Hoddesdon CC 2nd XI make the trip to Northampton Exiles this Saturday with the table now offering no room for hiding places. Adrian Lee’s side remain rooted to the foot of Division 4B, and while there have been flashes of character, individual quality and improved batting in recent weeks, the simple truth is that wins and points are now urgently required if the side are to drag themselves back into survival contention. The latest league table shows Hoddesdon in 10th place with 136 points from 11 matches, having won just once all season. Preston sit directly above them on 143, Stevenage are seventh with 176, and Saturday’s opponents Northampton Exiles are eighth with 175, which means the gap is not beyond repair but it is beginning to stretch. A win at Clowes Sports Ground would not solve everything, but it would change the mood, close the gap, and give Animal’s men something real to build from.

The top of the table remains a different world for the time being, with Old Albanian leading on 273 points, Boxmoor second on 260, Luton Town & Indians third on 252 and Lutonian fourth on 242. Flamstead sit fifth on 230, with North Enfield sixth on 218, leaving the bottom half looking increasingly congested but increasingly unforgiving. Hoddesdon’s challenge is to stop being the side others see as points available and start becoming the side that turns pressure into performance.

Division 4 B

Recent weeks have told a frustrating story for the 2nd XI. The narrow two-wicket defeat away to North Enfield showed the fight still in the group, with Hoddesdon making 221 and pushing the hosts all the way before North Enfield squeezed home at 222 for eight. That performance brought 16 points and plenty of pride, but it was still another game that slipped away after being there to win. Either side of that, the results have been more brutal. Hoddesdon were beaten by 175 runs away at Lutonian after conceding 346 for five, and then lost by eight wickets at home to Stevenage despite reaching 197 all out from their full 50 overs. Those batting efforts against North Enfield and Stevenage were at least signs of life, but the table does not deal in encouragement alone, and Animal knows his side now need to turn promising passages into a complete performance.

Northampton Exiles arrive in this fixture with their own inconsistencies, which should give Hoddesdon some belief. Exiles were bowled out for 66 in just 23.3 overs against Boxmoor last weekend, losing by 141 runs after Boxmoor had posted 207 for nine. That result followed a six-wicket defeat away to Stevenage, where Exiles made 164 all out before Stevenage reached 169 for four in 43.1 overs. There has been evidence of Northampton’s danger too, most notably their three-wicket win away to North Enfield on July 4. Chasing 132, Exiles got home at 132 for seven in 39 overs, a result that showed they can scrap, absorb pressure and get over the line in a low-scoring contest. Before that, they were edged out by Lutonian, making 117 all out before Lutonian reached a revised target of 118 for six.

The previous meeting between Hoddesdon and Exiles came at Lowfield on May 23, and it is a match Animal’s side will remember as another opportunity that got away. Hoddesdon batted first and made 200 all out in 49.3 overs, collecting 10 points on the day, with seven batting points and three bowling points. Exiles replied strongly, reaching 201 for three in 38.1 overs to win by seven wickets and take the full 30 points. That result underlined the importance of partnerships and control, two areas Hoddesdon have spoken about repeatedly in recent weeks. Reaching 200 should make a side competitive, but only if the bowling and fielding squeeze hard enough afterwards. Saturday therefore brings a chance not just for revenge, but for evidence that lessons from the first half of the season are beginning to stick.

Exiles Won The Early Fixture Of The Campaign

Northampton’s batting danger is led by Dhrupesh Patel, whose season numbers stand out clearly. He has scored 299 runs from eight games, with a high score of 115 not out, two half-centuries, one century and an average of 49.83. Those figures make him the obvious wicket Hoddesdon will want early, because if Patel gets settled, he has already shown he can bat long and turn a steady start into a match-defining innings. Amar Patel is another key name in the Exiles order, with 244 runs, a best of 75 and two half-centuries to his name. Mike Bullard has also been a major contributor, making 227 runs at an average of 56.75, while Mohsin Azam has 190 runs and remains an important figure as captain. If Hoddesdon can break through that core quickly, Exiles have looked vulnerable, as that 66 all out against Boxmoor clearly demonstrated.

With the ball, Northampton have plenty of wicket-taking threat. Kamran Kahn leads their standard bowling statistics with 12 wickets and a best of 4 for 24, while Faiz Azam has 10 wickets and Rizwan Siddiqui has eight, including a standout 5 for 21 against Boxmoor last weekend. Shahram Ghamari has seven wickets and a best of 3 for 11, meaning Hoddesdon’s batters will need to work hard through the middle overs and avoid giving wickets away in clusters.

The Clowes Sports Ground

The batting blueprint for Hoddesdon is not difficult to identify, even if executing it has proved harder. Daniel Hawkins and Connor Hunt will be asked to set the tone at the top of the order, with Phil Stafford, Adrian Lee and Freddie Hawkins forming an experienced and competitive middle section. Ben de Fig keeps wicket and adds another capable batting option, while Asif Mohammed, Bilal Ahmad, Olly Maughan, Freddie Webb and Austin Bean give the side all-round depth and variety.

Ben De Fig Will Keep Wicket

Animal’s message ahead of the game is clear: the side cannot keep waiting for the season to turn by itself. “We know exactly where we are and we know exactly what is at stake now,” said Lee. “There is no point pretending the table looks pretty, because it doesn’t, but there is also no point feeling sorry for ourselves. We have got enough in that changing room to compete, and Saturday has to be about showing that from ball one.”

Lee also wants his side to take confidence from recent batting efforts, particularly the way they pushed North Enfield so close and battled to 197 against Stevenage. “We have shown in patches that we can put scores together, but we need to be harder to beat for longer,” he added. “That means partnerships with the bat, better decisions under pressure, and then backing the bowlers with energy in the field. We cannot afford to drift in games anymore.”

There is also a recognition that bonus points matter, but wins matter more. Hoddesdon have picked up 40 batting bonus points and 56 bowling bonus points across the campaign, which shows that they have not been completely out of games in every department. The problem is that a single win from 11 matches leaves the side chasing rather than controlling their fate, and that makes Saturday a massive afternoon. The return of Ben de Fig behind the stumps gives Hoddesdon a specialist presence with the gloves, while Austin Bean’s inclusion adds youthful pace and energy at the bottom of the order. Bean has impressed across the club this season and has already shown he can take wickets in senior cricket. On a ground where pressure could build quickly, his ability to hit good areas and stay brave may be important.

Bilal Ahmad and Freddie Webb will also have big roles to play with the ball, particularly if conditions offer little assistance. The forecast points to another warm Saturday, and while it may not reach the searing extremes of previous weeks, it should still be a day that tests concentration, patience and fitness. Long spells, sharp singles and disciplined fielding could decide whether Hoddesdon are still alive deep into the second innings. For all the anxiety around the table, the fixture remains a chance. Northampton are above Hoddesdon, but they are not out of reach, and their recent results show a side capable of both winning tight games and collapsing badly. Hoddesdon need to arrive with belief, because a victory would bring them closer to Exiles, closer to Preston, and closer to proving that the fight for Division 4B survival is not over.

Northampton Exiles CC

The named Hoddesdon 2nd XI is Daniel Hawkins, Connor Hunt, Phil Stafford, Adrian Lee captain, Freddie Hawkins, Ben de Fig wicketkeeper, Asif Mohammed, Bilal Ahmad, Olly Maughan, Freddie Webb and Austin Bean. It is a side with experience, youth, batting responsibility and bowling options, but it now needs to produce the sort of full-game performance that has been missing too often this season.

Animal summed it up bluntly but positively. “We need points, we need a win, and we need everyone to take responsibility,” he said. “But I still believe in the lads, and I still believe one result can change the feeling very quickly. The only way out of this is together, and Saturday is another chance to start climbing.”

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