THE Road’s new kid on the block cooly steered his team to victory – showing he may be Small by name, but he’s BIG on talent.

On a day when the Orange Caps waved goodbye to two team members seeking a new life overseas, academy product Elliot secured a morale-boosting win in the club’s annual champagne away game in Herts.

He hit an assured 39 which promised much for the future in a tight match that went right down the wire.

Playing the South West Herts Select XI at London Colney Cricket Club, Orange Caps skip Raju Mazumder won the toss and sent his side in to bowl.

Incredibly, it was the 15th time in 17 matches he’s called correctly – giving The Road an early advantage yet again.

Paceman Simon Biffen got the attack off to a wayward start but looked dangerous and made the breakthrough with the score on 35 by clipping the top of Russell Harrison’s bails with a full toss.

The Herts XI were going great guns though with D Webster-Smith blazing away. It didn’t help that The Road served up their usual extra helpings of wides, no-balls and byes to boost the batting team’s total.

Webster-Smith went on to plunder 50 not out before retiring in the tenth over and then coming back at the death to add 18 more when his team needed him.

It wasn’t until silver-tongued James Pritchard, under the helmet at short mid off, stepped in with a razor sharp bit of fielding that the next wicket fell.

Pritch pounced with Herts on 78 to run out Matthew “Reeve” Reeve when he hesitated out of his crease.

It was a smart dismissal that got the wickets tumbling after that with only Liam Hinshelwood slowing down The Road’s charge.

First Dan Howard, playing in his last match before jetting off to China, skittled Martin Hale, Jeremy Mitchell and Ed Watts to sign off with three wickets.

Then Amir Alipour-Mehraban gained rapturous applause when bagged his first wicket for The Road by bowling Phil Gurney.

Stand-in vice captain Jamie Keating had Chris Jenkins caught by Raju to leave the Herts XI reeling on 102 for 7.

After a brief 41-run fightback, James Couldrey, who bowled nine overs, was rewarded when wickie Matthew Bristow was caught in the covers by Biff.

And the misery was piled on even further when first Hinshelwood went for 32 and then Webster-Smith, having returned to the crease, was caught by James C off Pritch for 68.

The Herts XI were all out for 178 in 36.1 overs – a total well within The Road’s power to knock off.

After a hearty tea, Road romeo James Pritchard and Chris Simmons, like Dan playing in his last match before jetting off to live abroad, set the foundations of the Orange Caps’ response with a club record-equalling opening partnership of 46.

Chris S finally went for 22, bowled by Hinshelwood to end the best start The Road have had for months.

It brought Leon Watson to the crease and soon after Pritch fell, also bowled by Hinshelwood, for 14 bringing Elliot in.

Despite his recent purple patch, Leon looked uncomfortable and was out caught and bowled for 8 by Daniel Phillips.

The determined Elliot stuck at it though and patiently accumulated the runs to build The Road’s fightback.

At the other end, Jamie K lasted just 12 balls for his 5 and Dan Chaplin was out second ball – both bamboozled by the impressive spin of Matthew Bristow.

With The Road beginning to totter on 87 for 5, in came Dan H in his last innings for at least a year to steady the ship with 30 valuable runs.

It took his side to the brink of victory before Elliot fell on 158 for six and Dan surrendered 12 runs short to leave the situation looking rocky on 167 for 7.

James C then fell for a golden duck to make it 167 for 8 and set up what looked like a tense finish.

With just 12 runs to get and two wickets in hand Simon Biffen hit 8 of the runs off 8 balls and skipper Raju hit 4 to bring The Road home.

In a match that went right down to the wire, up-and-coming Elliot – brother of fellow whizzkid Matt Small – was the backbone of the innings.

But in the end it fell to captain Raju Mazumder to hit the winning runs as The Road crawled home with two wickets to spare.

A depleted King’s Road side, without regulars including Raju, Dan H, and Kevin Pittaway now face the Durham Occasionials in the last match of the season.

* DO you have any messages for The Road’s Dan Howard and Chris Simmons before they jet off around the world? If so post them in the comment box below.