Hoddesdon 2nd XI head to Flamstead on Saturday with their Division 4B status still alive, still flickering, and still just about within reach with two games of the season remaining. It is a position that leaves no room for drift, no room for bad sessions and no room for hoping things simply fall kindly, but the fact they remain in the conversation at all says plenty about a side that has kept collecting bonus points when wins have been painfully hard to find.

The table makes uncomfortable reading, but it is not yet final. Hoddesdon sit 9th with 209 points from 16 matches, with Preston below them on 174 and Stevenage immediately above the drop zone on 249. That means the 2nd XI are 40 points adrift of safety with 60 still available, and while that gap is a big one, it is not yet beyond them if they can produce something special and get help elsewhere. Saturday’s round of fixtures could therefore be decisive. While Hoddesdon travel to fifth-placed Flamstead, Stevenage go away to North Enfield, Preston visit leaders Old Albanian, Boxmoor host Luton Town & Indians, and Lutonian take on Northampton Exiles. For Hoddesdon, the clearest route back into the fight is obvious enough without dressing it up: win well, collect as many points as possible, and hope Stevenage are kept quiet at Strayfield Road. The following week offers one last twist, with Hoddesdon due to host Lutonian at Lowfield while Stevenage face Boxmoor, Preston host Flamstead, and Luton Town & Indians meet Old Albanian. Those fixtures suggest the door has not quite slammed shut, but it is certainly creaking loudly on its hinges. Hoddesdon need performances, points and perhaps a little bit of cricketing fortune, yet they have given themselves a chance by refusing to let the season disappear completely.

The Remaining Fixtures In Division 4B

Their most recent outing brought defeat at home to table-topping Old Albanian, but even there the 2nd XI showed the value of fighting for every point. Old Albanian made 279 all out in 43 overs, with Hoddesdon’s bowlers earning full bowling bonus reward before the reply closed on 182 for 6 from 50 overs. The result was a 97-run defeat, but the 15 points gathered could yet matter if this survival battle somehow reaches the final afternoon with the margins still tight. That has been a theme of Hoddesdon’s season. The wins have been too rare, but the scraps have not been wasted, and those batting and bowling points are the reason they remain within mathematical touching distance of Stevenage. Their form guide may show four defeats from the last five, with the welcome home win over Preston standing out in the middle, but the mood around the side remains more stubborn than sorry.

Captain Adrian “Animal” Lee has been central to that approach, both with the bat and in the dressing room. He has carried plenty of responsibility through a difficult campaign, and his season tally still marks him out as one of Hoddesdon’s key batting figures. Daniel Hawkins has also been important, with his 46 against Old Albanian following a season in which he has produced vital contributions, including the side’s highest individual score of 71. Phil “Staffs” Stafford returns with the gloves this week, and his presence is a boost both behind the stumps and in the batting order. Paul Webb is also back in the selected side after a holiday, while Freddie Hawkins adds further batting depth and youthful energy. With Animal, Webb, Hawkins, Stafford and the younger Hawkins all available, Hoddesdon will believe they have enough runs in the top and middle order to put Flamstead under pressure.

There is encouragement with the ball as well, particularly with veteran Martin Brown available for a crucial fixture. His experience could be priceless on a day when calm heads and disciplined spells may matter as much as raw pace or turn. Austin Bean also returns to give Lee another strong seam option, joining Olly Maughan (who celebrates his birthday the day before this fixture), Charlie Tackley, Dan Hawkins, Rob Aindow and Freddie Webb in what looks a potent and varied bowling attack.

Martin Brown's Availability Is A Big Plus For The 2nd XI This Weekend

Lee is adamant his side are travelling with belief rather than fear. “We know exactly where we are and what we need to do,” said the skipper. “But we are still alive, we have two games left, and while there is still a chance we will keep scrapping for every run, every wicket and every point.”

The skipper also believes last week’s points haul against Old Albanian showed the side can still punch back against stronger opposition. “Old Albanian are top for a reason, but we bowled them out and we batted through our overs,” Lee added. “That might not sound glamorous when you lose the game, but those are the little bits of fight that have kept us in touch, and now we need to turn that fight into a win.”

Flamstead will not make that easy. They sit fifth in the table with 323 points from 16 matches, having won eight and lost seven, and their form has picked up at exactly the time Hoddesdon would rather they were wobbling. Their last two results have both been victories, first a thumping 177-run win over Stevenage and then a six-wicket success away at Northampton Exiles, so they arrive at this fixture with confidence restored. Their recent run tells a mixed story, though, and that should give Hoddesdon some encouragement. Flamstead lost to Lutonian by 14 runs, were beaten by North Enfield by five wickets, then responded by hammering Stevenage and edging past Northampton Exiles in a low-scoring chase. It suggests they are a dangerous side with match-winners, but not an untouchable one, and Hoddesdon must take that belief with them to Friendless Oval.

The Hosts Have Lost 2 Of Their Last 4

The reverse fixture at Lowfield back in June was a painful afternoon for Hoddesdon. Flamstead piled up 332 all out in 47.2 overs after choosing to bat, then bowled Hoddesdon out for 151 in 39.5 overs to complete a 181-run win. That result remains one of the heaviest defeats of the 2nd XI season, and Saturday gives Hoddesdon a chance to show how much they have hardened since then.

Sanjeewa Wijetunga is the obvious Flamstead danger man with the bat. He has 484 runs for the season at an average of 53.78, with a top score of 102, two hundreds and two fifties. He also made 62 against Hoddesdon in the earlier meeting, so the visiting bowlers will know they cannot allow him to settle into the afternoon. Flamstead’s batting strength does not stop there. Sandaru Liyanage has made 262 runs, Tuan Hadgie has 258, Ruchira Pupulewatte has 255, and Udan Weli has 223, giving the home side a group of players who have all contributed across the season. If Hoddesdon are to compete, early wickets will be vital, because allowing Flamstead’s senior run-makers to build partnerships could quickly push the game away.

Their bowling numbers are equally impressive. Pupulewatte leads the way with 25 wickets, a best of 5 for 20 and an economy rate under three, while Weli has 23 wickets with a best of 5 for 21 and another excellent economy rate just over three. Hadgie, Manitha Liyanage, Roshan Don, Haresh De Silva and Dasmal Liyanage have all chipped in too, making Flamstead one of the more rounded attacks in the division.

Flamstead Named A Strong Side For Their Away Victory At Northampton Exiles Last Saturday

That means Hoddesdon’s batting will need patience as well as positivity. They cannot afford to be reckless, but nor can they retreat into survival mode against bowlers who thrive on pressure. Stafford’s return gives them a stabilising presence, Webb and Hawkins can lay foundations, and Lee’s ability to shift momentum remains one of the side’s most important weapons.

With the ball, Hoddesdon may feel they have one of their better-balanced attacks of the season. Brown’s control, Bean’s pace, Maughan’s reliability, Tackley’s knack of making things happen, Hawkins’ experience, Aindow’s overs and Freddie Webb’s wicket-taking threat give Animal genuine options. The task is to make Flamstead earn everything, keep the extras down, and turn dot-ball pressure into wickets before the home side’s stronger batters can dominate.

Ollie Maughan Will Be Hoping To Celebrate His Birthday With A Win

Lee is also keen to keep the mood upbeat, despite the obvious pressure. “The table is what it is, but the lads have kept turning up and kept believing,” he said. “We have got experience back in the side, we have got bowlers who can take wickets, and we have batters who can win a game if we give ourselves a proper platform.”

The captain also had praise for the way the squad has stuck together during a testing run. “It is easy to be positive when you are winning every week, but character shows when things are tough,” Lee said. “This group has had some rough Saturdays, but nobody has packed it in, and that is why I still think there is something left in this season for us.”

For Hoddesdon, the challenge is huge but beautifully clear. They need to win at Flamstead, they need to squeeze every bonus point they can, and they need the rest of the division to offer them a little help. It is not a comfortable place to be, but with two games to go, a strong side selected and survival still technically alive, there is every reason to travel with purpose. Whatever happens elsewhere, Hoddesdon must first look after their own afternoon at Friendless Oval. A win would drag the fight into September and keep the final Saturday meaningful, while defeat could leave them needing results and arithmetic to perform miracles. It is late, it is tense, and it is precarious, but the 2nd XI are still standing, and while they are still standing, they will keep swinging.

#GreenMachine