HODDESDON MAKE IT THREE STRAIGHT WITH 50-RUN HEMEL VICTORY

Hoddesdon Cricket Club’s First XI continued their superb late-season surge on Saturday, beating Hemel Hempstead Town by 50 runs at Lowfield to record a third consecutive Championship Division victory. James Mitchell struck his second century in as many league matches as Hoddesdon posted 297 for eight from their 50 overs, before an excellent team bowling performance dismissed Hemel for 247 in 44.5 overs. The victory earned Hoddesdon the full 25 points available and lifted Rob Walters’ side into fourth place in the Championship Division on 261 points, leapfrogging Luton Town & Indians and moving to within eight points of third-placed Shenley Village. With three games remaining, Hoddesdon have put themselves in an excellent position to finish a fluctuating campaign on a genuine high.

Hoddesdon Won By 50 Runs

It was also an emotional weekend for Walters away from the scorecard. The long-serving skipper penned a heartfelt message of thanks to everyone at Hoddesdon Cricket Club, reaffirming his decision to step down from the First XI captaincy at the end of the current season after an extraordinary 15 years at the helm.

“We’ve spoken a lot recently about finishing properly, and the last three weeks have been a really good reflection of what this group is capable of,” said Walters. “There’s plenty still to play for and I want us to enjoy these final few games, compete as hard as we can and finish the season together in the right way.”

Walters won the toss and elected to bat, but his own stay at the crease was unusually brief. The captain was caught by Oliver West off Lucas Bertin for one from eight deliveries, leaving Hoddesdon 13 for one and giving the visitors exactly the start they would have wanted. Usmaan Shafi and James Curtis quickly changed the complexion of the innings with a superb second-wicket partnership. The pair added 105 runs, blending controlled accumulation with increasingly aggressive strokeplay as Hoddesdon raced through the opening powerplay at 65 for one. Shafi reached his half-century from 45 balls, having struck six fours and three sixes on his way to the landmark. Curtis followed soon afterwards, reaching 50 from 51 deliveries with seven fours and two sixes, and the partnership gave Hoddesdon an imposing platform from which to attack the second half of the innings.

Shafi Laid A Solid Base With 67

Curtis was eventually bowled by Freddie Lowe for 53 from 53 balls, while Shafi fell for an excellent 67 from 72 deliveries after hitting seven fours and four sixes. Their efforts had carried Hoddesdon to 155 for three and ensured the hosts were well placed despite losing two established batters in relatively quick succession.

“Usmaan and Curtis were excellent,” Walters said. “After I got out early, Hemel had a chance to put us under pressure, but those two completely took that away from them. They ran well, put the bad ball away and built exactly the sort of partnership you need in 50-over cricket.”

Any concern that Hoddesdon might lose momentum disappeared once Mitchell settled at the crease. Seven days after his unbeaten 106 against Luton Town & Indians, and barely removed from his remarkable 288 for the Middlesex Pathway XI, the young batter produced yet another outstanding innings. Mitchell reached 50 from 52 balls before accelerating spectacularly through the latter stages. He moved from 50 to 100 in only another 35 deliveries, bringing up his century from 87 balls and continuing an astonishing run of form that has established him as one of the standout performers in the club. His eventual 101 came from 88 balls and included eight fours and six sixes, giving him a strike rate of 114.77. Mitchell’s clean hitting was particularly important after Hoddesdon lost Himesh Ramanayake for ten, Will Steward for three and Rob Jones for eight during a period in which Hemel threatened to slow the scoring.

Mitchell's Purple Patch Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down

Edward Pike enjoyed an excellent spell for the visitors and accounted for Mitchell, Himesh, Steward and Jones on his way to four for 59 from ten overs. Bertin finished with two for 68, while Parth Mehta and Lowe claimed one wicket each, but Mitchell ensured Hoddesdon remained firmly on course for a total approaching 300. Gagan Dissanayake and Johnny Munday then provided exactly the late impetus required. Dissanayake finished unbeaten on 20 from only 15 balls and Munday made an unbeaten 19 from 16, taking Hoddesdon to 297 for eight from their 50 overs after the final ten overs produced an impressive 79 runs.

“James is batting on another level at the moment,” said Walters. “To score back-to-back hundreds in league cricket after what he did for Middlesex is exceptional. What I like most is that he is not just getting hundreds; he is getting them in different situations and playing the innings the team needs.”

The Hoddesdon Batting Card

Hemel’s chase suffered an immediate setback when Himesh removed Hemish Ilangaratne for four, caught behind by Steward. Tom Waterton and West attempted to steady the innings, but Hoddesdon’s bowlers ensured there was no immediate response to the required run rate. Waterton laboured patiently for 14 from 44 deliveries before a combination of Dissanayake and Walters ran him out. That left Hemel 71 for two, and although West was beginning to find his rhythm, the pressure created by the slow scoring at the other end was steadily increasing. West provided the centrepiece of Hemel’s reply and showed why his season statistics mark him as their principal batting threat. He struck 89 from 89 deliveries, including 14 fours and a six, producing a fine innings that kept the visitors interested well into the middle overs. Maxwell Clark supported him effectively with 40 from 68 balls, and together they moved the score towards 150. Curtis eventually trapped Clark leg before, before Om Thakeria claimed the crucial wicket of West, caught by Munday with the score on 147.

From that point, Hemel needed an increasingly unlikely acceleration and Hoddesdon continued to find breakthroughs whenever the visitors threatened to build momentum. Om removed captain Mark Brazier for 17, caught by Walters, completing figures of two for 66 from eight overs. Curtis produced another solid ten-over spell, conceding only 42 runs while claiming two wickets. His second victim was Freddie Lowe, who provided a brief burst of resistance with an explosive 20 from only seven deliveries, including three sixes, before Todd Sturdy held the catch. Walters himself then played a major role in shutting down the lower order. Finley Clark made 20 from 15 balls before Sturdy caught him off the captain, and Edward Pike followed for 14 with Sturdy again safely underneath the chance.

Himesh returned to remove Bertin for one, finishing with excellent figures of two for 25 from eight overs. Walters then completed the innings by dismissing Mehta for three, caught by Mitchell, giving the skipper three for 44 from 7.5 overs and sealing a deserved 50-run victory. Gagan’s ten overs for 42 runs were also hugely valuable despite going wicketless, with a maiden included in another disciplined spell. Hemel were eventually dismissed for 247 after 44.5 overs, leaving Hoddesdon to celebrate another emphatic victory at Lowfield.

Jamie Curtis Was Part Of A Superb Effort From The Bowling Unit

“The bowlers deserve a lot of credit because 297 is a good total, but you still have to defend it properly,” Walters added. “Himesh and Gagan were excellent at controlling the rate, Curtis picked up important wickets, Om got West at a crucial time and we kept catching our chances. It was a proper team performance.”

Mitchell’s century understandably put him firmly in contention for a second consecutive Greene King Green Jacket. Having taken the award following his unbeaten hundred at Luton the previous weekend, another three-figure score left him with an extraordinary claim to retain it. On this occasion, however, he was narrowly edged out by Louis Webb following his Green Jacket-winning heroics for the Third XI. For Mitchell to produce consecutive performances worthy of serious consideration for the award underlines just how impressive his current run has become.

Only Louis Webb Could Stop James Grabbing Another Green Jacket

Walters was quick to recognise the quality being produced across the club. “Mitch probably thought he might have done enough again, and in most weeks a hundred wins it comfortably,” he laughed. “But Louis had an outstanding day for the Threes and deserved the jacket, and having that sort of competition between performances across our teams can only be a good thing.”

The updated table makes particularly pleasant reading for Hoddesdon after a difficult period in the middle of the campaign. North Mymms lead the division on 359 points, with Sawbridgeworth second on 316 and Shenley Village occupying third place on 269. Hoddesdon now sit fourth on 261, just eight points behind Shenley and nine ahead of Luton Town & Indians on 252. Welwyn Garden City are sixth on 246, meaning Walters’ side have gone from looking nervously over their shoulders a few weeks ago to having a genuine opportunity to secure an excellent top-four finish. Hemel remain ninth with 186 points following the defeat, ahead only of Preston on 153. Their batting showed plenty of resistance through West and Maxwell Clark, while Pike’s four wickets were a major positive, but Hoddesdon’s greater depth across both innings ultimately proved decisive.

The Updated Championship Division

For Walters, the closing weeks will inevitably carry additional emotion. His letter to the club reflected on 15 years of captaincy, the teammates and friendships accumulated along the way, the support of sponsors and committee members, and particularly the sacrifices and encouragement of his family. There are now just three league matches remaining under his captaincy, giving the First XI an added incentive to squeeze everything possible from the final weeks. Three successive wins have already transformed the mood around the side, and fourth place provides a tangible reward for the improvement.

“I’m incredibly proud of this group and I’ve been proud to captain Hoddesdon for all these years,” Walters concluded. “I don’t want the last few games to become about me because there are 11 players walking onto the pitch trying to win for the club, but of course I want to finish strongly. If we can keep playing with the same energy and togetherness we’ve shown over these last few weeks, then hopefully we can create a few more good memories before the season is done.”

Hoddesdon therefore head into the final three matches with momentum firmly behind them. Back-to-back Mitchell centuries, an increasingly confident batting unit and a bowling attack sharing wickets throughout the side have carried Walters’ men into fourth, and there is still plenty of cricket left in which to add one final flourish to their captain’s remarkable 15-year reign.

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