Hoddesdon CC Saturday 3rd XI kept their title hopes and promotion dreams alive on Saturday with a hard-fought four-wicket win away to Hatfield and Crusaders at a warm and sunny Newgate Street. It was not always smooth, it was not always comfortable, but it was another huge result for a side that has suddenly found its rhythm at exactly the right time of the season.

The 3s chased down 187 to win with four overs to spare, finishing on 187-6 after Hatfield had posted a competitive 186-8 from their 40 overs. Darshana Keerthichandra, known to everyone in the changing room as Dash, was the hero with the bat, carrying Hoddesdon home with a superb unbeaten 70 from 94 balls in an innings full of patience, calmness and proper match-winning substance. This was Hoddesdon’s fourth league win in a row, following victories over Letchworth Garden City, Hitchin and Potters Bar. After a difficult mid-season spell threatened to derail their campaign, the 3rd XI have now surged back into the promotion conversation and still have a mathematical route to the title if they keep winning and results elsewhere fall their way.

The updated Division 12 East table remains incredibly tight at the top. Hitchin still lead with 387 points, but they were beaten by one wicket by Datchworth, who moved to 381, while Enfield’s win over Preston took them to 382 in second place. Potters Bar sit fourth on 354, with Hoddesdon now fifth on 350, just four points behind Potters and still within reach of the sides above them. The day’s other results made the picture even more fascinating. Datchworth’s one-wicket win over Hitchin was a major result in the title race, Enfield beat Preston by seven wickets, Bayford & Hertford edged Letchworth by two wickets, and Potters Bar beat Ickleford by six wickets. Those results mean the top five remain separated by just 37 points, with two weekends left and plenty still to play for.

Both A League Title And Promotion Are Still Very Much In Play For The 3rd XI

For Hoddesdon, this was a victory achieved without regular captain Louis Webb, who was away on holiday, and without Dan Hawkins, who was again involved with the 2nd XI. That left Ross Maughan to step in as stand-in skipper, and the experienced former 3rd XI captain handled the job superbly, guiding a strong but reshuffled side to another important win.

Ross said afterwards: “I was really proud of the lads because this was exactly the sort of game that can trip you up if you are not switched on. Hatfield batted well, they put a proper score on the board, and we had to show character in the chase after losing wickets at awkward times.”

He added: “Dash was outstanding and played the innings the situation needed. He stayed calm, trusted his game, and gave everyone else something to bat around, while Tyler came in and changed the tempo brilliantly when we needed the game to move forward.”

Hatfield won the toss and elected to bat first, and they made Hoddesdon work hard from the outset. Don Purohit and Charles D’Souza put on 51 for the first wicket, with Purohit making 31 from 48 balls and D’Souza contributing 18 before being run out by Reece Jones. It was a decent opening stand and gave the home side a platform on a surface that rewarded batters who spent time in the middle. Henry Taylor eventually made the breakthrough by bowling Purohit, while Dan Billson removed Lino D’Souza caught and bowled for 15. Hoddesdon kept chipping away, but Sharaaz Jaffar became the main obstacle, making a determined 47 from 65 balls with seven fours as Hatfield looked to build towards a total that would ask proper questions of the visiting batting line-up.

Monty McCullagh played an important role through the middle overs, dismissing both Jaffar and Srikanth Kandhi on his way to figures of 2-31 from eight overs. Dan Billson also picked up 2-29 from his eight, giving Hoddesdon valuable control and wickets, while Caleb Harding bowled a tidy eight-over spell for 30 runs and Scott Higgins once again kept the pressure on with 0-31 from his full allocation. There were also important fielding contributions, with Reece Jones, Monty McCullagh and Dash all involved in run outs. Hatfield were helped by 39 extras, including 22 byes and six no-balls, and that pushed them up to 186-8 by the end of their 40 overs. It was a total that looked very gettable, but only if Hoddesdon batted with discipline and avoided panic.

Monty McCullagh Played A Pivotal Role In The Match

Hatfield’s innings had several useful contributions beyond Jaffar and Purohit. Dhyanes Patel made 13, Barry Phillips finished unbeaten on 11, and Omkar Gandhi added 6 before being run out by Dash. It was not one huge individual score that carried them, but rather a collection of partnerships and lower-order resistance that made the chase far from straightforward.

The Hoddesdon reply began badly when Nikunj Pradhan, in excellent form in recent weeks, was trapped lbw by Dhyanes Patel for a duck with the score on 1. That was an early blow, especially given Nikunj’s recent scores of 65 and 59, but Maughan and Dash settled the innings and began to rebuild with exactly the calm required. Ross made 42 from 73 balls, hitting six fours and playing the supporting role well as Dash grew into the chase. Their second-wicket stand took Hoddesdon from 1-1 to 90-2, and although the scoring was not always rapid, it gave the visitors the control they needed after that early setback. Maughan’s innings was important not just for the runs, but for the leadership and calm it brought to the middle.

Stand In Skipper Ross Maughan Made An Important Contribution With The Bat

Dash was the constant presence throughout. He reached his unbeaten 70 from 94 balls, striking nine fours and refusing to let the game get away from Hoddesdon even when Hatfield struck back. It was the sort of innings that rarely looks flashy from the boundary in the early stages, but by the end everyone understood its full value. Hatfield did make things tense through Srikanth Kandhi, who bowled an excellent spell and finished with 4-32 from eight overs. He removed Ross, Mark Feely for 1, Dan Billson for 6 and Reece Jones for 0, turning 90-1 into 104-5 and briefly giving the home side real hope of pulling off a result. Omkar Gandhi also bowled superbly for 0-9 from eight overs with two maidens, applying pressure at one end and making every run feel valuable.

Dash's 70 Not Out Pushed Hoddesdon Over The Line

At 104-5, Hoddesdon needed someone to wrestle the momentum back, and Tyler Burroughs did exactly that. He produced a decisive counter-attacking 39 from just 25 balls, hitting six fours and one six at a strike rate of 156.00, and his partnership with Dash effectively broke the back of the chase. Tyler’s innings was full of intent and experience. He did not let Hatfield settle into a squeeze, he picked the right balls to attack, and he helped move the score from 104-5 to 169-6 before falling to Dhyanes Patel. By then, Hoddesdon were close enough for Dash to see the job through. Henry Taylor then came in and played a perfect little cameo, finishing unbeaten on 5 from just two balls. His boundary helped push Hoddesdon towards the line, and with Dash still there, the winning runs arrived in the 36th over as Hoddesdon closed on 187-6. Scott Higgins, Monty McCullagh and Caleb Harding were not required with the bat, which said plenty about the way Dash and Tyler had taken control at the key moment.

Tyler Burroughs Gave The Innings Further Impetus... 'Good innings Jase...'

Dash was a very strong contender for the Green Jacket after such a composed and valuable innings. He narrowly missed out to 4th XI captain Nirosh Perera for the weekly award, but his performance was absolutely central to the 3rd XI’s win and will rightly be remembered as one of the defining knocks of this late-season push.

Ross was full of praise for him afterwards, saying: “Dash deserved all the credit he got because that was a proper chase under pressure. He did not panic when wickets fell, he kept finding the gaps, and he made sure we always felt the target was under control.”

He continued: “Tyler’s knock was massive as well because the game was still in the balance when he walked out. He played with real purpose, took the pressure off Dash, and suddenly Hatfield were the side having to chase the game again.”

The Hoddesdon Batting Card

Every Hoddesdon player contributed in some way to the win. Ross led the side superbly and made 42, Nikunj suffered a rare early failure but remains one of the form batters in the side, Dash produced the match-winning 70 not out, and Mark Feely had a quieter day after his recent purple patch. Dan Billson chipped in with bat and ball, Reece Jones delivered a key run out, and Tyler Burroughs played the decisive attacking hand. Further down the order, Caleb Harding bowled with good discipline, Henry Taylor claimed a wicket and finished the chase with confidence, Monty McCullagh took two important wickets, and Scott Higgins kept running in with his usual pace and effort. It was not a day dominated by one area alone, but a proper team win shaped by key moments from experienced heads and trusted regulars.

Hatfield also deserve credit for pushing the game deep. Their total of 186-8 was built on a strong opening stand, Jaffar’s excellent 47 and some useful contributions through the order, while Kandhi’s four-wicket spell made the chase far less comfortable than Hoddesdon would have wanted. For a side sitting bottom of the table, they competed hard and forced Hoddesdon to earn every point. That, in many ways, made the victory even more pleasing. Hoddesdon had to win a different type of game to the previous two weeks, when they had produced dominant performances against Hitchin and Potters Bar. This was more of a grind, more of a pressure chase, and more of a test of nerve, but they still came through with four wickets and four overs to spare.

Ross summed it up by saying: “These are the wins that matter at this stage of the season because you have to find a way. We would all love every game to be comfortable, but when you are chasing promotion or trying to stay in a title race, you need to handle the awkward afternoons too.”

He added: “We are still in it, and that is the main thing. We need results to go our way, but we have given ourselves a chance, and while there is still a chance, this group will keep fighting for it.”

Hoddesdon now sit on 350 points with two matches remaining, and the dream is still alive. Hitchin, Enfield and Datchworth remain ahead, while Potters Bar are still just above in fourth, but the 3rd XI have dragged themselves back into the conversation through four straight wins and a renewed sense of belief. Hoddesdon must keep winning, keep collecting points, and hope the sides above them continue to take points from one another. After the way they have responded over the last month, nobody around the club will be writing them off just yet.

At Newgate Street, under warm sunshine and with the season on the line, the 3rd XI showed once again that they are not done. Dash led the chase, Ross led the side, and Hoddesdon left with 30 more points, a fourth straight win, and their title hopes and promotion dreams still very much alive.

#GreenMachine