Well, June has packed its kit bag and legged it—and believe it or not, we’re now closer to next Christmas than the last one (yes, I said the C-word—cue the gasps!). But never mind the distant jingling of bells… let’s unwrap the gift that is the present day, and dive into the latest round of HFEL drama: 1 win, 2 losses, and a tie that had more suspense than a Saturday night thriller.
3XI Deliver the Goods at Harlow
A big win for the 3XI, who picked up a crucial 20 points to move up to 6th and crash through the 100-point barrier like a kid chasing a free ice cream. Jono Edwards was the star of the show with 4–42 and a calm-as-you-like 10* to steer the side home with Deepak Kumar (132 fantasy points) who added a classy half-century and all-round steel.
2XI Tie One Up in Style
Fresh off last week’s heroics, the 2XI went toe-to-toe with the league leaders in a match where all four results were possible on the final ball. A quick single, a run out, and BOOM—a dramatic tie! Joe Robertson top scored with 49, backed up by solid knocks from Mohit Bhagwani, Michael Edwards, and Chay Hedges. With the ball, Harry Robinson (4 wickets) and Rohit Duhan (3) carved through the opposition like a hot knife through cold butter.
1XI Fall Short
The 1XI hosted Bentley, and the match played out like a greatest hits of the season’s near-misses. Bentley’s openers racked up 172—helped massively by a ball magnet that avoided every fielder like it owed them money. Jack Carter with two wickets, was the pick of the bowlers. In reply, the team were out of the blocks quickly with 59 for the first wicket giving us hope. But wickets fell too regularly, and despite tidy knocks from Martin Leslie and Matt Lewis, the chase ran out of steam. Keep battling, gents—we’re due some cricketing karma.
4XI Weather the Wood
The 4XI had the misfortune of running into Harold Wood in one of those moods—300+ for the fourth time this season. Still, Tharun and Mev picked up wickets to stem the tide. In response, Geoff Lake (22), Bobby Kenyon (11), and Mev again with 16 gave it some spark, but the scoreboard didn’t tick over fast enough eventually stopped. The team sit 6th—comfortably mid-table, and 24 points clear of 7th, so plenty to play for.
Fantasy League Watch
The top of the table’s heating up: Kya Ladd holds firm at the summit, but Harry Robinson is breathing down her neck like a fast bowler on a mission. Darren Evans is this week’s Manager of the Week with 603 points, largely thanks to his skipper Michael Edwards and the all-action Deepak Kumar.
Manager of the Month for June
It was a tight finish, but Mohit Bhagwani edges out Michael Edwards by just 10 points to claim the £15 prize and Fantasy bragging rights. Reinstating himself into the side? Tactical genius. Somewhere, Pep Guardiola is taking notes. The club will be in touch shortly with your winnings.
That’s your lot for now. This week’s selection meeting could be lively, with availability as scarce as shade on the Rec. I’ll be back Friday with updates. Until then—stay cool, stay tuned, and if you're building a fantasy team, look at what Kya, Harry, Mohit, Michael or Darren are all doing, they know their stuff, unlike me...!
