Hoddesdon Cricket Club’s Saturday 3rd XI produced arguably their finest performance of the season on Saturday, travelling to league leaders Hitchin CC 5th XI and winning by a stunning 155 runs. On paper this looked like one of the toughest fixtures in Division 12 East, with Hitchin sitting top of the table and arriving with a string of dominant recent wins, but Louis Webb’s side delivered a complete performance full of character, quality and confidence.

After being asked to bat first at Pirton Sports and Social Club, Hoddesdon piled up 253-4 from their 40 overs, with contributions all the way through the order. Nikunj Pradhan was the star of the show with a superb 65, while Reece Jones finally reached his first ever half-century for the club with an unbeaten 57, and Mark Feely recorded his highest ever Hoddesdon score with an excellent 51. It was a day when the batting card told a story of collective belief. Louis Webb, Ross Maughan and Ash Hill all played important supporting roles, while Robert Aindow, Nirosh Perera, Benjamin Strong, Henry Taylor and Scott Higgins were not required with the bat because the top and middle order had done such a professional job.

Hoddesdon Claimed An Impressive Victory Over The League Leaders

The victory was made even more impressive by what followed with the ball. Hitchin, who had been top of the division and full of confidence, were bowled out for just 98 in 27.4 overs, as Hoddesdon’s attack shared the wickets around and never allowed the home side to settle. Henry Taylor led the way with 3-17, Scott Higgins took 2-28, and Webb, Strong, Perera and Aindow all claimed one wicket apiece. The result gave Hoddesdon the full 30 points and lifted them to 290 points from 14 matches. They remain fifth in the Division 12 East table, but they are now just a single point behind fourth-placed Datchworth and 19 behind Potters Bar, with Enfield second on 322 and Hitchin still top on 341 despite this heavy defeat.

Captain Louis Webb was understandably delighted afterwards. “That is probably the most complete performance we have put together all season,” he said. “To go away to the team top of the league and beat them by that margin shows what this group is capable of when we bat with discipline, bowl with control and keep believing in each other.”

The innings began with Webb and Pradhan giving Hoddesdon another important platform. The pair put on 55 for the first wicket, with Webb making 19 from 47 balls and striking three boundaries before he was caught by Stuart Gadsden off Yasmin King. It was not the captain’s biggest score of recent weeks, but it was another calm opening contribution that allowed the innings to grow. Pradhan, however, was the main man. He batted with patience, judgment and increasing authority, making 65 from 79 balls with 11 fours, and he reached his half-century in 58 balls. His innings gave Hoddesdon the structure they needed, and his ability to score regularly without taking unnecessary risks was vital against a side who have made a habit of controlling matches this season. The first fifty arrived in the 12th over, and while Hoddesdon were not flying at that stage, they were building beautifully. The second-wicket partnership between Pradhan and Ross Maughan then moved the game forward, adding 52 as Ross made 23 from 24 balls, including five boundaries. Maughan was also keeping wicket on the day, a role he does not often perform, but he again showed his value to the side by contributing with bat and gloves.

Nikunj Pradhan Top Scored With The Bat

When Ross fell to Andy Beaton with the score on 107, Hoddesdon were well placed but still needed someone to make the innings decisive. Pradhan continued to lead the way before being third out at 123, caught by Rupert Hobson off Beaton, and at that point the match could still have gone either way. What followed, though, was the sort of middle-order surge that turns a competitive score into a match-winning one.

Mark Feely and Reece Jones took the game away from Hitchin. Feely’s 51 from 45 balls, with five fours and three sixes, was his highest score for Hoddesdon according to the records kept on Play-Cricket, and it was an innings full of intent and confidence. He reached his fifty from 40 balls and gave the innings the power it needed after the platform had been set. Jones was just as impressive, and perhaps even more emotional for those who know how hard he has worked for this moment. After finishing 46 not out against Letchworth Garden City the previous weekend, he followed it with 57 not out from just 36 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes. That means across his last two innings, Reece is technically 103 not out, which is a wonderful reward for a player who has kept grafting, kept improving and kept believing. His first ever fifty for the club was richly deserved. Jones reached the milestone from 24 balls, and his strike rate of 158.33 showed how quickly he shifted momentum in Hoddesdon’s favour. He played with freedom and aggression, but also with clarity, and the partnership with Feely was worth 100 in just 56 balls.

Mark Feely And Reece Jones Both Registered Their Maiden Half Centurys For The Club

Webb was full of praise for both men. “Nikunj was outstanding and gave us the base, but the way Mark and Reece finished the innings was brilliant,” he said. “Mark played with real authority and it is great to see him get his highest score for the club, while Reece getting his first fifty is a brilliant moment for him and for the team.”

Ash Hill then added late fireworks with an unbeaten 16 from just nine balls, including two sixes. His cameo pushed Hoddesdon to 253-4, a score that looked imposing at tea and even better once the bowlers got into their work. Hill’s return to the side has added energy and power, and this was exactly the sort of late contribution that can make a big difference. For Hitchin, Ian Goddard bowled a very tidy spell of 0-21 from eight overs, while Yasmin King took 1-36 and Andy Beaton claimed 2-51. Finlay Wood, Frank Stout and Rupert Hobson all had difficult afternoons as Feely and Jones accelerated, with Hobson eventually taking 1-62 from six overs. Hitchin had started the day as league leaders, but Hoddesdon’s batting left them facing a mountain.

The chase began disastrously for the home side.

Henry Taylor bowled Stuart Gadsden for 1, then trapped Kezia Hassall lbw for 7, before removing Akhil Muni first ball to leave Hitchin 3-2 and then 3-3. It was a sensational new-ball burst from Taylor, who finished with 3-17 from eight overs, including a maiden, and gave Hoddesdon complete control from the start. Webb then removed Frank Stout for 1, caught by Benjamin Strong, and Hitchin were suddenly 10-3 and then 30-4 when Hassall fell. Harry Macdonald tried to hold the innings together with 34 from 44 balls, striking six fours, and he was the one Hitchin batter who looked capable of building something substantial. But when Scott Higgins bowled him, the home side were 62-5 and Hoddesdon could sense a famous win coming.

Henry Taylor Took 3 Wickets With His First 29 Deliveries

Higgins again showed why his pace is such an asset. He finished with 2-28 from six overs, also bowling Finlay Wood after the dangerous hitter had made 10 from 10 balls, including a six. That wicket mattered because Wood’s season strike rate had been highlighted before the game, and Hoddesdon knew he could do damage quickly if allowed to get going. There were further contributions throughout the attack. Benjamin Strong bowled four overs for just 10 runs and picked up the wicket of Yasmin King, while Nirosh Perera used his experience well to take 1-6 from three overs. Robert Aindow then wrapped things up with 1-3 from 1.4 overs, bowling Ian Goddard to seal a memorable victory.

Nirosh’s involvement was particularly valuable. With his usual 4th XI side without a fixture, he stepped up and brought leadership and calm to the group, supporting Webb in the field and adding another experienced voice during a big game. Strong, Aindow, Taylor and Higgins all played their parts superbly, while Ross Maughan handled the wicketkeeping duties capably in an unfamiliar role. Hitchin’s lower order could not resist for long. Tom Bell made 9 before being run out by Mark Feely, Ian Goddard battled for 6 from 29 balls, Yasmin King made 1, Rupert Hobson added 5, and Andy Beaton finished unbeaten on 7. The innings ended at 98 all out, with Hoddesdon’s bowlers having taken ten wickets for fewer than 100 against the side who started the match on top of the table.

Hoddesdon's Bowling Performance Was Sensational

Webb said the bowling performance was every bit as pleasing as the batting. “To defend 253 like that was outstanding,” he said. “Henry set the tone brilliantly, Scott bowled with real pace and threat, and everyone who came on did a job. We spoke about backing up the batting with a proper fielding and bowling performance, and the lads did exactly that.”

The updated table now makes very interesting reading for Hoddesdon. Hitchin remain top with 341 points, but this result proved they are far from untouchable, while Enfield sit second on 322, Datchworth third on 321 and Potters Bar fourth on 309. Hoddesdon, now fifth on 290, are still in the thick of the top-half battle and have given themselves a huge confidence boost. Recent form had been a concern only a couple of weeks ago, but consecutive wins over Letchworth and Hitchin have changed the feel of the season. The Letchworth win got Hoddesdon moving again, and this victory over the leaders has added real belief. It is one thing to beat a struggling side, but it is quite another to go away to the best team in the division and win by 155 runs.

Webb's Men Put A Serious Dent In Hitchin's Title Hopes

What made the performance so satisfying was the number of contributors. Webb helped set the tone, Pradhan anchored and controlled the innings, Maughan chipped in and kept wicket, Feely made a personal best, Jones reached a first club fifty, Hill finished powerfully, Taylor ripped through the top order, Higgins added pace and wickets, Strong kept things tight, Perera brought leadership and control, and Aindow returned with a wicket to close the game. It was, quite simply, a day when everything clicked. The batting was intelligent and then explosive, the bowling was disciplined and ruthless, and the fielding supported the bowlers in a way that allowed pressure to build. Against a side of Hitchin’s quality, that is exactly what was required.

For Pradhan, this was a star turn with the bat, and his 65 deserves major credit as the innings around which the victory was built. For Feely, there was the personal satisfaction of a highest club score. For Jones, there was the joy of a first fifty and the extraordinary statistic of being 103 not out across two weekends. For the whole 3rd XI, though, this was a statement win. Hoddesdon have had tough Saturdays this season, but performances like this show the strength, character and ability within the group. If they can carry this standard into the remaining fixtures, there is no reason why they cannot finish the season strongly.

#GreenMachine