Walters’ men recover from horror start to secure emphatic opening-day victory

Redbourn CC 177 all out (45.5 overs)
Hoddesdon CC 232/8 (50 overs)

Hoddesdon CC 1st XI kicked off their 2026 Hertfordshire Premier Cricket League Championship Division campaign in style on Saturday afternoon, producing a superb all-round team display to defeat Redbourn CC by 55 runs at Redbourn Common.

After a shaky beginning with the bat that saw Rob Walters’ side slump to 10 for 2 inside the opening over, Hoddesdon showed tremendous resilience to recover and post 232 from their 50 overs before a disciplined and relentless bowling display skittled Redbourn for 177. It was the perfect response after the disappointment of the previous weekend’s T20 defeat to Preston, and one that immediately announced Hoddesdon as serious contenders in the Championship Division.

There were major contributions throughout the side. Himesh Ramanayake struck a classy 60, captain Rob Walters added a composed 33, while young Andrew Lewis produced a mature unbeaten 59 in arguably the innings of the day. With the ball, Harry Mason delivered a superb spell of spin bowling to finish with 4 wickets, while the entire Hoddesdon attack contributed in a genuine team effort that delighted the travelling support.

As Mason himself later summarised:

“Recovered well from 10/2 to post 232 off 50 overs. Walters with 33 and Himesh with 60, but fantastically assisted by Andrew Lewis, who was 59 not out. Bowling group delivered the goods - Himesh, Mo, Mason, Om, Asif and Walters with a huge group effort, as well as great fielding by the side, skittling Redbourn out for 177.”

And in truth, it was difficult to argue with any part of that assessment.

Disaster Start for Hoddesdon

Having won the toss, Hoddesdon captain Rob Walters elected to bat first under warm skies and on what appeared a decent batting surface. Walters opened alongside Usmaan Shafi, but the innings could hardly have begun in worse fashion. Shafi crashed a boundary from just his second delivery but was dismissed almost immediately afterwards, caught by Alex Agar off the bowling of Samir Jordan with the score on 9. The very next ball saw Will Steward depart for a golden duck, Jordan striking again to leave Hoddesdon reeling at 10 for 2 after only five deliveries.

Suddenly, Redbourn were flying.

The home side sensed an early collapse, and with the new ball moving around just enough to create uncertainty, Hoddesdon needed calm heads in the middle. Fortunately for the visitors, they had exactly that in their captain.

Walters Leads the Recovery

Walters immediately set about restoring stability to the innings. The Hoddesdon skipper played with patience and control, refusing to panic despite the disastrous start. His innings of 33 from 53 balls was not flashy, but it was immensely important in the context of the game. He absorbed pressure, rotated strike smartly and punished anything loose, finding the boundary six times during his stay. At the other end, overseas man Himesh Ramanayake began to settle into his work. Fresh from his encouraging knock against Preston the previous weekend, Ramanayake again showed his quality and temperament. Early on he was content to play himself in, but as the innings developed he increasingly began to dictate terms.

Together, Walters and Ramanayake rebuilt the innings superbly. Their partnership steadied nerves both on and off the field and gradually shifted momentum back towards Hoddesdon. By the time Walters was eventually dismissed for 33 with the score on 69, the visitors had dragged themselves back into the contest.

Himesh and Lewis Build the Platform

Even after Walters’ dismissal, however, the game remained finely balanced. Todd Sturdy was unable to make a major contribution, falling for 7, while Johnny Munday departed without scoring to leave Hoddesdon 88 for 5. At that stage, Redbourn were firmly on top again and eyeing a rapid finish to the innings. What followed next ultimately decided the match. Young Andrew Lewis joined Ramanayake at the crease and together the pair produced a magnificent partnership under pressure.

Ramanayake continued to anchor the innings with calm authority. His 60 from 104 balls included seven boundaries and one maximum, and while it was not a rapid innings, it was exactly what Hoddesdon required after their early collapse. Lewis, meanwhile, played with maturity far beyond his years. The youngster looked composed from the outset, rotating strike confidently and punishing bad deliveries whenever Redbourn lost discipline. As his innings progressed, his confidence visibly grew. The pair frustrated the home side for over 19 overs and slowly but surely turned a precarious position into a commanding one.

Lewis Finishes Brilliantly

Ramanayake’s eventual dismissal for 60 at 172 for 6 brought an end to a superb innings, but by then the momentum had firmly swung Hoddesdon’s way. Lewis continued on impressively, finishing unbeaten on 59 from 92 deliveries in an innings packed with maturity, intelligence and composure. His knock included six boundaries and a maximum and was undoubtedly one of the standout performances of the afternoon. Importantly, Lewis also found support from lower down the order. Harry Mason chipped in with 11, Muhammad Hasan Ali added a useful unbeaten 11, and Hoddesdon continued to accumulate throughout the closing overs. Redbourn’s discipline also began to waver badly. Extras proved hugely costly, with Hoddesdon receiving 43 additional runs through wides, no balls, leg byes and byes.

By the close of the innings, Hoddesdon had battled their way to a highly competitive 232 for 8 from their 50 overs—a remarkable recovery considering the state of the innings early on.

Early Breakthroughs Rock Redbourn

If Redbourn had hopes of making a strong start in reply, Hoddesdon’s bowlers quickly destroyed them.

Frederick Johnson and Harry Cobb opened the batting for the hosts, but both were dismissed almost immediately. Muhammad Hasan Ali struck first, bowling Johnson for a duck, before Ramanayake trapped Harry Cobb lbw without scoring to leave Redbourn wobbling at 2 for 5. Those early breakthroughs set the tone for the chase and immediately handed control to Hoddesdon. However, Redbourn were not about to surrender quietly.

Cobb and Pritchard Fight Back

Jack Cobb and captain Adam Pritchard counterattacked impressively to rebuild the innings. Pritchard played positively throughout his 29 from 28 balls, striking six boundaries and briefly threatening to swing momentum back towards the home side. Jack Cobb also dug in well, compiling 33 from 46 deliveries in a more measured innings. The pair carried Redbourn to 70 for 3 and, for a period, the game felt evenly poised once again. But Hoddesdon’s bowlers continued to chip away relentlessly. Harry Mason, introduced into the attack, immediately began causing problems.

Mason Spins the Match

Mason delivered one of the decisive spells of the match. The Hoddesdon spinner bowled with outstanding control and intelligence, varying his pace cleverly and extracting enough turn to keep Redbourn’s batters uncertain throughout. He first removed Pritchard lbw before later dismissing Jack Cobb, Samir Jordan and Bodie Richardson to finish with exceptional figures of 4 for 28 from his 10 overs. It was a classic Mason performance—disciplined, relentless and packed with control. Importantly, he was brilliantly supported by the rest of the attack.

Om Thakeria produced another tidy spell and removed Alex Agar lbw, while Walters chipped in with two late wickets including Will Smith. Ramanayake also bowled economically and picked up an early wicket, while Asif Mohammed and Muhammad Hasan Ali maintained pressure throughout.

Fielding Effort Seals the Deal

If the bowling was impressive, Hoddesdon’s fielding deserved equal praise. Throughout the innings, the visitors hunted in packs, cut off boundaries aggressively and took their catches cleanly. Lewis Hewitt’s run out further underlined the sharpness in the field, while catches from Ramanayake, Todd Sturdy and Mason helped maintain pressure at crucial moments. That collective energy proved decisive as Redbourn’s resistance gradually faded.

Bodie Richardson battled hard for 32, while Alex Agar contributed 26, but once Mason and Walters broke through the middle order, the result increasingly felt inevitable. The final wicket eventually fell with Redbourn dismissed for 177 in the 46th over, sealing a convincing 55-run victory for Hoddesdon.

Perfect Start for Walters’ Men

Opening-day victories are always valuable, but this one felt especially significant given the manner in which it was achieved. To recover from 10 for 2 away from home showed character. To then bowl and field with such discipline demonstrated the kind of togetherness required to compete at the top end of the Championship Division. There were standout individual performances across the side, but perhaps most encouragingly for Walters and the Hoddesdon management, this truly felt like a complete team performance. From Lewis’ composed innings (which snared him the Green Jacket award), to Ramanayake’s class, Mason’s match-turning spell and the excellent fielding effort, contributions came from everywhere.

And if Saturday’s display is any indication, Hoddesdon may well have laid down an early marker to the rest of the division.

#GreenMachine