It’s not been easy in a season of outstanding success - two promotions, one cup win - but we’ve gathered our thoughts to come up with Mill Hill Village’s team of the season, with players drawn from all four adult Saturday league sides.

More 2024 stats
:: The startling numbers behind MHVCC's double promotion-winning season
:: 2024's best bowlers
:: 2024's best batters
:: Play-Cricket's 2024 MVP rankings

We’ve looked at performances in key games and the raw numbers compiled from Play-Cricket and our own statistician, JT (see PDF below for 2024's averages). A selection of committee members decided the team of the season in consultation with the four club captains. Where applicable, for reference we've included the player's end-of-season MVP ranking, as calculated by Play-Cricket.

Who made the cut?
We’ve included: two experienced, consistently high-scoring openers; a couple of quick-scoring middle-order dashers adding firepower at three and four; three all-rounders who all scored bucketloads of runs and took bags of wickets in 2024; a keeper averaging 27 who was among the top 10 for dismissals across the entire Herts League this season; an experienced finger spinner who captained his side to promotion; and two strike bowlers with a new ball threat who snaffled wickets all summer long, one of them left-arm swing. This talented team blending youth and experience can put opponents on the back foot by putting quick runs on the board and snaffling wickets with its varied attack.

See who made the MHVCC team of the season below. Do you agree with our selections? Give us your thoughts in the comments on Facebook.

Opening batters
1. Phil Smith, 3rd XI (MVP rank #12)
360 runs, average 40.00, one century, three league half-centuries
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: Consistent opener who sets the tone with solid starts. Second-highest Village run-getter this season.
2. Joe Sheridan, 4th XI
225 runs, average 37.50, one half-century
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: Nearly always made an impact opening for the 4s. Two scores in the forties, plus an 84.

Middle-order batters
3. Dinesh Johnson, 2nd XI (MVP rank #5)
372 runs, average 31.00, three half-centuries
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: Big-hitting batsman who also had much success in T20 and friendly cricket this season. The Village's highest run-scorer in the league in 2024.
4. Sardar Mushtaq Ahmed, 2nd XI (MVP rank #9)
257 runs, average 18.36, two half-centuries
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: Another quick-scoring middle-order player who scored important runs when it mattered this season, including a 70 in the cup

All-rounders
5. Sam Smith, 1st XI (MVP rank #1)
294 runs, average 29.40, three half-centuries, 36 wickets, 9.28 average, two five-wicket hauls
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: Player of the year. Always hits the deck hard with ball in hand and simply blew teams away time again this season. Took more wickets than anyone else in his division this season and takes the new ball.
6. Momin Sadozai, 2nd XI (MVP rank #3)
268 runs, average 24.36, 20 wickets, 11.35 average, one five-wicket haul
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: Tremendous new addition to the club this year who starred with bat and ball and in the field, including 6-21 against Radlett with his skiddy medium-fast deliveries, the best figures of any Village bowler this season. Also took 11 catches and executed three run-outs.
7. Marcus Cara, 1st XI (MVP rank #2)
225 runs, average 25.00, two half-centuries, 25 wickets, 10.65 average, one five-wicket haul
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: A crucial all-round performer in the 1s' successful promotion push, nibbles the ball around with his medium pacers.

Wicketkeeper
8. James Thompson, 1st XI (MVP rank #7)
135 runs, average 27.00, 25 dismissals
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: Among the top 10 keepers for dismissals across the entire Herts League, and added some useful lower order runs to boot.

Spin bowler
9. Pryank Patel*, 4th XI
7 wickets, average 9.43
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: Of the bowlers that delivered more than 20 overs in the league, only Neeraj Negi and Sam Smith have a better average than off-spinner Patel, who conceded just 9.43 runs per wicket taken. Took seven league wickets but 14 overall, including friendlies and cup games. He also skippered the 4th XI to promotion and captains this side.

Swing bowlers
10. Tommy Smith, 1st XI (MVP rank #6)
19 wickets, average 15.68
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: Of the players in Division 5A who bowled at least 20 overs and took five wickets this season, our own Tommy Smith had the best strike rate, taking a wicket at every 15.88 balls. He brings inswing with a bit of pace as well as some seam movement.
11. Andrew Godfrey, 3rd XI (MVP rank #8)
17 wickets, average 13.24
millhillvillagecricketclub.co.uk says: Always a threat with his persistently accurate left-arm swing, opening bowler Godfrey finished a creditable 10th-best in terms of economy rate (2.88) in Division 10 East.