HODDESDON HOLD NERVE IN THRILLING THREE-WICKET WIN OVER BOTANY BAY

Lowfield played host to a superb Sunday Friendly encounter this past weekend, as Hoddesdon Cricket Club’s Friendly XI edged a tense, high-scoring contest against visiting Botany Bay CC by three wickets with just four balls to spare.

It was a match that epitomised everything good about Sunday cricket – competitive but played in the right spirit, with players from both sides gaining valuable experience outside of their regular Saturday league action. For Hoddesdon, it was particularly rewarding to see many younger and fringe Saturday players putting in strong performances, under the calm leadership of captain Andrew Lewis.

With fine weather welcoming the players – comfortably mild, neither too warm nor too chilly – Lewis won the toss and elected to field first on a typically true Lowfield surface. The outfield was quick, and it was clear from the outset that a high-scoring contest could well be in the offing.

HODDESDON ELECT TO FIELD, BOTANY BAY BUILD STRONG TOTAL
Having won the toss, Lewis elected to field first, giving his bowlers first use of a good-looking surface. The decision paid early dividends as Hoddesdon struck quickly. Thomas Sirman was first to go for Botany Bay, bowled by J Bailey for a duck.

Alfie Newman (31) and Oliver Gascoigne (12) attempted to rebuild, but Hoddesdon kept chipping away, with captain Andrew Lewis picking involved in both wickets, bowling Gascoigne and catching Newman off the bowling of Bilal Ahmad.

At 91 for 3, Botany Bay needed a partnership – and it duly arrived through skipper Matt Gascoigne, who led from the front with a superb innings of 75 from 62 balls, including 14 boundaries. Gascoigne’s knock provided the backbone of the innings and injected real momentum into the middle overs.

Waqar Nawaz (36) played positively to support his captain before being run out by a sharp piece of work from Hoddesdon keeper George Kimberley. The lower order also contributed usefully, with Mohamed Ilham striking a breezy 38 from 20 balls to push Botany Bay towards an excellent total.

The wickets were shared among the Hoddesdon bowlers, with Andrew Lewis claiming 3 for 43 from 9 overs, backed up by J Bailey (1 for 22), and late strikes from Freddie Hawkins and Daniel Hawkins.

Botany Bay closed their 40 overs on 267 for 8, a formidable score but not out of reach on a quick Lowfield outfield.

STONE LEADS HODDESDON CHARGE IN CHASE
Chasing 268, Hoddesdon’s reply began nervously, as Neil Pomeroy fell early in just the second ball of the innings to Manish Solanki without scoring. Perry Kisby and George Kimberley attempted to steady the ship but both fell inside the first eight overs, leaving Hoddesdon precariously placed at 25 for 3.

Enter Clayton Stone.

Stone, fresh from excellent form in recent weeks, produced a stunning counter-attacking innings that turned the match on its head. With elegant strokeplay and fierce hitting, he raced to 96 from just 51 balls, peppering the boundary with 15 fours and 3 sixes. His partnership with skipper Andrew Lewis was pivotal, as Lewis contributed a fluent 34 from 22 balls to keep the scoreboard ticking.

The pair transformed Hoddesdon’s innings, taking the game back to Botany Bay and forcing the visitors onto the defensive. Stone eventually fell agonisingly short of a well-deserved century, but his innings had laid the perfect platform for the chase.

AHMAD AND WEBB SEE HODDESDON HOME
After Stone’s dismissal, Freddie Hawkins chipped in with a valuable 28, while Bilal Ahmad played a superb late hand, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 55 from 45 balls. There was a little controversy following the wicket of Freddie Hawkins, caught off the bowling of Hemanth Tummala, with a spectator getting a little over zealous and attempting to enter the field of play for a conversation with the visiting wicket keeper, Kartik Ashadhir. Sunshine and alcohol can do funny things to people and all was brushed under the carpet with a sheepish retreat and an apology after the game. No harm done.

There were nerves as wickets continued to fall – Daniel Hawkins (11) was the last man out at 204 – but Ahmad remained calm under pressure. Partnered by Louis Webb (12*), the pair guided Hoddesdon towards the target as the required rate edged upwards in the final overs.

With three wickets in hand and just a handful of deliveries remaining, Ahmad struck the winning runs to take Hoddesdon to 268 for 7 in 39.2 overs, sealing a thrilling three-wicket win.

A VALUABLE OUTING FOR BOTH SIDES
The match proved an ideal exercise for both teams: competitive yet played in excellent spirit, with players gaining crucial experience outside of their usual Saturday roles. For Hoddesdon, Clayton Stone’s magnificent 96 was undoubtedly the standout performance, supported by Andrew Lewis’s all-round display (34 runs and 3 wickets), and Bilal Ahmad’s composed finishing knock. With the ball, Lewis led well, backed up by J Bailey and the Hawkins duo.

George Kimberley kept tidily behind the stumps, while several bowlers – notably Perera and Louis Webb – also gained valuable match time.

For Botany Bay, Matt Gascoigne’s classy 75 was the innings of their day, with excellent contributions from Ilham, Newman, and Nawaz. With the ball, Manish Solanki’s 2 for 10 off 4 was particularly economical, while Joe Brownnutt and Hemanth Tummala also impressed.

CAPTAIN’S VERDICT
Speaking after the game, Hoddesdon skipper Andrew Lewis reflected on a hugely worthwhile afternoon:

"I thought it was an excellent game of cricket – really competitive but played in great spirit. I was pleased with how our guys fought back after losing early wickets. Clayton was outstanding today, and Bilal’s composure at the end was superb. Matches like these give our Saturday players really valuable opportunities to build confidence and develop skills outside the pressures of league cricket. We’ll take plenty of positives from this performance going forward.”

LOOKING AHEAD
With momentum now building, Hoddesdon’s Friendly XI will be keen to continue this form in upcoming Sunday matches. The blend of youth and experience is working well, and the game time is proving vital for those pushing for first- and second-team league places. There is no Sunday fixture on the 8th of June due to the Family Day at Lowfield (read all about that HERE) so the next friendly fixture will be on Sunday the 15th of June at home to Tewin CC.

As for Botany Bay, they can take many positives from the match and will surely come back strong in future encounters. On a day when over 530 runs were scored, and the result came down to the final over, this was Sunday cricket at its entertaining best – a brilliant advert for friendly matches at club level.

FINAL RESULT:
Botany Bay CC 267/8 (40 overs)
Hoddesdon CC 268/7 (39.2 overs)
Hoddesdon CC won by 3 wickets

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