Fresh from a superb breakthrough victory against local rivals St Margaretsbury last weekend, Hoddesdon CC 4th XI return to Thundridge on Saturday afternoon looking to continue their upward momentum as they welcome Stansted CC 2nd XI in Division 4 of the Herts & Essex Border League.

After three difficult opening defeats to start the campaign, the mood around the Hoddesdon camp has changed dramatically over the past seven days following an outstanding 80-run victory played in blisteringly hot conditions at Thundridge. It was a performance packed with determination, discipline and togetherness, and one that finally rewarded captain Nirosh Perera’s calm leadership and positivity during a testing opening month.

The result lifted Hoddesdon off the foot of the table and above Harlow CC 5th XI into eighth place, while also injecting fresh confidence into a side that had perhaps deserved more than their early-season results suggested.

For Perera, last weekend’s victory felt like a reward for patience.

“We’ve stayed positive the whole time,” said the skipper ahead of Saturday’s fixture.

“There was never any panic in the group. The atmosphere has remained really good and everybody has continued working hard and backing each other. Last weekend showed what we’re capable of when things click together. The effort levels were brilliant and the energy in the field was exactly what we wanted to see. Hopefully we can build on that now.”

Saturday’s visitors will certainly provide another stern test.

Stansted arrive at Thundridge sitting third in the Division 4 table with 54 points from their opening four matches and have quickly established themselves as one of the early pace-setters in the division. Their campaign so far has been packed with runs. Stansted opened the season with a thrilling high-scoring defeat despite posting a mammoth 257/4 against Harlow Town CC 3rd XI, before bouncing back with victories over St Margaretsbury, North Weald and Sampfords.

The batting statistics make for particularly impressive reading.

D Hanna currently holds the highest individual score of the season after smashing 126 against Harlow Town earlier this month, while Oscar Clark struck a brilliant century against St Margaretsbury during Stansted’s commanding 43-run victory. Ryan Cope also made 91 in the opening week of the campaign, highlighting the depth and firepower throughout the Stansted line-up.

With the ball, David Wheatley has proven especially dangerous, producing figures of 3/49 against St Margaretsbury before following that up with 2/21 against North Weald. Miles McCarthy’s excellent 3/12 against Sampfords last weekend also demonstrated Stansted’s ability to quickly dismantle batting line-ups once they build scoreboard pressure.

Perera is under no illusions about the challenge ahead but believes Hoddesdon can approach the contest with genuine confidence after last weekend’s display.

“They’re obviously a strong side and the table reflects that,” he admitted.

"They’ve got some quality players and they’ve already shown they can post big scores, so we know we’ll need to be switched on from the first ball. But we also showed last weekend that we can compete when we’re disciplined and play with confidence. The lads should take a lot of belief from that performance.”

Hoddesdon’s victory over St Margaretsbury was built around a sensational team performance, although Ashley Hill in particular produced one of the standout all-round displays seen in Division 4 so far this season. Hill was incredibly unlucky not to collect the Green Jacket award after hammering an excellent 44 with the bat before producing devastating figures of 4 wickets for just 13 runs during a magnificent spell with the ball. His accuracy and movement tore through the opposition top order and completely shifted momentum Hoddesdon’s way.

Alongside Hill, Scott Higgins also bowled beautifully, claiming 3/20 from eight controlled overs, while Paul Webb chipped in with another excellent spell worth 3/35.

Collectively, Hoddesdon’s bowling attack was far more disciplined than their opponents had been earlier in the afternoon. While St Margaretsbury conceded a remarkable 58 extras — including 30 wides — Hoddesdon remained composed and controlled with the ball, giving away just 31 extras in reply.

That discipline ultimately proved decisive.

“We spoke beforehand about keeping things simple and bowling sensible lines,” said Perera.

“Ash was outstanding, Scott bowled beautifully and Webby was brilliant as well. Everybody stuck to their jobs really well. When you build pressure in this division, wickets usually come eventually. Last weekend we did that consistently.”

The batting unit also showed encouraging signs.

Nikunj Pradhan continued his excellent form with an eye-catching 39 from only 29 deliveries, while Darshana “Dash” Keerthichandra produced a superb 48 after being drafted into the side at short notice. Dash’s contribution with the bat proved hugely important in helping Hoddesdon reach an imposing 237/7 from their 40 overs, although his afternoon sadly ended in painful fashion. During the visitors’ innings, Keerthichandra injured his hand while bravely attempting to stop the ball in the field, putting his body on the line for the team. The injury eventually forced him to leave the match early before spending several hours in A&E on Saturday evening awaiting treatment and his inclusion in the side this week is doubtful.

There is positive news for Hoddesdon this weekend however, with the welcome return of legendary wicketkeeper Peter Draisey.

A hugely popular figure around the club, Draisey’s experience behind the stumps adds valuable calmness and leadership to the side. Some teammates have jokingly suggested that with the football season finally over — and Manchester City no longer dominating television schedules every weekend — the veteran keeper has finally been persuaded to leave the sofa and return to league cricket.

Either way, his return is undoubtedly a major boost for the 4th XI.

Father-and-son pairing Stuart and Seb Ringe are also expected to feature once again, adding further balance and spirit to the side, while regulars Jack Bailey, George Elsom and Nikunj Pradhan continue to form a strong core within the squad.

The atmosphere around the group has clearly improved significantly over the past week and there is a growing sense that Hoddesdon’s season may finally be beginning to spark into life. Warm conditions are once again forecast for Saturday, although temperatures are expected to be slightly kinder than last weekend’s brutal heatwave, with a little cloud cover predicted throughout the afternoon.

For Perera, the key now is ensuring Hoddesdon back up last weekend’s performance with another disciplined and energetic display against one of the division’s strongest teams.

“The most pleasing thing last week was how everybody contributed,” he said.

“It wasn’t just one person winning the game on their own. The batting, bowling and fielding all worked together really well. That’s the standard we want to keep pushing towards now. We know Stansted will be tough opponents but if we bring the same attitude and energy again then we’ll give ourselves every chance.”

There is certainly a renewed sense of optimism surrounding Hoddesdon’s 4th XI heading into the weekend. After a difficult opening month, last Saturday’s excellent victory over St Margaretsbury felt like an important turning point — not just because of the result itself, but because of the manner in which it was achieved. The bowling was disciplined, the batting aggressive when needed, the fielding energetic and the overall team spirit outstanding throughout.

Saturday’s contest against high-flying Stansted now offers Hoddesdon an opportunity to prove that last weekend was not simply a one-off, but the beginning of a genuine resurgence. With confidence building, experienced heads returning and momentum finally beginning to shift in the right direction, another entertaining afternoon at Thundridge could well be in store.

Fixture Summary

Hoddesdon CC 4th XI vs Stansted CC 2nd XI
Herts & Essex Border League – Division 4
Saturday 30th May 2026
1:00pm Start
Venue: Thundridge Cricket Club, Ermine Street, Thundridge, Hertfordshire, SG12 0SS

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