There were smiles, relief, sunburnt faces and a very welcome sense of reward at Thundridge on Saturday afternoon as Hoddesdon CC 4th XI finally got their season up and running with a magnificent 80-run victory over local rivals St Margaretsbury CC Saturday 4th XI.

After three frustrating defeats to begin the campaign, skipper Nirosh Perera’s side produced a performance full of grit, spirit and quality to secure a richly deserved first win of the season in absolutely roasting conditions. Temperatures soared throughout the afternoon, drinks breaks became essential rather than optional, and by the end of the day the Hoddy players looked every bit as exhausted as they did delighted. The victory lifts Hoddesdon off the foot of the Division 4 table and up into eighth place, leapfrogging Harlow CC 5th XI in the process. While nobody at the club is getting carried away after one result, there was a genuine feeling around the side that this could prove to be a turning point in the campaign.

A huge amount of credit must go to captain Perera, who has remained calm, upbeat and supportive despite the difficult start to the season. There has been no panic from the skipper, no negativity and no finger-pointing. Instead, Perera has consistently backed his players and kept morale high, and on Saturday he was finally rewarded with a complete team performance that reflected the spirit developing within the squad.

“We’ve stayed positive all season,” said Perera afterwards. “There was never any panic in the dressing room because we knew the results didn’t really show what this group could do. The lads worked so hard in that heat and fully deserved the win. I thought the bowling especially was excellent and the energy in the field was brilliant from start to finish.”

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Hoddesdon knew the challenge would be to build a competitive total in draining temperatures that made even standing still feel exhausting. Opener Paul Webb dug in courageously at the top of the order, occupying the crease for 82 deliveries in a determined innings of 21. While it was not a fluent knock statistically, it provided the sort of stability that allowed others around him to play more aggressively.

Nikunj Pradhan certainly did that. Arriving at the crease with positive intent, he immediately shifted momentum back towards Hoddesdon with a sparkling 39 from just 29 deliveries. Eight boundaries flew from his bat as he counterattacked superbly, forcing St Margaretsbury onto the back foot and giving Hoddesdon exactly the injection of momentum they needed. Pradhan’s innings changed the mood of the contest and allowed the middle order to build from a position of strength.

Ashley Hill then took centre stage with what was unquestionably one of the best all-round performances seen from a Hoddesdon 4th XI player this season. Hill looked in outstanding touch from the moment he arrived at the crease, timing the ball beautifully and batting with composure and authority in the relentless sunshine. His superb 44 from 47 balls included six boundaries and a towering six, with the all-rounder repeatedly dispatching anything loose while rotating strike intelligently.

Hill was incredibly unlucky not to pick up this week’s Green Jacket award because his contribution to this victory was immense. He not only played one of the defining innings of the afternoon, but later ripped through the visitors’ batting line-up with a sensational spell of bowling that effectively decided the match.

Before that, however, Hoddesdon still needed further runs and they found them thanks largely to Dash Keerthichandra, who had only been drafted into the side at short notice following a late withdrawal. The emergency call-up proved inspired. Dash played with freedom and confidence, hammering 48 from just 43 deliveries in a wonderfully entertaining knock that included five boundaries. He kept the scoreboard moving at exactly the right moment and ensured Hoddesdon maintained pressure on the tiring St Margaretsbury attack.

George Kimberley added a lively seven from just five deliveries, including a six, while Mark Feely contributed 13 useful runs lower down the order. Sampathreddy Palepu and captain Perera remained unbeaten at the close as Hoddesdon finished on an imposing 237 for 7 from their 40 overs.

Yet as impressive as the batting contributions were, one statistic towered above the rest. St Margaretsbury conceded a staggering 58 extras, including 30 wides and six no balls, repeatedly gifting Hoddesdon free runs and relieving pressure at crucial moments. In conditions where concentration naturally dipped under the blazing heat, Hoddesdon’s superior discipline would ultimately become one of the biggest differences between the sides.

Perera said afterwards: “We spoke beforehand about keeping things simple because in weather like that you don’t need to do anything magical. We stayed patient, we worked hard and we made sure we didn’t lose our discipline. The extras definitely helped us, but I also thought our batters worked really hard to put pressure on their bowlers.”

Defending 237 was never going to be straightforward against local rivals, but Hoddesdon’s bowlers then produced arguably their finest collective display of the season. Hill struck early and never looked back, bowling with exceptional control and consistency to finish with magnificent figures of 4 for 13 from 5.5 overs. His opening spell ripped through the St Margaretsbury top order, removing Richard Leggett and Ben Page cheaply before he later returned to dismiss the dangerous Ben Watson and complete a devastating afternoon.

Hill’s economy rate of just 2.23 was remarkable in the conditions and every wicket seemed to energise the rest of the side. There were plenty around the ground who felt the Green Jacket surely had his name written all over it after such a dominant all-round contribution.

But he was brilliantly supported by Scott Higgins, whose spell proved equally important in strangling the visitors during the middle overs. Higgins bowled with intelligence and control throughout, mixing his pace cleverly and repeatedly forcing mistakes from the batters. His superb figures of 3 for 20 from eight overs were richly deserved and included the crucial wickets of Zachary Young and Charlie Kitzinger, both of whom had looked capable of rebuilding the innings.

Paul Webb also deserved enormous praise for his efforts with the ball. After battling through 82 exhausting deliveries earlier in the afternoon with the bat, Webb somehow found the energy reserves to return and produce a superb spell of 3 for 35 from eight overs. His dismissal of Tom Stuttard for 36 proved a huge breakthrough, while his later wickets ensured any lingering hopes of a St Margaretsbury recovery were swiftly extinguished.

Together, Hill, Higgins and Webb completely dismantled the visitors. St Margaretsbury were eventually bowled out for 157 in 33.5 overs, handing Hoddesdon a commanding 80-run victory and scenes of genuine joy at the final wicket.

While the visitors themselves benefited from 31 extras in their innings, including 19 wides, Hoddesdon were still considerably more disciplined overall and that control ultimately proved decisive. Perera himself bowled tidily for figures of 0 for 18 from five overs, while Jack Bailey also chipped in with valuable overs during difficult conditions.

The only downside to an otherwise magnificent afternoon involved the injury suffered by Dash Keerthichandra during the visitors’ innings. Having already starred with the bat after his late inclusion, Dash injured his hand while bravely attempting to stop the ball in the field, quite literally putting his body on the line for the team. The injury proved serious enough for him to leave the match early before later spending several hours in A&E on Saturday night awaiting treatment.

Such was his commitment to the side, however, that Dash reportedly remained in constant contact with teammates throughout the evening, repeatedly checking the score and asking for updates as Hoddesdon closed in on victory. He was due to see a specialist on Wednesday amid concerns there could potentially be tendon damage, and everyone at Hoddesdon Cricket Club sends him their very best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Perera was full of praise for Dash afterwards, saying: “He was unbelievable. To come in late and play that innings was brilliant enough, but then to throw himself around in the field the way he did says everything about his attitude. Even while he was waiting in hospital he was messaging us for updates and checking how the lads were doing. That’s the kind of spirit we want in this team.”

The celebrations at the end reflected not only the importance of the result, but the sense that this group had finally received the reward its efforts deserved. After three defeats to begin the season, Hoddesdon now have genuine momentum and renewed belief heading into the next round of fixtures.

If the 4th XI can reproduce the spirit, discipline and togetherness shown at Thundridge on Saturday, there is every reason to believe this first victory will not be the last.

#GreenMachine