Mill Hill Village Cricket Club

What a Saturday, what a season!
The 1st XI are promoted as Champions and jump up from Div 5B to Division 4B of the Herts Premier League for the 2023 season.
To get a Division title win from both the 1st and 2nd XI in the same year is a really fantastic result for the Club.

The 1st XI held their collective nerve and won the final game of the season to make it 9 wins in a row, for a clean sweep of the reverse set of fixtures. Given that we were 4 wins and 5 losses from the opening 9 games, this was a remarkable turnaround and achievement.
The clash against Flamstead was essentially an elimination battle with the loser missing out on promotion and the winners going up.
The home side seemed unable to come under the pressure of accurate pace and swing bowling however and soon crumbled, being dismissed for just 93 in under 30 overs. Andrew Potter with 4-27, was the most successful of the four bowlers used.
This was never lIkely to be a cakewalk though. In reply the Village were also shaky and early wickets piled on the pressure. With the score at 64-5 it was very much in the balance. Several small but important middle order contributions steadied the ship.
The low target was overhauled in the 24th over and celebrations began in earnest.

After securing the divsion title last week, the 2nd XI played their final game of the season at home to Harpenden 4s, who themselves still had an outside chance of promotion. The 2nd XI top order batting line up looked equally frail and the boys were in a bit of trouble at 20 odd for 4.
48 patient runs from Tommy Smith was the ideal innings to re-build around, as the 2s managed to scramble up to 145 for 9 by the end of their innings. Not too imposing a total for the away side chasers but the much vaunted 2s bowling line up came up trumps again, dismissing the visitors for just 94 in the 26th over.
Shiban Sayed with another display off accurate swing and pace, picking up 5 for 18 in 6 overs to devastate the Harpenden middle order.
15 wins from 18 proves winning is a habit and after avoiding relegation, from the same division, on the last day of the season 12 months ago, it shows how quickly things can change around.

The 3rd XI had probably their most lacklustre display of the season as they lost by 6 wickets at home to Parkfield & Headstone IIs.
Batting first the Village home side reached a position of strength at 91-2 after 19 overs (Mushtaq Ahamad, 51). The innings stalled and then fell away disappointingly after that, with the team being dismissed for 154 in the 38th. PHCC 2s had little trouble knocking these off in benign batting conditions.
No matter though. The result did not alter the positioning in the table. 3rd place was secured with 11 wins from 18 matches. In truth, the gap to the promotion places was considerable. The 3s look forward to another assault on Div 10 South next season…assuming that’s where they end up, following the usual constitutional reshuffle in the close season. A matter which has become exceedingly complicated following the introduction of x4 regional divisions feeding into the regular league structure directly above.

The 4th XI had their match conceded to them and as it was an away game, they were unable to find an opposition. Which was a bit of a disappointing damp squib at the end of the season. But such is life in the lower reaches. Whether the 4s remain in Div 12 East (rather than 12 South!?) next season remains to be seen.

We still have the ever popular 6 a side tournament to look forward to on Saturday and a couple more post season friendlies to fulfil this year.
All in all a hugely successful season for all at MHVCC. We look forward with optimism to the 2023 league campaigns.
😀🏏🍻

The season is reaching a climax, with only one remaining weekend of league fixtures. Whatever happens it will have been a very successful one for the Club.
The 2nd XI secured the Division 8B Herts league title last Saturday and will jump up two Divisions to play in 7B next year.
Many congratulations to the 2s squad, who have performed fantastically well all season, under the stewardship of James O’Sullivan and his occasional deputy Shiban Sayed.

The 1st XI could follow suit this Saturday. They kept their title challenge bang on track with a victory over the league leaders, to leapfrog them into pole position.
However, things remain so tight at the top of Division 5B, that anything other than a win this week, is likely to result in the 1s tumbling out of the promotion places altogether.
We play Flamstead 1st XI on Saturday who are 15 points behind us in 3rd. Potten End in 2nd place are only 4 points behind. With 30 points for a win, anything less than a victory would be costly.
Even Clifton, who were the vanquished side last Saturday and who lie in 4th place, have an outside chance of securing a top two promotion slot, if other results go their way.
Rain could also play a part. Finger nails are already being worn down.

The 1s bowled Clifton out for 95 in just 26 overs, so this was a pretty comfortable victory, considering the team sat at the top of the table coming into the match.
Obaid Ur Rehman took 4-16 in just 3 overs. Marcus Cara, Dan Potter and Alam Khan all picking up 2 apiece, for not very many.
Dan Potter (41) also led the way with the bat. His second innings partnership of 57 with Sunny Raval (26), broke the Clifton resistance, such as it was.
The 1st team have won eight games in a row against every team in the league bar one, to haul themselves to the top of the table.
The last team they lost to were Flamstead, their opponents in the deciding match of the season. It couldn’t be set up any better.

The match that secured the 2nd XI their title was not one of their finest, with the bat at least. They were bowled out for just 118, with Extras making the joint highest top score of 22, along with A***n Thaker and the skipper James O’Sullivan who both scored the same.
As so often before, the bowling unit came to the rescue. Boxmoor 2nd XI batted 39 of their allotted 40 overs but only managed to amass 99 runs before being dismissed. Constant pressure with the ball squeezed the life out of the opposition
Neeraj Negi was both the most successful and most expensive of the bowlers with 3-26.
14 wins from 17 matches is a really fine effort and with the team in 2nd losing unexpectedly, it has taken all the pressure off the final match of the season.

The 3rd XI were also victorious in their battle for 3rd place pride against Old Elizabethans IIIs. Promotion is beyond them this season, with the teams in 1st and 2nd having secured 15 and 13 victories respectively vs the 11 wins from 17 games played by MHV III.
Bowlers were on top throughout the contest really. The 176-7 secured by the Village who were invited to bat first was a decent effort, considered to be around par. Most batsmen got starts but no one went on to make a match winning contribution. Skipper Phil Smith top scored with 34.
In reply, OEs IIIs were tied down by frugal opening spells. Andrew Godfrey with 8 overs for only 14 runs and Jan Temori 2-26. A couple of run outs in the home side’s middle order swung the contest decisively in the Village’s favour and the home team innings petered out to 130 all out.

The 4s had a decent tussle with 2nd placed North Mymms IIIs. 166 for 6 from the Village home team was competitive, built upon 69 from Faraz Ahmad and 39 from Ken Shakoor. The Mymms batsmen were patient and sensible though and lost only 4 wickets as they secured the win with an over to spare.

Sunday saw the Club enjoy a fantastic Presidents Day. Both pitches were in use. The Presidents XI secured a very tight victory over the Club, taking the last wicket with only a handful of runs to spare.
The inter Club game on the back pitch saw Adults and Juniors competing in excellent fashion too. Food was fine and plentiful, as were the beverages. A great day all round.

Promotion for the 1st XI on Saturday really would cap a marvelous season for the Club.
With the annual six a side competition and a few post season friendlies still to look forward to.
And a new state of the art double bay Nets facility due to be erected very soon, the future continues to look rosy.

If you would like to make a contribution to the ongoing Nets fundraising appeal, please do so via the following link.
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/mhv-cricket-nets
We need a final push to reach our target.
Thank you 🙏🏏😃

Coach Development & Young Officials Courses
https://www.millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk/news/coach-development-young-officials-courses-2722857.html

We are right at the business end of the season now, with only two league games to go after the recent weekend matches.
The 1st XI had a walkover victory, which brought them a welcome 30 points, without having to exert themselves.
It is a shame to see a Club in difficulty though, which Hertingfordbury clearly are, as this is the 3rd time their 1st XI have had to concede a fixture this season.
I fear another village cricket club may be going to the wall soon. We will leave discussions about the future of Village cricket for another day.
Thankfully Mill Hill Village (not quite a Village, in the true sense of the word these days) continues to be in a healthy state when it comes to player numbers.
Anyway, the result kept MHVCC 1s in 2nd place in the Division, with all near rivals also securing victories.
There are still 4 teams with a very realistic chance of promotion. The next match against top of the table Clifton is clearly a crucial one and may well decide who gets promoted as Champions.
The losers are likely to be out of the top two, so it could be an all or nothing tie. Squeaky bum time, as someone once said!

The 2nd XI are in an altogether more comfortable position. Their 77 run win against Dunstable IIIs on Saturday, already assures them of promotion. Congratulations to the 2s squad!
Shahme Farooq with 44 and stand in skipper Shiban Sayed’s remarkable 4 wickets in just 11 balls bowled, were the standout performers this week.
One win in either of their last two games, would see the 2s crowned as Divisional champions. In fact 27 more points would make them unassailable. So even two losses with decent points hauls may be enough.
With Champions, going up two divisions and Runners up being elevated only one division, it remains important to stay focused.
After 13 wins from 16 games, the 2s will be driving for a strong finish and are looking to put the title matter beyond doubt this Saturday.

The 3rd XI also got back to winning ways this week with a 6 wicket victory over Holtwhites Trinibis IIIs at Burtonhole Lane.
6 of the 7 bowlers used, got in the wickets, with Anand Verma’s 3-17 being the pick, as the home side bowled out the visitors for 113 in 37.3 overs.
It took only 25 overs to complete the chase, with Skipper Phil Smith top scoring with 50.
The 3rds remain in 4th place, but only two points off the 3rd place team, Old Elizabethans III, who they play this coming Saturday.
It is likely to determine who finishes 3rd in the division but with the 1st and 2nd promotion slots already sewn up, it is only pride at stake.

The 4th XI opposition withdraw from the league some time ago, so they were also without a game this week.
Maximum available points were also secured here, although, as the regional divisions are based on ‘average points’ this isn’t as valuable as it might sound.
The side withdrawn, were the 5th XI from Hoddesdon CC, so certainly not as concerning as our friends at Hertingfordbury.
The 4s remain firmly mid table.

All in all another excellent weekend with 2 wins and 2 walkover victories.
As always, you can find all the details you might want on our Play Cricket site.
https://millhillvillage.play-cricket.com/home
The 1s and 2s could both get promotion and conceivably both still win their divisions, which would represent a fantastic season for the Club.
Keep everything crossed this week.
🏏🤞😃

***MHVSC Presidents Day 2022***

All Members, past and present and friends of the Club, are invited to join us for the 2022 Presidents Day on Sunday 28th August.
Always a highlight in the Summer Cricket Calendar.
The Presidents XI will take on a Club XI, in what is sure to be a keenly fought contest.
Food will be available and the Bar will be open throughout the day of course.
Pop in any time. You are assured a warm Village welcome.
🏏⚽️😀

It was back down to earth for a couple of the Village teams this week, as the 2s and 3s unbeaten runs came to an end.
In fact the 1st team were the only ones who managed a victory but this is the most important side in the Club of course and with other results going their way, the 1st XI now have promotion within their grasp.

In a match shortened to 40 overs a side due to the extreme heat, the Village 1s were happy to bat first on home turf. The ever dependable skipper, Dan Potter led the way with 51, assisted by cameos from Naz Asif (37), Marcus Cara (34) and Prasham Garg (35*), in securing a total of 198-9.
The visitors, Boxmoor, never threatened to get close and were dismissed for 127 after 35 overs. Prasham Garg capping a man of the match performance with 4-28 in his 6 overs. The rest of the wickets were spread around the other 5 bowlers used, who all ended up with economical figures.
The win leaves MHV in 2nd place in the division but they will need to keep winning to gain promotion. There are 5 teams, all within 22 points of each other and with 30 point for a win, the 1s will need to win at least 2 and possibly even all 3 of their remaining games to go up.
The game on 27/08 against the current leaders Clifton, could go a long way to determining the Division winners. Before that, the boys travel to Hertingfordbury and must avoid a slip up against the team lying bottom of the table.

The 2nd XI really should have secured a 10th consecutive victory but fell apart at the end of their run chase. Set 197 for victory, the 2s came up 8 runs short but with 9 balls to spare. The last 5 wickets fell in a hurry after skipper James O’Sullivan had batted superbly in the intense heat to record his top score of the season, with 73. Two runs outs and the Old Albanians IIIs 6th bowling option having figures of 3 for 8 in 2 overs, tells the story. Inthi Mazeez, 3-25 & A***n Thaker 3-44 had the most success with the ball and the Captain had a good day out, as he also secured 2-35. The target was tough but far from insurmountable. Having got so close, a decent points haul was accrued nonetheless and the 2nd XI remain top by 16 points. With a 50 point margin over third place, they are more or less guaranteed promotion but anything less than the divisional title will be a disappoinment now.

The 3rd XI had a sub-par batting performance as they were dismissed for just 143 in 36 overs, without anyone surpassing the 31 runs from Alexander Subramaniam from the No.6 spot. They failed to cope with the numerous slow bowling options offered up by the home side, Letchmore and were also undone by two unnecessary run outs in the top 4. When the Letchmore innings was teetering at 33-4, Village hopes were high that the bowlers could dig the side out of the hole. Tariq Mahmood with 3-26 on debut was the pick of the bowlers. He had his very first ball for the Club dropped by the wicket keeper. Happily his second ball flew to 1st slip where an excellent catch was taken. Once the opening bowling spells were out of the way, the Letchmore skipper found an ally and the pair put on a 78 run partnership to turn the match their way.

The 4s set an imposing 220-7 target from their 40 overs on the Village back field. However Holtwhites Trinibis IV smashed their way past it with several overs to spare. With one of the Village main bowlers controversially no-balled out of the attack in their first over, it made life very difficult for the remaining bowling resources to cope with the aggressive stroke play. Player umpires occasionally play too large a part in the game, particularly lower down the divisions and this seemed to be the case here.

The Sunday Development XI also had a game worthy of note. A tie, with both sides finishing their innings on 191-8 from 40 overs. It was a game that see-sawed throughout, so the tie seemed to be a fair and exciting outcome for all.

With 3 weeks of league games remaining the 1s and 2s are set for an exciting run in. The 3s and 4s are safe and sound and just looking to improve their finishing positions.

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Another glorious weekend.... another clean sweep!
Winning never gets boring and it's a pretty good habit to acquire. All four of the Village teams seem to have acquired it …for now.
Yes, yet again, all four of MHVCC’s Saturday league teams were all successful again last week.

The 1st XI secured a comfortable 4 wicket win against promotion rivals Potten End. It should have been a lot more straightforward, having had the opposition reeling at 52-9.
A 77 run 10th wicket stand from the home side was frustrating and admirable in equal measure. The Village opening bowling pair picked up 9 wickets between them, Alam Khan 4-24 and Ali Javed 5-36 both with mighty impressive spells.
6 wickets were lost in the chase but the 56 runs from Naz Asif at the top of the innings, was the steadying knock that kept the innings on course.

The 2nd XI juggernaut rolled on and through the visiting Totteridge Millhillians 3s on Saturday with a 7th consecutive win.
The usual formula was followed with the MHV bowlers squeezing the opposition batsmen in the 1st innings and chasing down a very manageable total in the 2nd.
Darshan Raval’s 4-23 and Mushtaq Ahmad’s 46 runs were the picks this week, in another excellent all round team performance, producing a 5 wicket win..

The 3rd XI travelled to Potters Bar IVs and also brought home 30 points with a convincing 53 run win.
71 not out in just 52 balls from Matt Hawkes was the pivotal knock, in the substantial 227 runs amassed in the first 40 overs.
Potters Bar never looked likely to get anywhere near it, particularly once their free scoring opening bat was dismissed early.
The 3s go third but unfortunately remain a long way off the promotion slots, in terms of points.

The 4s continued their winning roll, with a 55 run victory over Old Minchendeians 3rd XI.
178-9 built upon the 53 not out from Dave Flavell and 48 not out by David Hickey, proved more than enough.
With new fast bowling youngster Agha Shahmeer producing remarkable figures of 5 for 5 in 7 overs, the visitors were dismissed for 123 in 32 overs.

The President put his hand in his pocket again, as is the tradition when all sides win and there was a great atmosphere in the old Clubhouse. It may only be the President who isn’t hoping for another clean sweep this week!

Check out scorecards and stats etc here
https://millhillvillage.play-cricket.com/Matches
🏏😃👍

Well….. who would have believed it…..we’ve done it again.
Another clean sweep, with all four teams victorious in their Saturday league games!
Yet another weekend of glorious sunshine and equally superb cricket.

The 1st XI put up a strong performance to keep their promotion hopes alive, with a comfortable 7 wicket win against Sawbridgeworth IIs.
Skipper Dan Potter with an imperious 76, at better than a run a ball, when chasing just 125 for victory. The bowlers having taken charge of the 1st innings. Obaid Ur Rehman 3-36, Ali Javed 2-17, Andy Potter 2-25.

The 2nd XI were equally dominant, with a similar performance. The bowlers restricted Kings Langley 2nd XI to just 133-9 in their 40 overs. Skipper James O'Sullivan with 3-14 & Inthi Mazeez 3-13, both in their full 8 over allocations.
A 2nd wicket stand of 120 between Sunny Raval 75* and Thomas Smith 47, saw the home team cruise to victory with 8 overs to spare.
The win puts the 2s top of the table, after title rivals Redbourn III slipped up against Boxmoor II.

The 3rd XI got back to winning ways with a victory over Botany Bay 2s. Recovering from 23-3, the 3rd XI middle and lower order batted well to post 195-8 in 40 overs, despite no one bettering the 37 runs scored by Mushtaq Ahmed.
The bowling was excellent and a succession of tight middle overs squeezed the life out of the chase. The visitors fell well short, managing only 163 in their allotted overs.

The 4th XI put the bottom club in the divsion, Hatfield Hyde IVs to the sword, with a convincing 7 wicket win.
The opposition were bowled out for 155 with Agha Shahmeer 3-27 & stand in skipper Vamsi Sukhavasi 3-31, profiting with the ball.
The target was overhauled in the 33rd over, with only two wickets lost. Openers Denis Babnic with 39 and Usman Humayun with 49, breaking the back of the chase.

Congratulations to all those who played a part this week.

As always, full scorecards can be viewed here.
https://millhillvillage.play-cricket.com/Matches

Another cracking weekend both for weather and results for Mill Hill Village CC teams.
So close to a clean sweep again, with 3 good wins across the fours teams plus an agonising last ball defeat.
The 1st XI saw off Baldock 1st XI in convincing style, winning by 5 wickets. Comfortably chasing 198 inside 33 overs after bowling the visitors out. Strong bowling performances from Amit Chadha (4-47) and Andy Potter (3-34), were backed up by solid batting from Dan Potter (81) and Marcus Cara (61 not out).

The 2nd XI kept their promotion charge on track with a 5th consecutive victory, this one against Langleybury IIIs. Having restricted the home side to just 146 in their 40 overs (Sheron Vanarkadi 3-24), the Village made short work of the chase with Under 15s talent A***n Thaker making a hugely creditable 69 runs.

The 3rd XI were the odd ones out this week, losing from the last ball to table topping North Enfield IIs. Batting first the Village made 192-9 in their 40 overs but it proved to be just shy of what was required, as the home side got home with 3 wickets in hand. Nevertheless, 15 bonus points was a reasonable return for their efforts.

The 4th XI smashed St Margaretsbury 4s with both bat and ball to record a convincing 129 run win. Ken, Faraz and U17s Federico all recording 50+ scores.

Full scorecards for matches can be found on our PlayCricket site:- https://millhillvillage.play-cricket.com/Matches
🏏😀👍

Another 50:50 weekend, as the half way point of the league season was reached.
The 1st XI bowled Flamstead CC out in the 49th over on Saturday but not before being hit for 291. The 235 all out in reply fell well short but the 19 points secured, is as many as can be achieved in a losing cause. Obaid Ur Rehman top scored 51 as the lower order all delivered good contributions.
The 2nd XI kept their promotion push on track with a 43 run victory over Harpenden 4s. Mo Ahmad with 43 and Jan Temori with 3-16 in 8 overs were the standout performers with bat and ball.
The 3rd XI’s winning streak faltered, away at Parkfield and Headstone IIs. Batting first, the Village were bowled out for a below par 166 (Phil Smith 73). 8 opposition wickets were secured (Anand Verma 3-19) before the home side got over the line.
The 4th XI had another league game conceded to them and then went on to secure a handsome victory over Hemel Hempstead 5s in a hastily arranged friendly. Usman 100 not out and Kaneel with a hatrick in this game were the highlights.
We look forward to the reverse fixtures, in the second half of the season, which get underway on Saturday.

Check out all scorecards etc here.
https://millhillvillage.play-cricket.com/Matches
🏏🙂