Hoddesdon CC 3rd XI made it three wins on the spin on Saturday with a gritty and impressive 34-run victory over Potters Bar CC 4th XI at Hertingfordbury, continuing their late-season surge and keeping alive hopes of an unlikely but not impossible title charge. Fresh from defeating Letchworth Garden City by 57 runs and then hammering league leaders Hitchin by 155, Louis Webb’s side backed that up with another excellent all-round display, posting 191-9 before bowling Potters Bar out for 157 in 35.3 overs.

It was another hugely significant afternoon in Division 12 East. The updated table now shows Hoddesdon in fifth place on 320 points from 15 matches, just four behind Saturday’s opponents Potters Bar, who remain fourth on 324. Hitchin still head the division on 371, with Enfield on 352 and Datchworth on 351, so there is still plenty of ground to make up, but with three games remaining Hoddesdon have at least given themselves a chance. Results elsewhere will need to fall kindly, but the important thing is that Hoddesdon have put themselves back in the conversation by winning again.

Division 12 East

This latest success was built on the same qualities that have underpinned the previous two wins: resilience, contributions throughout the XI, and a growing belief that this side can beat anyone in the division when it gets things right. Hoddesdon were not flawless, but they were combative, disciplined and opportunistic, and as the pressure moments arrived they handled them better than Potters Bar. That is often the sign of a team in form, and right now the 3rd XI certainly look like one.

Asked to bat first, Hoddesdon made 191-9 from their 40 overs, a total that at one stage looked unlikely after a stop-start beginning. Captain Louis Webb fell for 5 at 11-1, and when Ash Hill was dismissed for a brisk 17 from 13 balls, which included three boundaries, the home side were 30-2 and still looking for a major partnership. Potters Bar’s bowlers were generally tidy in the first half of the innings, with Daksh Vinnakota especially effective as he finished with 3-23 from eight overs, while Vishnu Panchamukhi returned 2-38 and Tuhin Mitra 2-44. What came next, however, changed the mood of the innings and ultimately the complexion of the match.

Nikunj Pradhan and Mark Feely, known in the Hoddesdon dressing room simply as “Touchy”, pieced together a superb third-wicket partnership worth 111. Pradhan continued his purple patch with a composed and classy 59 from 92 balls, striking eight fours and once again providing the backbone of the innings. Feely, who had followed his highest-ever club score of 51 against Hitchin with another fine effort here, made 46 from 80 balls, mixing patience with timely aggression and striking two fours and two sixes. That stand was crucial because it gave Hoddesdon structure after the early setbacks. By 24.4 overs the home side had reached 100, and when the partnership passed three figures it was clear the initiative had shifted. Pradhan’s ability to rotate the strike and cash in on anything loose allowed Feely to settle, while Feely’s experience and calmness helped keep the innings on track. Against a Potters Bar side above them in the table and carrying plenty of bowling threat, it was exactly the sort of mature batting effort Hoddesdon needed.

Nikunj And Touchy's Partnership Was Worth 111

Feely admitted afterwards that there is a growing confidence in the middle order at the moment. “Nikunj was brilliant again and batting with him makes life a lot easier because he is so calm and so busy at the crease,” said Feely. “We knew if one of us could bat deep we would have a good chance, and even though I couldn't get another fifty, it felt like an important innings for the team. There is a really good feeling in the group right now and we are all enjoying it.”

Hoddesdon were helped by 27 extras, including 16 wides and three no-balls, and in a game won by 34 runs that was no small factor. Yet this was far from a case of the home side simply cashing in on generosity, because there were important lower-order runs too. Reece Jones made 3, Darshana Keerthichandra added an energetic 21 from 22 balls, Ben Marques chipped in with 9, Scott Higgins was unbeaten on 1, and Barnaby Webb was there at the end on a vital 0 not out, enabling an extra 17 runs via partnerships with Dash and Scotty. It had touches of Jack Leach supporting Ben Stokes in the third Ashes Test at Headingley back in 2019 and the youngest brother of the Webb trio deserves enormous credit for the role he played.

Barney Webb Played A Crucial Role At The Death

Webb himself was quick to recognise that collective effort after the match. “Nikunj gave us another big fifty and Touchy nearly got there again, but that 46 was just as important,” said the skipper. “Dash was unreal batting at the death and Barney’s 0 not out was a very important 0 not out. We set another really good platform and that was a big part of why we won.”

If the batting had been solid and well-paced, the bowling display was even better. Potters Bar never fully recovered from Hoddesdon’s new-ball burst as the home side tore into the top order. Niloy Mitra was trapped lbw by Ash Hill for 5, Ansh Mithal was bowled by Webb for 6, Daniel Arnon went for a duck when he was caught by Hill off Webb, and Leo Tyler fell for 8 when Darshana Keerthichandra held the catch off Hill. From 22-4, Potters Bar were immediately chasing the game.

Hill, outstanding throughout, set the tone with his energy, skill and presence in the field. His figures of 8-2-28-4 only told part of the story, because he was also central to several dismissals, taking catches and pulling off a fine caught-and-bowled to remove the dangerous Nathanial Faldo. Hill’s spell was full of control, but also enough aggression to prevent Potters Bar ever settling. It was the kind of all-round contribution that would have won the Greene King Level Head IPA-sponsored Green Jacket on many other Saturdays.

Ash Hill Was Central To Everything On Saturday

Ash was honest enough to admit he fancied his chances for the award before Webb’s late burst sealed it. “I thought I’d put together a decent case, to be fair,” Hill laughed. “But when your captain goes and bags his first five-for, you probably just have to shake his hand and hand over the jacket. It was a great team win though, and that’s the biggest thing. Everyone chipped in again and there is a proper togetherness about this side at the moment.”

Potters Bar did show spirit, and for a while Nathanial Faldo threatened to drag them back into the contest. He made a lively 50 from 47 balls, striking six fours and a six, while Tuhin Mitra provided stubborn support with 23 from 68 balls. Their stand carried the visitors from 43-5 to 114-6 and briefly made Hoddesdon work for the result. Jait Shukla added 14, Shrut Patel struck a brisk 20 from only 13 balls, and Vishnu Panchamukhi made 16, but each time Potters Bar hinted at a fightback Hoddesdon found a response.

That response came most emphatically from Webb. The captain produced the finest bowling figures of his career, returning 6.3 overs, 2 maidens, 22 runs and 5 wickets for his first ever five-wicket haul. He removed Mithal, Arnon, Vishnu Panchamukhi, Shrut Patel and Daksh Vinnakota, and did so with the sort of control and confidence that has typified his leadership during this strong recent run. Scott Higgins also deserved praise for his 1-34 from eight overs, while Monty McCullagh’s 8-2-33-0 was better than the figures alone suggest, as he held an end well and kept the pressure on.

The Skipper Was Simply Outstanding

Webb was typically modest when reflecting on both the bowling spell and the Green Jacket that followed later back at Lowfield, where Hill presented him with the award. “I’m sure I’m getting rinsed for it because I know there were a few laughs when I dedicated the Green Jacket to the team,” he said. “That’s completely true, though. It would have been so easy to pack it in after a few tough games, but I think it’s a testament to the side that we’ve carried on and are now reaping the rewards of hard work. As a captain, all you can ask for is ten people to try their hardest for you week in, week out, and I’ve had that every week.”

That sense of togetherness has become a theme of Hoddesdon’s revival. Webb’s post-match message to the team summed it up, as he praised Pradhan’s latest major score, Feely’s importance, Darshana’s late runs, Hill’s outstanding display with ball and in the field, Higgins’ class, McCullagh’s control, and Marques’ work behind the stumps. He even allowed himself a brief smile at his own contribution. “I guess I was alright as well,” he joked, before urging the players to keep the momentum rolling.

Hoddesdon Bagged Another 30 Points To Bring Them Within Four Points Of Potters Bar

Feely echoed that mood and made it clear the dressing room has no intention of letting standards slip now. In the group WhatsApp chat on Monday, Touchy set the tone with the message: “Train hard this week boys, we targeted 6 from 6, we are 3 from 3, let’s tick off that 4 from 4 Saturday.” It was exactly the kind of positive, forward-looking message that reflects a team suddenly enjoying both its cricket and its chances.

Three straight wins have transformed the picture for Hoddesdon. They are still fifth, but they are charging hard, just four points behind Potters Bar and still mathematically in the title race with three fixtures to play. Whether they can reel in Hitchin, Enfield and Datchworth will depend on plenty going in their favour, but right now that is almost beside the point. The important thing is that this 3rd XI have rediscovered their rhythm, their belief and their habit of winning. Saturday’s result was another example of that. Pradhan and Feely gave Hoddesdon substance with the bat, Hill was magnificent in all disciplines, and Webb delivered a captain’s performance of real quality to claim his first ever five-for and his first ever Green Jacket.

With the team now three from three in the run they targeted, and with confidence bubbling nicely, Hoddesdon head into the final stretch with momentum, unity and genuine optimism.

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