MARTIN AND HIMESH SHINE BUT SAWBO HOLD FIRM AT LOWFIELD

Hoddesdon’s First XI delivered an excellent bowling performance against title-chasing Sawbridgeworth at Lowfield on Saturday, but a damaging mid-innings collapse left them 41 runs short of victory in the Herts Premier Cricket League Championship Division. Stand-in captain Will Steward’s side dismissed the visitors for a modest 173, only to be bowled out for 132 in 36.1 overs despite a determined 57 from James Mitchell.

The result was undoubtedly frustrating because Hoddesdon had placed themselves in a hugely promising position at the halfway stage. Sawbridgeworth possess one of the strongest batting line-ups in the division, yet they were prevented from building a commanding total by an attack led superbly by Himesh Ramanayake and the returning Martin Brown. Himesh collected four for 30 from 12.3 overs, while Brown rolled back the years with three for 64 from a marathon 20-over spell. James Curtis also claimed two wickets and James Mitchell completed an important run-out, ensuring every Sawbridgeworth batter was dismissed inside 46 overs after the visitors had won the toss and elected to bat.

A Mid Innings Collapse Put Paid To Hoddesdon's Hopes Of Victory

“To bowl a team of Sawbridgeworth’s quality out for 173 was an outstanding effort,” said Steward. “They have batters who have scored heavily all season, so the plan was to remain patient, keep challenging both edges and not allow them to dictate the pace of the game. The bowlers followed that plan brilliantly and we could not have asked for much more at the interval.”

Regular captain Rob Walters was unavailable for the fixture, leaving Steward to combine the captaincy with his wicketkeeping responsibilities. The absence of Walters, Hoddesdon’s leading run-scorer and an important bowling option, was always likely to be felt, while the side continue to operate without leading spinner Harry Mason because of a long-term injury. However, those coming into the team accepted the additional responsibility with aplomb. Steward captained maturely, rotating his bowlers effectively and refusing to allow Sawbridgeworth’s dangerous order to settle, while Brown’s return provided exactly the experience and control Hoddesdon had hoped for. The veteran was asked to bowl 20 overs and conceded only 64 runs, finishing with two maidens and three valuable wickets. He removed Sawbridgeworth captain Rehman Ahmed for 18, bowled Jack Plom for a duck and then ended Luke Garratt’s useful innings of 35, briefly leaving the visitors in serious difficulty.

Martin Brown Was Superb On His Return To The Side

“I thoroughly enjoyed being back involved with the First XI and contributing,” said Brown. “Twenty overs certainly lets you know you have played a game the following morning, but it was a good surface to bowl on and Will gave me the confidence to settle into a spell. The fielders worked hard around me, and as a bowling unit I thought we did an excellent job against a very good side.”

Sawbridgeworth had started carefully, with Matt Doran and Joe Joyce taking the score to 29 before Doran was run out for 17 by Mitchell. Joyce, who entered the match following scores of 112 not out and 160 not out during July, was prevented from producing another decisive contribution when Himesh found his edge for 22, Steward completing the catch behind the stumps. Brown’s dismissal of Ahmed reduced Sawbridgeworth to 77 for three, and Plom followed two runs later without scoring. Garratt and Max Osborne then mounted the most substantial recovery of the innings, taking the score to 135 before both fell in rapid succession.

Garratt’s 35 came from 54 deliveries and included four boundaries, while Osborne provided the most aggressive passage of the Sawbridgeworth innings. His 32 occupied only 22 balls and featured five fours and the match’s only six before he was caught by Gagan Dissanayake from Curtis’s bowling. Curtis struck again to remove George Kenny for 13, while Himesh ran through the lower order with impressive control. Sayed Aziz was trapped leg before for 12, Matt Billings was bowled for five and Charlie Mann suffered the same fate without scoring as Sawbridgeworth were dismissed for 173.

Himesh’s figures of four for 30 represented another exceptional performance from Hoddesdon’s overseas player, whose economy rate was just 2.40 runs per over. He narrowly missed out on the Greene King Level Head Green Jacket, with the weekly award instead going to Paul Webb after his outstanding all-round contribution for the Third XI against Preston, taking four wickets before scoring 31 with the bat.

“Himesh has been consistently excellent for us and once again showed his class,” Steward said. “He controlled the scoring rate, took important wickets and kept us on the front foot. He was extremely close to the Green Jacket, but Paul’s performance with both bat and ball for the Third XI was also thoroughly deserving of recognition.”

Hoddesdon's Bowling Figures

A target of 174 looked attainable, particularly after such a committed performance in the field, but Sawbridgeworth’s own bowlers responded with discipline. Usmaan Shafi struck two early boundaries but was caught by Plom from Osborne’s bowling for eight, leaving Hoddesdon eight for one. Curtis and Mitchell steadied the innings with a partnership of 38. Curtis made 20 from 28 balls and found the boundary four times before Angus Pickering bowled him, but Hoddesdon remained well placed at 46 for two with Mitchell beginning to settle.

The defining period of the match followed. Himesh was caught for four, Johnny Munday was bowled for five and Steward managed only one before Pickering struck again, while Andrew Lewis was trapped leg before without scoring. Hoddesdon had tumbled from 46 for one to 62 for six, losing five wickets for only 16 runs. Pickering was responsible for four of them during a superb spell of nine overs, four maidens, four for 21, repeatedly attacking the stumps and offering the Hoddesdon middle order almost nothing loose.

“There is no point hiding from the fact that the collapse cost us,” Steward admitted. “At 46 for one, with James batting well and a target of 174, we were very much in the game. We then lost too many wickets in a short period and gave ourselves an enormous amount of work to do.”

Mitchell refused to surrender and found an energetic partner in Dissanayake. Together they added 53 for the seventh wicket, with Mitchell providing the composure and Gagan looking to transfer the pressure back onto Sawbridgeworth. Dissanayake struck six boundaries in a lively 25 from 35 balls before Joe Joyce trapped him leg before. Brown made three and Om Thakeria added five, but Mitchell remained at the crease and continued to give Hoddesdon hope. His 57 came from 91 deliveries, occupied 137 minutes and contained nine fours. It was a patient, responsible innings in difficult circumstances, with Mitchell balancing the need to protect the lower order against the requirement to keep the scoreboard moving.

James Mitchell Top Scored With The Bat

“James batted with tremendous character and showed exactly what is required in that situation,” said Steward. “He absorbed pressure, punished the bad ball and kept believing even as wickets fell at the other end. Gagan also played positively, and their partnership gave us a chance of taking the game deeper.”

Mitchell was eventually the last man dismissed, trapped leg before by Joyce with the score on 132. Charlie Tackley finished unbeaten without scoring as Sawbridgeworth completed a 41-run victory and collected the maximum 30 points. Joyce finished with outstanding figures of three for 11 from 7.1 overs, while Pickering’s four for 21 was the decisive contribution. Osborne took two for 58 and Aziz claimed the remaining wicket as the visitors demonstrated why they sit second in the Championship Division.

Hoddesdon collected seven points from the fixture, consisting of two batting points and five bowling points. Those bowling bonuses were a fair reflection of their excellent work in dismissing Sawbridgeworth, although the defeat saw them slip into the bottom half of the table. With Dunstable Town and Luton Town & Indians both recording victories, Hoddesdon now occupy seventh place with 176 points from 12 matches. Dunstable moved sixth on 197, while Luton climbed to fourth on 206, level with fifth-placed Shenley Village and one point behind Welwyn Garden City. Sawbridgeworth strengthened their grip on second place with 247 points, although leaders North Mymms remain 45 ahead after registering their tenth victory of the season. Redbourn sit eighth on 138, ahead of Hemel Hempstead and Preston in the two relegation positions, meaning Hoddesdon retain a useful cushion over the sides beneath them despite their recent results.

The Updated League Table

The latest setback should therefore be viewed with perspective. Hoddesdon remain competitive in a demanding division and have shown repeatedly that their bowling attack is capable of troubling the strongest sides, but the priority will now be turning promising positions into substantial partnerships and victories. The absence of Walters’ weight of runs and his useful overs was obvious, while Mason’s continued absence removes another proven wicket-taking threat. Nevertheless, Steward’s composed leadership and Brown’s immediate impact were major positives, while Mitchell’s half-century and Himesh’s latest four-wicket haul provided further evidence of the quality within the squad.

“We are disappointed because the opportunity was there, but there were still a lot of encouraging things,” Steward concluded. “Martin was exceptional on his return, Himesh was outstanding again and James played a very good innings under pressure. We know which part of the game let us down, and the challenge now is to respond together rather than allow one result or one league position to define us.”

Stand In Skipper Will Steward Gave His Players Praise, Despite Defeat

Brown echoed the stand-in captain’s optimism after making such an impressive return to senior cricket. “There is plenty of ability in this group and nobody needs to panic,” he said. “We bowled out the side sitting second in the league and were in a strong position at halfway, so the foundations are there. We must learn from the batting innings, stay positive and make sure the next opportunity does not pass us by.”

Hoddesdon host bottom of the table Preston CC, Herts next Saturday and will be hoping they can get back to winning ways against the league's basement club.

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