Hoddesdon CC Saturday 3rd XI continued their outstanding start to the 2026 Division 12 East campaign with a hard-earned four-wicket victory away at Letchworth Garden City CC 5th XI on a scorching Saturday afternoon at St Christopher’s School.

In conditions that tested concentration, fitness and discipline in equal measure, Dan Hawkins’ side once again showed why they currently sit proudly at the summit of the league table. The skipper won the toss, inserted the hosts on a dry surface and watched his bowlers produce another superb collective display before Hoddesdon chased down 128 with four wickets to spare.

It was not always pretty with the bat, nor did it need to be. Hoddesdon’s innings was helped enormously by a remarkable 40 extras from the home side, while the visitors themselves conceded only 14 throughout the entire afternoon. That difference in discipline ultimately proved absolutely decisive and perfectly summed up why Hoddesdon left Hertfordshire’s Garden City with another valuable 30 points in the bag.

The victory moves Hawkins’ men onto 104 points from four matches, enough to keep them top of Division 12 East ahead of Datchworth CC 3rd XI and Hitchin CC 5th XI, who remain level on 103 points. It is shaping up to be an enthralling early-season promotion battle, but Hoddesdon are setting the pace. While the scorecard will show contributions throughout the side, this was unquestionably a triumph built on bowling excellence. Henry Taylor produced a sensational spell to finish with outstanding figures of 5 overs, 1 maiden, 9 runs and 4 wickets, ripping through the middle and lower order just as Letchworth threatened to build momentum.

Supported superbly by Austin Bean, Benjamin Strong, Louis Webb and Hawkins himself, Hoddesdon’s attack was relentless in the heat.

Speaking afterwards, victorious captain Dan Hawkins was full of praise for his bowlers.

“The bowling won us that game,” Hawkins said. “Absolutely no question about it. On a warm day when it could’ve been easy to drift a little bit, every single bowler stuck to the plan brilliantly.”

“Henry Taylor was exceptional. Four wickets for nine runs is unbelievable on any day, but to do it in those conditions was brilliant. Ben bowled with real control again, we know what Austin can do with a ball and he was excellent with two wickets, and Louis set the tone nicely. It was a proper team bowling performance.”

After choosing to field first, Hoddesdon struck early through Hawkins himself. Matthew Heath never truly settled and was eventually bowled for 7 after consuming 19 deliveries. At 13-1, the visitors had made the perfect start. Letchworth attempted to rebuild through Mike Forrester and Harry Forrester, who together provided the hosts’ best partnership of the afternoon. Mike struck four boundaries in a patient 24 from 39 balls, while Harry top-scored with 28 from 50 deliveries. The pair gradually nudged the score towards respectability during the hottest part of the afternoon as the outfield baked under the sunshine.

However, just as the hosts appeared to be stabilising, Ben Strong decided to make another major impact. Fresh from his seven-wicket heroics the previous weekend against Preston, the young leggie trapped Mike Forrester lbw before removing Harry Forrester shortly afterwards, brilliantly caught by Ben Marques with the gloves on. Strong’s figures of 8 overs, 2 maidens, 21 runs and 2 wickets represented another superb afternoon’s work from the emerging talent, whose control and composure continue to impress week after week.

Hawkins praised the youngster again after the game.

“Ben’s confidence is really high at the moment and rightly so,” the captain said. “He’s bowling proper areas, asking questions all the time and he’s making life difficult for batters. He’s becoming a huge player for us.”

Austin Bean then decided to enter the fray and removed influential captain and wicket keeper Nowland for just 4 runs and then Martin Ross for 1 run, an incredible piece of bowling that saw two danger men despatched inside just 7 deliveries. Taking two wickets in his 5 overs with an economy of just 3.80 was a stark reminder to all of the young bowlers talent.

At 70-5, Hoddesdon had firmly wrestled control of the contest and from there Taylor took centre stage.

The seamer ripped through the lower order with devastating efficiency. Mylo Green was caught after making 9, James Murray departed for 16, Sahil Peer was dismissed without scoring and Jon Coles quickly followed as Taylor produced a spell of genuine quality. His figures became more extraordinary with every over. On a day when bowlers from both sides occasionally struggled with the slippery ball and draining heat, Taylor remained accurate, disciplined and aggressive.

Charles Cook’s 20 briefly threatened to frustrate Hoddesdon, but Louis Webb eventually wrapped things up, with Henry Taylor taking the catch to seal the innings at 127 all out in 36.5 overs. Taylor’s final figures of 4-9 deserved every bit of praise they received from team-mates afterwards, but Hawkins was equally delighted with the overall discipline shown by the entire attack.

“One thing we’ve spoken about a lot is cutting down extras,” Hawkins explained. “To concede only 14 extras in those conditions was outstanding. That’s the sort of thing that wins games at this level.”

“We made Letchworth work hard for every run. Compare that to when they gave away 40 extras and that’s basically the game right there.”

Bean's display highly effective spell, Hawkins excellent control for figures of 1-29 from 8 overs and Louis Webb’s economical 1-23 from 6.5 overs further highlighted the visitors’ consistency.

Chasing 128 looked straightforward on paper, but Hoddesdon’s reply never quite settled into complete comfort. The total itself was manageable, yet the pitch still offered assistance to disciplined bowling and Letchworth’s attack competed gamely throughout. Paul Webb and Freddie Hawkins began cautiously against an accurate new-ball spell from James Murray and Jack Coles. Runs were not easy to come by, but Hoddesdon were aided significantly by a steady stream of wides, byes and no balls from the hosts. Paul Webb battled hard for his 14 from 33 balls before falling caught off Charles Cook with the score on 42. Sampathreddy Palepu was then run out for 1, leaving Hoddesdon 54-2.

Freddie Hawkins once again demonstrated patience and maturity at the crease. His 21 from 54 deliveries was not flashy, but it helped anchor the innings during a potentially awkward period when Letchworth were trying desperately to claw themselves back into the contest. Reece Jones contributed a useful 15, Henry Taylor added a brisk 16 featuring three boundaries and Benjamin Strong chipped in with 11. None of the scores individually dominated the headlines, but together they steadily edged Hoddesdon towards victory.

Importantly, whenever wickets fell, the visitors never panicked.

At 118-6 there was still faint hope for the hosts, but Ben Marques remained calm and unbeaten on 9, while Austin Bean finished not out on 4 as Hoddesdon eventually reached 131-6 in 35.4 overs. In truth, the defining batting statistic remained the extraordinary extras column. Letchworth’s 40 extras included 13 wides, 21 byes, four leg byes and two no balls. Hoddesdon, by comparison, conceded only 14 all afternoon.

It was a glaring contrast in discipline and one Hawkins acknowledged immediately after the match.

“We weren’t amazing with the bat if we’re being brutally honest,” he admitted. “But cricket’s about pressure and discipline, and we were far better than them in those areas. You can’t give away 40 extras and expect to win games regularly. Thankfully we stayed patient, took the runs when they came and got ourselves over the line.”

The result capped another excellent weekend for Hoddesdon’s 3rd XI, who are quickly building momentum at the top of the table. Four games into the campaign, they have now won three and continue to develop a reputation as one of the most disciplined sides in the division. That is perhaps the most encouraging aspect for Hawkins and the club alike. These victories are not relying solely on one player producing miracles every week. Different individuals are stepping forward at different moments. One week it is Louis or Ben grabbing the headlines, the next it is Henry and Austin delivering a match-winning spell.

There also appears to be genuine belief growing within the side. The fielding remained energetic despite the oppressive conditions, bowlers worked tirelessly in partnerships and the team once again found a way to control key moments under pressure. With Datchworth and Hitchin continuing to push hard just behind them, there will be no opportunity for complacency over the coming weeks. Yet Hoddesdon currently look every inch a side capable of sustaining a genuine promotion challenge.

And on another sun-soaked Saturday afternoon, it was Taylor and company who ensured the leaders remained exactly where they wanted to be — looking down on the rest of Division 12 East.

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