SECOND XI END SEASON WITH DEFEAT AS WEBB FIVE-FOR EARNS GREEN JACKET

Hoddesdon 2nd XI brought the curtain down on their 2026 Herts Premier Cricket League Division 4B campaign with a 78-run defeat at home to Lutonian CC 2nd XI, a result which confirmed a difficult season would end with the side second from bottom and relegated from the division. It was not the ending anyone at Lowfield wanted, but on a final Saturday that still produced 17 valuable points, a battling batting effort, and a superb five-wicket haul from Paul Webb, there were still moments of pride in a frustrating conclusion.

Lutonian, fourth in the table coming into the fixture, won the toss and elected to bat first on a September afternoon at Lowfield. Hoddesdon knew relegation had already become the grim reality after the previous week’s defeat at Flamstead, but Adrian Lee’s side still had one final chance to put in a performance, play for the badge, and end a demanding campaign with something positive to take into the winter.

Final Day Defeat For The 2nd XI

The visitors made 290 all out from 47.4 overs, a sizeable total built around a superb century from Zain Hameed. He struck 100 from 87 balls, finding the boundary 13 times and clearing it on five occasions, and his innings proved to be the defining contribution of the match as Lutonian put themselves in command despite Hoddesdon taking all ten wickets. There were useful contributions around him too, with Moazzam Rizvi making 37 from 40 balls at the top of the order before being bowled by Nirosh Perera. Muhammad Azib then added late acceleration with 36 from 26 balls, while Shamas Khan, Sumair Rana and Hasan Farooq all chipped in as Lutonian built partnerships at important stages and made Hoddesdon work hard for every breakthrough.

Hoddesdon did not let the innings drift, and credit should go to the bowlers for continuing to attack even when Lutonian looked set for a really imposing score. Paul Webb was the standout, taking 5-49 from nine overs, removing Hameed, Rana, Usama Saad, Azib and Adnan Naseeb in a superb spell that earned him the Greene King Level Head Green Jacket. It was a richly deserved award for Webb, whose figures also marked one of the best bowling performances of his Hoddesdon career. His 5-49 now sits alongside his 5-11 against Harlow 5th XI in 2024 and his 5-22 away at Albury in the same year, making it the third five-wicket haul of his Hoddesdon career and his first of the 2026 season.

Hoddesdon Took Ten Wickets, Despite Defeat

Webb’s 2026 numbers underline just how valuable he has been with the ball across the campaign. He finished the season with 22 wickets from 105.1 overs, with a best of 5-49, an economy rate of 5.41, an average of 25.86 and a strike rate of 28.68, meaning he accounted for a large share of the wickets taken in a tough year for the side. His overall Hoddesdon bowling record is also worthy of proper recognition, with 86 wickets from 355.1 overs, three five-wicket hauls, a best of 5-11, an economy rate under five, and a career average of 20.56. For a player who has featured across different sides and different situations, those numbers show a cricketer who has repeatedly found ways to contribute when his team have needed overs, control and wickets.

Paul Webb Gave A Green Jacket Winning Performance On His Birthday

Freddie Webb supported his father with 2-56 from 8.4 overs, giving the scorecard a pleasing family feel despite the result going against Hoddesdon. Michael Billson, Nirosh Perera and Ashley Hill also picked up one wicket apiece, while the catching was sharp enough to make sure Lutonian were eventually bowled out rather than allowed to bat out the full 50 overs.

Captain Adrian Lee praised Webb’s performance afterwards and said the five-wicket haul was exactly the sort of contribution the side wanted to celebrate, even on a disappointing day. “What more can I say about Webby?” said Lee. “He kept coming in, kept asking questions, and he deserved his five wickets because he never let the game get away from him completely.”

Lee also admitted that Lutonian’s total was always likely to be a difficult chase, particularly once Hameed had played the decisive innings of the game. “When someone gets a hundred like that, you have to hold your hands up a little bit, but I still thought we kept fighting,” he added. “We took ten wickets, we got bowling points, and Paul getting the Green Jacket was a proper bright spot.”

Chasing 291, Hoddesdon needed a strong start and a couple of major innings if they were to threaten the target, but Lutonian’s attack kept things tight early on. Paul Webb made 16 from 49 balls and Phil Stafford 18 from 38, taking the score to 33 before Stafford was dismissed, but the run rate was already beginning to climb and Lutonian were able to keep scoreboard pressure on the hosts. Dan Hawkins made 11 from 16 balls before he became the third wicket to fall, leaving Hoddesdon 71-3 and needing a partnership of real substance. That came from Adrian Lee and Freddie Hawkins, who gave the innings its best spell and offered the home support something to get behind with a composed stand that took the score from 71 to 147.

Lee played positively for his 52 from 52 balls, striking nine fours and leading from the front in his final innings of the campaign. It was a captain’s knock full of intent, and while it could not drag Hoddesdon close enough to the target, it did ensure the chase had shape, belief and a much-needed injection of energy.

The Skipper Led From The Front With A Half Century

Freddie Hawkins was desperately unlucky to miss out on a half-century, making 49 from 89 balls in a patient and disciplined innings. He hit four boundaries and helped Hoddesdon reach the 150 mark, combining grit with good shot selection and showing the sort of maturity that has made him an important figure in the side this season.

Freddie Hawkins (Right) Was Agonisingly Short Of A Maiden 2nd XI Half Century

When Lee went at 147-4 and Hawkins followed later at 211-7, the contest had effectively slipped beyond Hoddesdon, but there was still determination to bat through and collect the points available. Freddie Webb finished unbeaten on 28 from 36 balls, striking four boundaries, while Ashley Hill was one not out as Hoddesdon closed on 212-7 from their 50 overs. Those 212 runs, combined with the ten wickets taken earlier in the day, meant Hoddesdon picked up 17 points from the match despite defeat. In the context of a season where bonus points have repeatedly kept them competitive and in touch for longer than many might have expected, it was fitting that the final scorecard again showed a side refusing to go quietly.

The Hoddesdon Batting Card

The final Division 4B table still made painful reading, with Hoddesdon ending ninth on 230 points after two wins, 15 defeats and one cancellation from 18 fixtures. Preston finished bottom on 214, while Stevenage, the side Hoddesdon had been trying to catch in the closing weeks, ended eighth on 269, leaving a 39-point gap that confirmed Hoddesdon’s relegation from the league. At the top, Boxmoor finished champions on 450 points, ahead of Luton Town & Indians on 442 and Old Albanian on 434. Lutonian’s win at Lowfield took them to 414 points in fourth, while Flamstead finished fifth on 368, underlining just how strong the upper half of the division had been and how punishing the league became for any side unable to put a run of wins together.

The Final League Table

For Hoddesdon, the story of the season will inevitably be one of frustration, narrow margins and missed opportunities, but it should not be stripped of context or character. The 2nd XI had difficult weeks, availability challenges and painful defeats, yet they also produced individual highlights, fought for bonus points, gave players responsibility, and continued to turn up with pride right through to the final day.

Animal was honest after the game but also keen to thank his players for sticking together across a demanding campaign. “Clearly we all wish things had gone better this season,” he said. “But I am proud of the lads for keeping going, and even today, when the result was against us, we took wickets, batted our overs and showed a bit of fight.”

He also pointed to the value of the final performance as a reminder that the group has something to build from, despite the disappointment of dropping down. “The table is the table and we have to own that, but there are players in this side who care deeply about the club,” said Lee. “We will regroup, we will learn from it, and we will come back with the aim of making sure this is only a setback.”

Animal Alongside 2nd XI Vice Captain Freddie Webb

Lutonian deserved their victory, with Hameed’s hundred setting the platform and their bowlers ensuring Hoddesdon never got close enough to turn the chase into a genuine late contest. Hisham Sadiq led their attack with 2-29 from ten overs, while Rizvi, Faheem Shaukat, Adnan Naseeb, Shamas Khan and Hameed all claimed one wicket as they shared the workload effectively. For Hoddesdon, the final word rightly belongs to Paul Webb and his Green Jacket-winning spell. On a day when the season ended in defeat and relegation was confirmed in black and white, his five-wicket haul gave the 2nd XI something to applaud, something to celebrate, and something to remember from a final afternoon that otherwise carried plenty of disappointment.

Hoddesdon’s 2nd XI now head into the close season with work to do, but also with a group of players who have shown loyalty, fight and resilience in difficult circumstances. The challenge next year will be to turn those qualities into wins, and while this campaign ends with relegation, the response from here will matter just as much as the pain of the table today.

#GreenMachine