The fourth XI return from a two-week break with revenge in mind as Nirosh’s developing side head to title-chasing Harlow Town looking to show just how far they have come, travelling to Ash Tree Field to face Harlow Town 3rd XI in the Herts and Essex Border League Division Four. It will be a challenging assignment against the side currently sitting second in the table, but captain Nirosh Perera takes a youthful and enthusiastic team to Harlow determined to enjoy their cricket, compete hard and finish a demanding season on a positive note.

The Fourths were without a fixture a fortnight ago before being forced to concede last Saturday’s scheduled trip to Dunmow because of a shortage of available players during the school holiday period. That concession was particularly frustrating for a group that has continued to turn up and battle throughout the campaign, but there is now an opportunity to put the disappointment behind them and finally get back onto the field.

Saturday’s match begins at 1pm and sees Hoddesdon face one of Division Four’s strongest teams. Harlow Town sit second with 220 points from 14 matches, having won eight and lost three, and they remain firmly involved in the battle at the top with leaders Bishop’s Stortford 1825’s, who have 235 points. North Weald are third on 202, with Sawbridgeworth fourth on 172 and St Margaretsbury fifth on 170. Dunmow sit sixth on 161, Stansted have 159 in seventh and Harlow 5th XI occupy eighth with 131, while Hoddesdon remain ninth on 88 points after three victories in what has always been viewed as a season of development for a largely fledgling team.

HEBL Division Four

The league position has never told the complete story of Hoddesdon’s campaign. A succession of younger players have been introduced to adult cricket, others have been asked to take on responsibilities they would not necessarily have encountered elsewhere, and there have been memorable performances mixed in with some understandably difficult afternoons against considerably more experienced opposition.

Perera remains determined that the closing stages of the season should be about continuing that development rather than becoming preoccupied with the table.

“It has obviously been frustrating not to play for a couple of weeks, because this group enjoys being together and we want to play cricket whenever we can,” said Perera. “The school holidays made availability really difficult last weekend and unfortunately we had to concede, but that is behind us now. We have another opportunity on Saturday against a very good side and I want us to go there, enjoy ourselves, compete properly and show the progress we have made.”

Harlow themselves come into Saturday following a difficult sequence by their own high standards. They have lost each of their last three matches, most recently being dismissed for 119 in 25.1 overs in a 45-run defeat against North Weald, who had earlier posted 164 for six. The week before, Harlow made 105 all out before Bishop’s Stortford successfully chased the target for the loss of five wickets, while Sawbridgeworth beat them by six wickets on August 1 after Harlow had scored 176. Their last victory came on July 25 in a thriller against Harlow 5th XI, when Town’s 226 all out proved enough for a narrow three-run success after their opponents finished on 223 for nine. Those recent defeats do little to disguise the quality within Harlow’s ranks, however, and their season statistics demonstrate why they have spent so much of the summer near the top of the table. James Williamson leads their regular run-scoring charts with 233 runs from eight innings at an average of 33.29, including two half-centuries and a best of 71.

Harlow Town's Recent Form

Ash Mohammed has been particularly destructive when selected, compiling 168 runs in four innings at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 136.59. His unbeaten 103 against Dunmow remains one of Harlow’s standout batting performances, while Rehan Kataria has accumulated 144 runs and George Campbell has contributed 118. There is one name that Hoddesdon will remember particularly well. James Shearman produced an unbeaten 130 when these teams met at Thundridge on June 20, an innings that helped Harlow amass 272 before bowling Hoddesdon out for 63 and completing a comprehensive 209-run victory. It was a difficult afternoon for the Fourths and one Perera has certainly not forgotten. Saturday offers an opportunity to measure the development that has taken place over the subsequent two months, and while the skipper knows his side travel as underdogs, he would dearly love to make the return fixture a considerably different contest.

Nirosh Is Looking To Avenge A Heavy Defeat In The Reverse Fixture

“The previous game hurt because we were comprehensively beaten, and you don’t forget afternoons like that,” Perera admitted. “There is no point pretending it didn’t happen, but equally we are not the same side in terms of experience that we were earlier in the summer. We have learned a huge amount since then and I would love us to go there and show Harlow a much better representation of what this Fourth XI is about.”

Harlow also possess considerable bowling depth. Sukhdeep Bal leads their wicket-taking with 11 wickets at an average of 17.45, while Joe Thomas has ten at an exceptional average of 8.30 and has returned best figures of four for 19. Hansal Dave has nine wickets at 11.11 while conceding only 2.53 runs per over, and Daniel Hawkins has claimed seven. Calvin Quadir is another obvious threat after taking five wickets at an average of 9.20, including his excellent four for 13 against Hoddesdon in that June meeting.

Harlow Town Named The Above Side Last Week In Their Defeat To North Weald

Hoddesdon’s response will require patience and partnerships, something the side demonstrated far more effectively in their most recent completed fixture at Stansted. The result there was another heavy defeat after Reece Hanna’s extraordinary assault, but Hoddesdon had earlier batted through their full 40 overs to make 158 for nine, with veteran Neil Martin Pomeroy scoring a determined 35 from 95 deliveries and Perera contributing 33. Pomeroy features again this weekend and his value to such a young team extends far beyond the runs column. His willingness to occupy the crease and absorb pressure provides a template for the younger batters around him, and against an accurate Harlow attack his ability to bat overs could prove extremely important.

George Elsom (left) and Neil Pomeroy (right)

Sampathreddy Palepu is another player capable of transforming an innings. His sensational unbeaten 144 earlier this summer remains one of the performances of Hoddesdon’s season across any XI, and whenever he walks to the crease there is the potential for the tempo of a game to change rapidly. Jack Bailey and Perera will meanwhile carry considerable responsibility with the ball. Bailey has repeatedly shown an ability to produce wicket-taking deliveries and has bowled some excellent spells during a difficult season, while Perera’s control and experience will be important against a Harlow batting order containing several players capable of accelerating quickly.

George Elsom provides another experienced Fourth XI presence, while Freddie Lee continues to gain valuable senior experience and will be keen to make his mark. Youngsters Seb Mccuallgh, Luke Mitchell and George Viggars are not involved this week, but Arthur Brown’s absence means the side will again have a slightly different balance, something to which the Fourths have become accustomed throughout the campaign.

Millie Wheatcroft

One particularly welcome inclusion is Amelia “Millie” Wheatcroft, whose relationship with Hoddesdon Cricket Club stretches back many years. Wheatcroft came through the club’s junior programme and is the daughter of Membership Secretary Steve Wheatcroft, making her appearance another great example of the connection between Hoddesdon’s youth structure and its senior teams.

Millie has plenty of previous Hoddesdon cricket behind her and has taken 17 wickets across her recorded club career from 115.5 overs, with best figures of three for 11. Her other notable spells include three for 17 against Tye Green in 2021 and three for 20 against Hitchin in 2020, while that career-best three for 11 came for Hoddesdon Under-15s against St Margaretsbury back in 2019. She has represented Hoddesdon at several levels over the years and returns to the Fourth XI having already bowled three overs this season, notably on her 2nd XI debut against Boxmoor at the end of May. Her experience of both junior and senior cricket, together with her longstanding association with the club, makes her a particularly welcome addition to Saturday’s side.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have Millie with us,” said Perera. “She has grown up around the club, she knows what Hoddesdon is about and she brings experience with the ball as well. This Fourth XI should be a place where people feel welcome, where young players can develop and where those who have been part of the club for years can come back into the side and enjoy their cricket. Having said that, I think Millie pretty much qualifies as a veteran at this point for Hoddesdon!”

Connor Taylor will once again take the wicketkeeping gloves, while Chunot Shah provides another player who has shown resilience during recent difficult fixtures. Freddie Lee continues his development in senior cricket agaisnt a backdrop of representing many different sides this season, with George Elsom and Bailey supplying established Fourth XI know-how alongside Perera and Pomeroy.

Freddie Lee's Bowling Will Be An Important Weapon For The 4th XI

The starting XI is George Elsom, Freddie Lee, Seb Mccuallgh, Luke Mitchell, Sampathreddy Palepu, Nirosh Perera (captain), Chunot Shah, Connor Taylor (wicketkeeper), Amelia Wheatcroft, Jack Bailey and Neil Martin Pomeroy. It is another blend of youth, experience and club stalwarts, exactly the mixture upon which the Fourth XI has been built throughout 2026.

With only the closing weeks of the campaign remaining, results are only one part of what Hoddesdon hope to take from these final fixtures. The Fourths have been stretched, tested and occasionally heavily beaten, but a young group has also experienced senior cricket in circumstances that will inevitably make them better players in years to come. Saturday at Harlow represents another stern examination, but it also provides another opportunity.

Ash Tree Field: The Home Of Harlow Town CC

After two Saturdays without cricket, Perera’s side will simply be delighted to pull on the whites again, get back onto the field and show that whatever the league table says, the enthusiasm and spirit within Hoddesdon’s developing Fourth XI remain very much intact.

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