FOURTH XI FALL TO HANNA ONSLAUGHT AT STANSTED

Hoddesdon Cricket Club’s 4th XI suffered a heavy ten-wicket defeat away to Stansted on Saturday, despite producing a much-improved batting display and posting 158 for nine from their 40 overs. The hosts chased the target in only 13.1 overs, reaching 159 without loss as former Hoddesdon 1st XI player Reece Hanna struck an extraordinary unbeaten 132 from just 42 deliveries.

It was a bruising conclusion to an afternoon that had begun with plenty of encouragement for Nirosh Perera’s developing side. Hoddesdon batted with far greater patience and structure than they had shown in the previous week’s defeat at St Margaretsbury, with veteran Neil Pomeroy leading the way through an admirable innings of 35 from 95 balls. Pomeroy’s contribution deserves enormous credit because he gave the innings the shape and stability that it had badly lacked seven days earlier. His five boundaries were spread across a patient stay at the crease, and although his strike rate was modest, his willingness to value his wicket allowed Hoddesdon to use the majority of their allotted overs and construct a total that appeared defendable before Stansted’s remarkable assault.

Captain Perera also made an important contribution, scoring 33 from 54 deliveries with six boundaries. He and Pomeroy added 57 for the first wicket, giving Hoddesdon their strongest platform for several weeks and demonstrating the benefits of calm decision-making against an accurate Stansted attack. Perera was the first wicket to fall, bowled for 33, before Pomeroy continued to occupy the crease and provide guidance for those arriving around him. The pair’s opening stand represented a significant improvement from recent matches and ensured Hoddesdon were not immediately placed under the sort of scoreboard pressure that has too often caused wickets to fall in clusters. Oscar Ramsdale marked another appearance with an encouraging 18 from 26 balls, finding the boundary three times and showing signs of growing confidence. Lee Ellerbeck added 15 from 23, while Sampathreddy Palepu struck 18 from only 19 balls as he attempted to provide the acceleration that had powered his unforgettable unbeaten 144 against Harlow earlier in the summer.

Neil Pomeroy Laid A Solid Foundation With The Bat

The middle and lower order were prevented from fully breaking free by disciplined Stansted bowling. An unnamed Stansted bowler returned four for 25 from eight overs, while Tom Donnelly claimed three for 22 and Will Gavin took one for 34. Adam Curtis completed the bowling figures with one for 22, and David Powter delivered eight economical overs for 30 without reward. Jack Bailey made one, George Elsom nine and Arthur Brown five, while wicketkeeper Connor Taylor finished unbeaten on one. Chunot Shah was dismissed without scoring, and George Viggars did not face a delivery as Hoddesdon closed on 158 for nine, with 23 extras making a useful contribution to the total.

The scorecard showed six maidens in Stansted’s 40 overs, highlighting the area Perera believes his side must continue to address. Hoddesdon’s captain felt the batters had shown considerably greater discipline, but he also urged the group to develop ways of rotating the strike and disrupting slow, accurate bowling rather than allowing long periods of pressure to build.

“It was definitely an improved performance with the bat, and before the second innings began I thought we had given ourselves something to work with,” said Perera. “Neil was superb in the way he occupied the crease and gave us a foundation, while several players made useful contributions around him. We now need to become better at finding singles and changing the length of accurate slower bowlers, whether that means sweeping, using our feet or simply being more proactive between the wickets.”

Any optimism generated by Hoddesdon’s total was quickly overwhelmed by one of the most destructive innings the Fourth XI are likely to encounter. Hanna, who represented Hoddesdon’s 1st XI a few seasons ago, struck nine fours and 15 sixes during his unbeaten 132, scoring at a strike rate of more than 314 and dominating a partnership in which Curtis contributed eight not out from 37 balls. There can be no dispute over the quality or power of Hanna’s hitting. He punished anything remotely within range and dispatched the ball around Hargrave Park as Stansted completed the chase with 161 deliveries still remaining. For Hoddesdon, however, it was understandably a frustrating experience. This is a very young side competing in Division Four of the Herts and Essex Border League, with many players still taking their earliest steps in senior cricket, and there was limited opportunity for them to settle, build pressure or work through meaningful spells against a batter operating at a substantially higher standard.

It is not Hoddesdon’s place to instruct another club on how to select or deploy its players, and Stansted were fully entitled to field the team they chose. Nevertheless, watching a target of 159 disappear in barely 13 overs through the efforts of one former first-team player offered relatively little developmental value for the younger bowlers, particularly when several members of the side were unable to receive a meaningful opportunity with the ball. Perera acknowledged that reality in his message to the players after the game, while also refusing to allow the experience to undermine the spirit of the group. He apologised that the speed of the chase had restricted his ability to involve more bowlers, but he praised the attitude of those who did take the ball and insisted the scorebook did not tell the complete story.

Reece Hanna Was Clearly In A Hurry On Saturday Afternoon

Bailey bowled five overs in total and conceded 62 runs, having originally been shown on the scorecard as bowling three overs for 22. Despite the punishment inflicted during the later stages of his spell, Perera believed Bailey produced some of his best bowling of the season and was unfortunate not to be rewarded when the captain was unable to hold a difficult catching opportunity. Elsom’s figures were also incorrectly displayed on Play Cricket's website. He bowled two overs for 46 runs rather than the four overs for 86 shown on the published scorecard, and while he too suffered under Hanna’s attack, he still created chances and continued to challenge the batter rather than retreating into purely defensive cricket. Viggars returned figures of four overs for 37, while Perera bowled 2.1 overs for nine runs. Bailey sent down five wides, Viggars three and Perera six, with the hosts receiving 19 extras overall as they raced to their target.

“The bowling figures look extremely harsh, but they do not explain everything that happened,” Perera said. “George created chances despite the boundaries, and Jack bowled one of the best spells I have seen from him. I was gutted not to take the catch because he deserved a wicket for the way he challenged the batter.”

Perera continued: “There is very little you can do when an opposition player is operating at a significantly higher level and striking the ball like that. What matters now is how we respond, and I remain proud of the heart, integrity and togetherness this team shows every week. The players keep turning up, supporting one another and trying to improve, and that will make us stronger in the long run.”

The defeat leaves Hoddesdon ninth in Division Four with 98 points from 13 matches, having recorded three wins and ten defeats. They remain seven points behind Harlow 5th XI and 28 behind Dunmow, while Stansted climbed to fifth on 147 points after securing their fifth victory of the season. The wider league table shows Harlow Town 3rd XI leading on 211 points, only one ahead of Bishop’s Stortford 1825s. Sawbridgeworth sit third on 163, North Weald fourth on 162, and Stansted now occupy fifth ahead of St Margaretsbury, Dunmow, Harlow 5th XI and Hoddesdon.

HEBL Division 4

The result was not what Hoddesdon wanted, but the opening partnership, Pomeroy’s resilience and the improved use of the full 40 overs provided genuine positives. For a side whose primary purpose includes introducing young players to senior cricket, progress cannot always be measured solely through league points or match results.

That message was reinforced by club chairman Ian Munday, who contacted Perera after the weekend to thank him for his work with the Fourth XI. Munday described captaining the team as one of the toughest roles within the club, pointing to the constant challenges of late availability, team changes and helping young players navigate their first experiences of adult cricket. The chairman also praised Perera’s positivity, enthusiasm and encouragement, describing those qualities as central to the future of Hoddesdon Cricket Club. He told the captain that people like him were the heartbeat of a community club because they helped others enjoy their cricket, remain involved and continue returning despite difficult results. Those words offered important perspective after a demanding afternoon. The Fourth XI have no fixture next weekend and will return to action in a fortnight, giving the players an opportunity to regroup, train and prepare for the closing matches of a difficult but valuable campaign.

“We keep persevering, we keep training and we remain united,” Perera concluded. “I have no doubt that this group will continue to improve and become a real force in time. Results have not always gone our way, but the commitment and character are there, and we go again together.”

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