Hoddesdon CC 2nd XI produced a committed and competitive performance against league leaders Old Albanian at Lowfield on Saturday, but were ultimately beaten by 97 runs in another result that leaves their Division 4B survival hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads. Old Albanian posted 279 all out from 43 overs after being asked to bat first, before Hoddesdon replied with 182-6 from their full 50 overs.

The defeat was not without merit for Adrian Lee’s side, who took maximum bowling points by dismissing the division’s top side and then fought hard with the bat to collect further reward. Those 15 points may yet matter, but with Stevenage still sitting 40 points clear in eighth place, Hoddesdon’s future is no longer in their own hands.

Old Albanian arrived at Lowfield at the summit of the Division 4B table and with the title race still very much alive. They moved to 411 points from 16 matches after this victory, just one point ahead of Boxmoor, with Luton Town & Indians still lurking in third on 402. Hoddesdon remain ninth on 209 points, above Preston on 174, but the real target is now Stevenage, who sit eighth on 249. With only two league fixtures remaining, Hoddesdon now need a near-perfect finish and a serious collapse from Stevenage to escape the drop. The mathematics still allow hope, but the margin for error has disappeared, and even strong bonus-point returns may not be enough unless results elsewhere go their way.

Hoddesdon Now Need A Miracle To Avoid The Drop

Captain Adrian Lee was forthright afterwards, while still praising the attitude shown by his players. “We knew this was going to be one of the hardest games of the season, because Old Albanian are top for a reason,” said Lee. “But I can’t fault the way the lads kept going, and to bowl them out and then bat the full 50 overs shows that there is still fight in this side.”

Hoddesdon won the toss and chose to field, looking to make early inroads against a powerful Old Albanian line-up packed with proven run scorers. The visitors’ season statistics tell their own story, with Johann De Jager having passed 600 runs for the campaign, James Barwick over 400, and a host of others having contributed heavily during an impressive push at the top of the table. There was an immediate reminder of that firepower when De Jager struck four boundaries in a rapid 16 from just eight balls, but Mick Billson struck to remove him with the score on 17. Billson then followed up by dismissing Evan Love for 3 and later Callum Robertson for 30, giving Hoddesdon a genuine foothold in the contest. Billson’s spell deserved real praise, as he finished with 3-46 from his 10 overs against one of the strongest batting units in the league. His control, persistence and ability to pick up wickets in important moments gave Hoddesdon something to build around, and he was well supported by Rob Aindow, who returned 2-44 from his full allocation.

Mick Billson Deserves Enormous Credit For His Bowling Effort

At 95-3, Hoddesdon had worked themselves into a useful position, but the match then swung decisively through Timothy Davies. The Old Albanian batter produced the defining innings of the day, compiling a superb 148 from 107 balls, including 24 fours and five sixes, to turn a good visiting platform into a match-winning total. Davies reached his half-century from 59 balls and then accelerated impressively, bringing up his hundred from 85 deliveries. He found strong support from Mathys Du Plessis, who finished unbeaten on 46 from 41 balls, and the pair helped drag Old Albanian beyond 250 before Hoddesdon eventually wrapped up the innings in the 43rd over.

Dan Hawkins deserves significant credit for the way he helped finish the innings off, claiming 3-40 from seven overs. He removed Davies, Umar Mahmood and Samuel Baker-Madec, while Charlie Tackley also got in on the act by dismissing James Barwick without scoring, and Freddie Hawkins picked up the wicket of Brendan Warren. There were times when Hoddesdon were put under serious pressure, particularly during the Davies assault, but taking all ten wickets against the league leaders was a genuine positive. The bowling card told a story of hard graft, with Billson and Dan Hawkins sharing six wickets, Aindow chipping in with two, and the side banking ten precious bowling points.

Despite Defeat, Dan Hawkins Also Took 3 Wickets

Lee said the bowling effort showed why the group still believes. “Mick was excellent, Dan did a really good job, and Rob stuck at his task well,” he said. “You don’t bowl Old Albanian out by accident, so there were positives there, even if we know 279 was always going to be a big ask.”

Hoddesdon’s chase began with Daniel Hawkins and Connor Hunt trying to lay foundations against a high-class Old Albanian attack. Hunt made 9 before being removed by Mathys Du Plessis, and Phil Stafford followed for 1, leaving the hosts 29-2 and under pressure early in the reply. From there, Hawkins and Lee rebuilt with patience and discipline. The pair added a valuable third-wicket stand that carried Hoddesdon beyond 100, with Lee playing positively for his 45 from 63 balls and Hawkins showing plenty of application in a battling 46 from 105 deliveries. Both men found the boundary regularly enough to keep the scoreboard moving, with Hawkins striking eight fours and Lee hitting nine. Their partnership did not put Hoddesdon on course for victory, but it gave the innings shape and, importantly, ensured the side stayed in the hunt for batting points. Lee eventually fell to Du Plessis with the score on 102, and Hawkins was bowled by James Barwick at 116. Those two wickets removed Hoddesdon’s best-set batters, and although Freddie Hawkins, Ben De Fig, Rob Aindow and Ross Angelini all contributed, the chase moved from ambitious to unlikely.

The Skipper Narrowly Missed Out On His Half Century

Freddie Hawkins made 19 from 49 balls, Ben De Fig added 12, and Aindow finished unbeaten on 12. Angelini’s return to the side was another welcome sight, and he played with freedom late on to finish 15 not out from 13 balls, including a boundary and a six.

Old Albanian’s bowlers showed exactly why they have been so effective all season. Du Plessis was outstanding with 3-21 from 10 overs, including four maidens, while Barwick claimed 3-18 from eight overs and added to a season tally that already has him among the division’s leading wicket-takers. The visitors’ attack has been one of the most consistent in the league, with Barwick now on 25 wickets for the season and Umar Mahmood on 23. Mahmood, who took 5-8 when the sides met earlier in the season, did not take a wicket this time, but his economical 7 overs for 18 runs helped maintain control during the middle stages.

That reverse fixture in June still loomed large in the build-up to this game, with Old Albanian having won by 196 runs after bowling Hoddesdon out for just 90. This time, Hoddesdon were beaten again, but the performance was more stubborn, more competitive, and worth far more in terms of points and confidence. The problem, of course, is that good points are no longer enough on their own. Stevenage also lost heavily on Saturday, going down by 204 runs to Lutonian, but they still collected seven points, which meant Hoddesdon only closed the gap by eight. That leaves the 2nd XI needing results elsewhere to fall perfectly while also producing their own maximum returns.

Hoddesdon Lost By 97 Runs

Lee admitted the table makes grim reading, but insisted the side will not drift through the final weeks. “We know where we are, and we know it’s not in our hands anymore,” he said. “But until someone tells us it’s mathematically over, we keep turning up, we keep fighting, and we keep trying to take as many points as possible.”

He also felt the performance against Old Albanian should not be dismissed simply because of the final margin. “They’re top of the league, they’ve got serious players, and they punished anything loose,” Lee added. “But we bowled them out, Dan and I got starts with the bat, and the lower order helped us bat out the overs, so there was pride in that.”

For Hoddesdon, the frustration is that individual positives have so often arrived inside losing scorecards. Mick Billson and Dan Hawkins both took three wickets, Lee and Hawkins both passed 40, and the team took 15 points from a fixture that many sides have found punishing, but the league position remains perilous. Old Albanian, meanwhile, continue to look every inch a title-chasing side. Davies’ 148 was a devastating innings, Du Plessis influenced the game with bat and ball, and Barwick again underlined his value as one of the most reliable performers in the division.

Hoddesdon now face two final weekends that will decide their fate. Survival looks increasingly unlikely, and the side are relying on Stevenage to stumble, but there is still pride, still points, and still a shirt to play for. For a team that has endured a bruising season, Saturday at least showed that the fight has not gone. It was not the result Hoddesdon needed, but it was a performance with heart, and while the door remains even slightly open.

Adrian Lee’s side will keep pushing until the final ball of the season.

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