Our 2s proudly sit top of Division 6B of the Herts Cricket Premier League on 371 points, having won 11 of their 15 matches to guarantee a top-two finish under captain Jan Temori.

The title itself is still up for grabs. Second-placed Ley Hill 1st XI are on 351 points with two matches remaining and could yet pip our 2s depending on the remaining results. Ley Hill kept themselves in contention by defeating our 2s on Saturday by 55 runs in a top-of-the-table clash.

Sun, Aug 30: President’s Day returns for a festival of cricket and live music

Our Saturday 1s and 3s are also well placed to win their respective titles this season with two rounds of fixtures to go, while our newly formed 5th XI have already been crowned champions of Division 14B.

millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk spoke to Jan after captaining our 2s to impressive back-to-back promotions.

Congratulations on another promotion. What’s been the key to the 2s' success this season?
The key to our success has been playing as one unit. That unity has been one of our biggest strengths. Every player understands their role, supports their teammates, and knows what is expected of them. The respect and understanding shown by the whole team — not only towards each other, but also towards our opponents — pleases me the most, I think. We have always tried to give visiting teams the best hospitality and represent our club in the right spirit.

The team we have can perform wonders on any given day. We play as one unit. And I always discuss strategies with our senior players, including wicketkeeper-opening batsman Dinesh Johnson, Mushtaq Ahmed and former 2s captain Shiban Sayed, and value their opinions. That collective approach and teamwork have worked well for the team this year.

What’s been the biggest challenge this season?
One of our biggest challenges has been batting through the full 50 overs. We have to improve here. In the future, we need to bat 50 overs more often, as well as raise our standards in the field: stay sharp, stay focused and be on our toes throughout every game.

How do you assess the strength of the 2s squad?
I am extremely proud of our bowling unit. In many games, our bowlers have prevented the opposition from completing their 50 overs. We have an attack packed with brilliant bowlers and outstanding all-rounders, with four or five of our players among the top 10 bowlers in Division 6B.

We are also fortunate to have excellent all-rounders who are capable of winning games almost single-handedly, including Neeraj Negi, Bakhtiar Sahil, Khalid Khan Musazai and Hamza Ahmad.

There have also been some outstanding individual performances this season. Sardar Mushtaq Ahmad was our only centurion, while Alam Khan produced the only hat-trick of the season and also took six wickets. Dinesh is leading the way with the highest number of catches in the whole of Division 6B, with 24 victims.

I’m extremely proud of the team’s spirit, commitment and togetherness. The vibes around the team are positive, and if we carry the same spirit through to the next season, we can have a great year in the higher division.

So what’s the goal for the rest of the season?
We only have one game left this season, away at Hitchin CC on August 29, and our goal is to finish strongly and remain in the race for the title when the season finishes on Sept. 6.