfield and a pitch that promised runs but offered something early for the seamers. Walters, trusting his side’s recent bowling form, chose to field first, backing his attack to exploit the morning conditions and restrict the home side.

First Innings: Bowlers Set the Tone
Chorleywood opened with Edward Rogers and Ryan Toms, the pair looking to lay a platform after a difficult start to their season. But Hoddesdon hit their stride early, with Muhammad Hasan Ali and Oliver Arkinstall keeping things tight up front and building early pressure.

It was Arkinstall who drew first blood, removing Toms for 21 with a caught and bowled. Two balls latyer, Olly hjad his second wicket thanks tto a smart catch by Steward behindd the stumps. At 27/2, Chorleywood were cautious, and their efforts to consolidate soon unraveled thanks to a devastating spell from Curtis, who claimed 4 wickets for just 31 runs from his 10 overs. His line, length, and subtle variations proved too much for the hosts, with two wickets in the 18th and 20th overs breaking the spine of Chorleywood’s middle order.

Mitchell supported perfectly with a nagging line, picking up two scalps of his own, including the key wicket of Ryan Evans, another caught and bowled the undoing of the hosts.

Though Edward Rogers (42) and Callum Neal (20) offered resistance, both fell just as they looked set to rebuild. A flurry of late-order wickets, including a smart run-out (Sutcliffe) from Mitchell and Arkinstall, ensured that Chorleywood were dismissed for a below-par 167, Harry Mason mopping up the final wicket of Max Davies with a clever delivery that trapped the last man LBW.

Second Innings: Classy Chase from the Top Order
Needing 168 for victory, Hoddesdon’s openers set out to chase in calm, confident fashion. Rob Walters and James Curtis strode to the crease and and attempted to survive a testing opening spell from Ryan Evans and James Smithson. However, Curtis fell early, given LBW off Smithson for 1.

That was to be Chorleywood’s final sniff of momentum. Walters and Steward took control of proceedings, with the skipper mixing finesse with power through the covers and down the ground. Walters brought up his 50 in measured style, anchoring the innings and rotating strike with maturity. Steward played positively, hitting 4 boundaries in a crisp 25 before he was caught by Ryan Toms. Walters followed shortly after, caught by Isaac Weintrob, but by then the damage was done – Hoddesdon were 103/3 in the 22nd over.

The chase was then expertly managed by Oliver Arkinstall, who produced a faultless knock of 60 not out from 70 balls, striking 10 boundaries in a composed display of stroke-making. He found an ideal partner in Clayton Stone, who finished unbeaten on 15, and together they saw Hoddesdon home comfortably in the 36th over.

You can view the full scorecard and stats by clicking HERE.

While Walters and Arkinstall starred with the bat, it was James Curtis’ 4-wicket haul that proved match-defining. His spell shattered the hosts’ middle order and ensured Hoddesdon were chasing a manageable target. It was a perfect illustration of his all-round contribution this season.

League Table: Hoddesdon Into the Top Three
Thanks to their 25-point haul, Hoddesdon leapfrog Shenley Village (who lost to Broxbourne) into third place in the HPCL Championship Division, tied on 59 points. Broxbourne and Old Owens remain unbeaten at the top, each with 75 points from three matches.

Pos Team P W L BatP BowlP Pts
1 Broxbourne CC 3 3 0 0 0 75
2 Old Owens CC 3 3 0 0 0 75
3 Hoddesdon CC 3 2 1 7 2 59
4 Shenley Village CC 3 2 1 5 4 59
5 Reed CC 3 1 2 8 12 43
6 Dunstable Town CC 3 1 2 1 14 40
7 Hemel Hempstead 3 1 2 4 7 36
8 Preston CC 3 1 2 3 8 36
9 Redbourn CC 3 1 2 6 5 36
10 Chorleywood CC 3 0 3 7 10 17

From the Captain
After the match, skipper Rob Walters was full of praise for the team’s discipline:

We were excellent from ball one today. The boys executed the plan perfectly with the ball and we were clinical with the bat. Curtis was exceptional – he broke the back of their innings. That’s two really strong performances back-to-back, and we’re building something now.”

He added:

Momentum is everything in this league. We’ve got depth, belief, and we’re gelling well. But we take nothing for granted – we go again next week, and we go again hard.

What’s Next?
Hoddesdon return home to Lowfield next Saturday as they host local rivals Broxbourne in what promises to be a blockbuster top-of-the-table clash between two sides gunning for the title. With confidence high and form peaking, the Green Machine will be eyeing a statement win to break into the top two and halt their neighbours early march. A pre season friendly between the two sides saw a 25 run Hoddesdon win away from home, but in the cut and thrust of competitive league action, the result is far from over and done with.

One thing is for sure. Walters and co will be bang up for this.

#GreenMachine

Match details

Match date

Sat 24 May 2025

Start time

12:00

Meet time

10:45

Competition

HPCL Championship Division - 50/50
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Club Sponsor - David Barney & Company Solicitors