HODDESDON HOLD THEIR NERVE IN DIGSWELL THRILLER

Hoddesdon Cricket Club’s First XI made it four league victories in succession on Saturday after holding their nerve superbly to beat Welwyn Garden City by just seven runs in a gripping Championship Division encounter at Digswell Park. A contest which threatened to disappear from Rob Walters’ side during a disastrous start with the bat was eventually turned completely on its head, as Hoddesdon defended 195 by bowling Welwyn out for 188 in 48.1 overs.

The victory was built on an extraordinary recovery from 39 for six, led by Gagan Dissanayake’s magnificent 91 and Todd Sturdy’s patient 55, before a hugely disciplined bowling and fielding effort finished the job. Harry Mason also enjoyed an excellent return following his long injury lay-off, taking two wickets while conceding only 21 runs from his ten overs, as Hoddesdon continued a superb late-season run which has now carried them up to fourth place in the Championship Division table.

The latest standings put Hoddesdon on 286 points from 16 matches, having now recorded eight victories this season. North Mymms remain clear at the summit on 368 points, Sawbridgeworth sit second on 322 and Shenley Village are third on 294, leaving Hoddesdon just eight points behind third place with two league fixtures remaining.

Hoddesdon Sit Fourth In The League Table

Captain Walters was understandably delighted with the resilience shown by his side after such a difficult opening to the afternoon.

“We’ve won some really good games recently, but that one probably says as much about the character of the group as any of them,” said Walters. “At 39 for six we were in a huge amount of trouble and Welwyn were completely on top, but nobody panicked. Gagan and Todd produced an outstanding partnership and from there we genuinely believed we could defend whatever we managed to put on the board.”

CHALKER PUTS HODDESDON IN DEEP TROUBLE

Walters won the toss and elected to bat, but there was little indication during the opening hour that the decision would ultimately end in another Hoddesdon victory. Welwyn’s bowlers immediately found rhythm and movement, reducing the visitors to 12 for one when Walters was caught by Oliver Hewitt off the bowling of Al Mahmud Hasan for six. Jamie Curtis briefly threatened a counter-attack with four boundaries in a brisk 18 from 15 deliveries, but Alex Chalker quickly took control of proceedings. Will Steward fell for six, Curtis was trapped leg before, and Himesh Ramanayake was caught and bowled for just one as Hoddesdon’s powerful top order disappeared in rapid succession. Rob Jones was then bowled by Chalker for one and Andrew Lewis followed for a duck, leaving Hoddesdon reeling at 39 for six after only 12.4 overs. Chalker had ripped through the middle order and the visitors were facing the very real possibility of being dismissed for a desperately low total.

The Welwyn captain was outstanding, eventually completing his ten-over allocation with remarkable figures of five for 34, including a maiden. Hasan also applied sustained pressure with one for 26 from ten overs, while the opening spell had given Welwyn what appeared to be complete command of the match.

Alex Chalker Was In Inspired Form For The Hosts

GAGAN AND STURDY TURN THE GAME AROUND

What followed was one of Hoddesdon’s finest partnerships of the season. Dissanayake joined Sturdy with six wickets already gone and immediately recognised that survival, rather than aggression, had to be the priority. The pair initially concentrated on occupying the crease and gradually rebuilding the innings. At the 25-over drinks break Hoddesdon had reached 78 for six, with Sturdy unbeaten on 25 from 45 deliveries and Dissanayake on 19 from 35. Their seventh-wicket partnership passed 50 from 81 balls and continued to gather momentum as Welwyn were forced to search for ways to break an increasingly stubborn combination. Sturdy remained patient and disciplined while Dissanayake began to expand his game, picking up boundaries as confidence grew. Dissanayake reached his half-century from 74 balls before accelerating impressively towards the closing stages. He eventually made a superb 91 from 96 deliveries, striking eight fours and two sixes in an innings which changed the entire complexion of the afternoon. Sturdy’s 55 from 107 balls was equally valuable in different circumstances. His seven boundaries were accompanied by a willingness to absorb pressure and preserve his wicket when Hoddesdon simply could not afford another early dismissal.

Together they added an enormous 147 runs for the seventh wicket, moving the score from 39 for six all the way to 186 for seven. Dissanayake was finally dismissed by Thomas Whitton with the prospect of a century beginning to appear, but by then he and Sturdy had dragged Hoddesdon back into a contest which had looked virtually lost.

Gagan Dissanayake Hit A Game Changing 91

Todd Sturdy Was Equally Impressive With The Bat

“It was an incredible effort from both of them,” Walters said. “Todd understood exactly what the situation needed and Gagan played an unbelievable innings. To go from 39 for six to nearly 190 before losing another wicket completely changed the energy of the game.”

Johnny Munday was dismissed without scoring before Sturdy’s superb resistance finally ended at 192. Mason made two and Om Thakeria finished unbeaten on two as Hoddesdon were dismissed for 195 in 48.4 overs, a total which appeared modest in isolation but represented a remarkable recovery given the state of the innings little more than two hours earlier.

HODDESDON HIT BACK WITH THE BALL

If Welwyn believed the chase would be straightforward, Hoddesdon quickly gave them reason to reconsider. Their biggest batting threat, Fayaz Homyoon, had entered the game with nearly 900 runs for the season but was dismissed for just one, Steward taking the catch from Himesh’s bowling with only five on the board. Thomas Burnap and Arnav Desai rebuilt to 47 before Hoddesdon struck again through the field. Steward and Walters combined to run out Burnap for 17, applying the sort of pressure which would become increasingly important as the innings developed.

Mason then marked his return to First XI cricket in style. The spinner, back after a lengthy spell out through injury, bowled Desai for 31 before removing Andrew Nolan for 13, caught by Munday, to leave the hosts 75 for four. His figures were outstanding. Mason bowled his full allocation of ten overs, including two maidens, and conceded only 21 runs while taking two wickets, producing an economy rate of just 2.10 in his first match back.

Harry Mason Took Two Wickets On His Return From Injury

“It was brilliant to have Harry out there again,” Walters added. “He gives us so much control and he’s always capable of taking wickets. To come straight back into the side and bowl ten overs for 21 after being out for that length of time was a massive effort.”

WELWYN REFUSE TO GO AWAY

Hoddesdon continued to make inroads as Walters removed Chalker for three, with Mason taking the catch, before Himesh trapped Hasan leg before for 15. At 118 for six the visitors had placed themselves firmly in control, but Welwyn were not finished. Oliver Hewitt dug in for 24 from 68 deliveries before Thakeria eventually removed him, Curtis holding the catch. That left Welwyn 118 for seven and requiring another 78 runs, seemingly placing Hoddesdon within touching distance of victory. Lucas Spong and Thomas Whitton then produced a determined eighth-wicket partnership which completely changed the atmosphere. Spong made 24 from 34 balls and Whitton 28 from 32, pushing the home side to 169 before Thakeria finally found the breakthrough. Jones took the catch to dismiss Spong and relieve some of the pressure, but Welwyn still needed only 27 further runs with wickets remaining. What had looked like a comfortable defence suddenly became a tense finish.

Hoddesdon’s bowling figures emphasised the discipline of the attack. Himesh returned two for 26 from ten overs, Walters bowled ten overs for one for 36, Thakeria claimed two for 43, and Mason’s two for 21 proved particularly significant. Curtis went wicketless but contributed eight overs, while Dissanayake delivered the final ball of the innings. Collectively, Hoddesdon refused to give Welwyn the sustained scoring burst they needed.

RUN-OUTS SEAL IT

The fielding ultimately proved decisive. Whitton was run out by Walters for 28 with the score on 182, leaving Welwyn nine wickets down and still needing another 14 runs for victory. Tom Edwards and Simon Bridgewater attempted one final charge, and Bridgewater struck a boundary from one of his two deliveries to bring the target tantalisingly closer. With Welwyn on 188, however, another sharp piece of fielding involving Curtis and Dissanayake resulted in Bridgewater being run out for four.

Welwyn were all out for 188 from 48.1 overs, leaving Hoddesdon victorious by seven runs and triggering understandable celebrations from the visitors. Three run-outs in the innings underlined the intensity of Hoddesdon’s work in the field, with every saved run carrying enormous importance in such a tight contest.

Hoddesdon Won A Tight Game By 7 Runs

“That’s why you keep talking about fielding standards and doing the little things properly,” Walters said. “When you win by seven runs, every stop matters and every bit of pressure you create can change the game. The lads were brilliant in the field and stayed switched on right until the end.”

FOURTH PLACE AND FOUR STRAIGHT WINS

The victory extends Hoddesdon’s excellent late-season sequence to four consecutive league wins. Preston were beaten by seven wickets at Lowfield, Luton Town & Indians were defeated by the same margin away from home, Hemel Hempstead Town were dispatched by 50 runs, and now Welwyn have been edged out in a thriller. That surge has lifted Hoddesdon to fourth in the full Championship Division standings on 286 points, just behind Shenley on 294. Luton remain close behind Hoddesdon in fifth with 277 points, while Welwyn are sixth on 256 following Saturday’s defeat. North Mymms lead the way with 368 points, 46 clear of Sawbridgeworth on 322, while the battle immediately behind the leading pair remains fascinating. With only two matches left for Hoddesdon, third place is now very much within reach if their outstanding form continues.

Welwyn will understandably feel they missed a major opportunity after reducing Hoddesdon to 39 for six. Chalker’s five-wicket haul had given them a commanding position, while Desai’s 31, Whitton’s 28 and contributions of 24 apiece from Hewitt and Spong almost completed the chase, but Hoddesdon simply refused to be beaten.

For Walters and his side, the manner of this victory may provide even greater satisfaction than some of the more comfortable successes of recent weeks. They were outplayed badly during the opening phase, recovered through a monumental partnership, then held their nerve under pressure when Welwyn threatened to steal the result late on.

“We’ve got two games left and we want to finish this season as strongly as we possibly can,” Walters concluded. “We’ve put together four wins in a row, confidence is high and there’s a really good feeling within the group. Saturday showed that even when things go badly wrong, we’ve got players who can stand up and find a way back into the game.”

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