HPCL Division 4A – Northwood Town CC (1st XI) vs Hoddesdon CC (2nd XI)
Venue: Northwood CC, Duck’s Hill Road
Date: Saturday 14 June 2025
Result: Northwood Town CC won by 130 runs

A bleak day in the capital spelled even bleaker fortunes for Hoddesdon Cricket Club’s 2nd XI, who suffered their fourth successive defeat in HPCL Division 4A, this time at the hands of table-topping Northwood Town.

Despite glimmers of individual resistance — including a decent bowling spell from Rob Harcombe and a gritty 31 from Barney Heard — the visitors were outclassed by a polished Northwood side who racked up 240/8 before rolling Hoddesdon for just 110 inside 36 overs.

It was a chastening outing for Adrian Lee’s side, who have now slipped to ninth in the standings — only Old Haberdashers lie beneath them — and the gap to mid-table is beginning to widen ominously.

Pre-Match: Top vs Tumble
The morning began with Northwood captain Anjum winning the toss and opting to bat on a flat-looking surface under clear skies, any lingering moisture was likely to reward bowlers only briefly. For Hoddesdon, still licking their wounds after heavy defeats to Broxbourne and Kings Langley, this was a tall order — a clash with the division leaders, away from home, with form and confidence rapidly evaporating.

Youngster Freddie Hawkins was deservedly handed a debut appearance after stepping up from the 3rd XI, while Asif Mohammed, Charlie Tackley, the afore mentioned Harcombe and Freddie Webb formed the heart of a bowling attack tasked with containing a Northwood side boasting power, placement, and patience in equal measure.

Northwood's Control and Class
Northwood’s innings didn’t start in particularly convincing fashion. Akshay Loomba lasted just five deliveries before Rob Harcombe had him caught and bowled in style. Then, with the score at 30, James Han fell to Harcombe again, this time LBW, giving Hoddesdon their second breakthrough.

Skipper Lee had his tail up.

56-3 became 59-4 and an unlikely result was beckoning.

However, any optimism the visitors may have fostered soon evaporated under the weight of a formidable 123-run stand between Deepak Gairola (77 off 98) and Nischay Madhavan (89* off 107). The pair were measured but ruthless, rcombining expertly and punishing anything loose. Gairola was the more aggressive early on, notching nine boundaries, while Madhavan gathered and built with increasing fluency.

Hoddesdon's bowlers worked hard in the field — Harcombe was impressive with 3 for 39 off his ten overs, extracting bounce and maintaining lines — but support was inconsistent. Charlie Tackley and Asif Mohammed both toiled without reward, while extras began creeping up: Hoddesdon conceded 25 wides and two byes, a costly tally that gifted Northwood way too many runs.

Oliver Maughan, however, shone in a probing five-over spell that included the wicket of Sangeet Patel and conceded just 21 runs. Likewise, Rocco Cuffaro was a success, dismissing both Krunal Patel and Veer Vadgama to briefly peg the home side back. But by that point, Northwood had already surged past 200, and late flurries took them to a daunting 240 for 8 in their 50 overs.

Chasing Shadows: Hoddesdon's Reply
With a target of 241, Hoddesdon required a positive, disciplined start. Instead, they were plunged into trouble almost immediately. Skipper Adrian Lee was the first to fall, caught by Sangeet Patel for just 3. His departure was soon followed by Cuffaro, also caught by Patel for 6. The wicket keeper had held on on both occasions and shown a clean pair of hands to dismiss two of Hoddesdon's biggest hopes.

Barney Heard, promoted to open, battled gamely and top-scored with 31, striking four lovely boundaries in a 55-ball stay. He added brief partnerships but none were able to go on. New recruit Freddie Hawkins found life at this level challenging, lasting just three balls before falling LBW to Vadgama. The middle order fared no better: Bilal Ahmad (16), Harcombe (20), and Mohammed (23) each got starts but lacked the support, momentum, or freedom to swing the match back their way.

Northwood's bowling unit executed a well-drilled plan, with five bowlers taking wickets and all maintaining pressure. Vadgama, in particular, was outstanding, picking up 4 for 29 and strangling any scoring opportunity in the middle overs.

Once the tail was exposed, the end came quickly. Hoddesdon slumped from 64 for 6 to 110 all out, losing their final four wickets for just 46 runs in under nine overs. Their innings lasted only 36 overs, with six batters failing to reach double figures.

Captain’s Verdict
After the match, Adrian Lee was forthright in his assessment:

“There’s no hiding from it — that was a tough day. Northwood are a strong outfit and we gave them too many soft runs early on. Then with the bat, we needed someone to stay and a couple of others to fire. We didn’t get either. The lads are putting the effort in, but we need to be smarter under pressure and tougher in key moments.”

Lee also acknowledged the learning curve for younger players like Hawkins:

“Freddie’s been brilliant for the 3rd XI, and it’s important he gets exposure to this level. It was a tough one for him today, but he’ll be better for it.”

Sliding Down the Table
This result leaves Hoddesdon 2nd XI languishing in 9th place with 80 points — ahead of only Old Haberdashers (60), and behind Hatfield and Crusaders (84). The early-season optimism, buoyed by back-to-back wins in late May, has fizzled out into a run of four straight defeats. Alarm bells aren’t ringing just yet, but a turnaround is needed — and quickly — to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.

In stark contrast, Northwood sit proudly atop the table on 180 points, unbeaten after six rounds. Their professionalism, discipline, and consistency have them marked as clear promotion contenders — and few sides in the division look capable of stopping them at present.

Match Summary
Northwood Town CC 1st XI: 240/8 (50 overs)

Deepak Gairola 77, Nischay Madhavan 89*

Rob Harcombe 3-39, Rocco Cuffaro 2-34

Hoddesdon CC 2nd XI: 110 all out (36.0 overs)

Barney Heard 31, Asif Mohammed 23, Rob Harcombe 20

Veer Vadgama 3-48, Krunal Patel 2-34

Result: Northwood Town CC won by 130 runs
Points: Northwood 30 pts, Hoddesdon 9 pts

Next Up: Time to Regroup
Hoddesdon now face another tough test next Saturday as they host bottom of the pile Old Haberdashers 1st XI at Lowfield. With morale dented but the season far from over, Adrian Lee’s men will need to dig deep, regroup quickly, and rediscover the basics — starting with sharper fielding, tighter bowling, and a greater sense of purpose with the bat.

As the league table continues to take shape, the 2nd XI find themselves at somewhat of a crossroads. There WERE positives on Saturday, not least the wickets taken by Cuffaro and Harcombe, and the dogged determination of Heard with the bat. When the chips are down, it's very easy to criticise and struggle to find any light at the end of the tunnel. But captain Lee is a seasoned campaigner and has seen this all before. He will use that experience to pull his team together and unite for the cause.

The next few weeks will determine whether this is just a rough patch — or the beginning of a relegation scrap.

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