Some of us more senior members of the Pecker fraternity fondly recall the days when the fixture against Dunsfold started at 11am, lunch was a 2 hour affair at Potty’s then nearby home complete with bbq, barrel of ale, games in the swimming pool and entertainment from a band comprising a bunch disheveled Scousers who Potty happened to be ‘managing’ at the time. More recently, we were given the honour of playing the match on the same day as Wings and Wheels and enjoyed low flying visits from the likes of the Red Arrows, Spitfires and Typhoons. This was also the venue for our most recent tied match when we both finished on the same score a couple of years ago.

Even though the Potty bacchanalia has long since relocated further South, and Wings and Wheels has sadly fallen victim to the proposed (over)development of Dunsfold airfield, this annual contest remains a firm favourite in our calendar and we were delighted it survived the disruption to this Summer’s fixture list.

As ever, our warm-up took the form of a couple of jugs of Shere Drop at the Sun Inn, with most of the team wandering across to the clubhouse with their bags in the full knowledge that we would be again repairing to the pub upon close of play. The pub was unnervingly quiet, with only groups of passing lycra-clad cyclists for company (“I bet they’re all wankers”, noted Botty). The Top Gear racetrack at the nearby airfield attracts an impressive array of sports cars, and a convoy of six Lamborghinis sped past soon followed by a beautiful silver DB5 (but with the driver more closely resembling Desmond Llewelyn than Daniel Craig). And then there was Cuddy’s bright red Audi TT. Ah.

Horse loves an ale…our own rock star Fish sadly obscured by pint

We were a strong line up, paying due respect to an opponent that always roused its collection of talented youngsters for this fixture, often comprising current or recent pupils of nearby top cricket schools. 11-year-old Chug (son of Pug), who was not even a glint in the eye at the time of the Potter Pool Party, was again taking the field having made his debut at Chertsey last season. Dunsfold were looking to protect their so-far unbeaten season.

POB lost the toss but Dunsfold thankfully elected to field, with Henners nowhere to be seen at this point. As SP strode out to face the new ball, I was reminded of the early scenes in Skyfall where Bond was roused from several months holed up in self-isolation near a beach, eating and drinking heavily. Bond failed all his subsequent fitness tests, but M sent him straight back into the field nonetheless, knowing she could trust him to get the job done. SP had had just got back from 5 months holed up in NZ (having only intended to pop back quickly to see his old man who’s sadly been very unwell, but having then got caught up in Jacinta’s junta-style lockdown) and presumably he too would have failed any form of fitness test at this point. His opening partner Cuddy didn’t get long to demonstrate his high elbow, soon being bowled through the gate by a pearler from 17 year-old Thomas (a sports scholar at Charterhouse). He sensibly took himself off to the Sun Inn to purchase a jug of ale for the rest of the batting side.

Botty took a while to get used to the pitch’s highly variable bounce, and despite some early hard cracks to the boundary, soon fell to Young with a fine a juggling catch taken in the slips. Young (who is anything but young) bowled his full 8 overs on the bounce uphill, something our opening line-up failed miserably to do later on. Fish, in at 4, failed to trouble the scorers for long, effectively yorking himself against the youngster Thomas. SP, meanwhile, steadied the ship at the other end and patiently soaked up the new ball during his 16. M was right to throw him straight back in after all.

Henners, fresh from his late arrival, came in at 5. And proceeded to bat as if the variable bounce, that caused such issues for the rest of the line-up, simply didn’t exist. This was another brutal, chanceless innings that completely took the stuffing out of the Dunsfold attack. Max Bell, normally so reliable, was reduced to figures of 0-43 (which Botty proceeded to loudly announce on the premise that the crowd would want to know) while his father Ollie, bowling off spin these days, was similarly carted to all parts of the ground and beyond as he conceded 49 off 6 overs. Almost an unwelcome ton for the Bells. Dunsfold failed to adjust their length to Henners despite countless late cuts to the boundary as well as numerous lofted 6s when they went too full. The ball was lost more than once, although sadly no passing cyclists were harmed in the process.

Once SP fell, Karl with a K played a measured innings for his 21 before he was run out in trying to keep up the pace with Henners. POB sportingly walked after gloving behind only to bring in Horse at 8. Horse, with several members of the Gowar clan in attendance, including his eager pair of Foals, more than kept Henners for company and joined him in the brutal attack on the tiring Dunsfold bowlers. He fell in the last over for a very entertaining 30.

Chug faced the last 5 deliveries and proudly strode off with Henners as equals – his 0* a match for Henners’ superb unbeaten 153. 114 of Henners’ runs came in boundaries, no mean feat at Dunsfold’s spongy outfield (although that doesn’t matter when the ball sails over it). Both were warmly clapped off, with the Peckers setting a daunting target of 261 off 40 overs.

Top L-R Otto, Pufg, Fush, Pob, Cussles, Horse, Karl with a K, Chug, SP, Henners, Botty

Tea, as is the case these days, was sadly a BYO affair (the Motts cracking open a bottle, naturally) and a few more jugs were fetched from the Sun Inn but players and spectators thankfully mixed as per normal.

To give themselves any chance of reaching the Peckers’ total, Dunsfold decided to front load the line up with their youngsters. Pug was given the new pill coming down hill, Horse given the task of coming uphill into the wind, despite imploring POB to ask someone else. Left-handed Max Bell faced the new ball alongside Pite. Pite was here for a good time not a long time and swiftly fell to Pug aiming a straight ball somewhere over cow-corner.

In came St Aubyn, who, as we know from previous years, loves a massive bender the night before our fixture, this time in the form of an illegal rave somewhere in rural Sussex. He and Max started to lay into our opening attack which was, disappointingly, wheezing and limping after only 8 overs. Horse was humanely euthanized after 4 overs and Pug was physically impaired after 6 erratic overs. POB thankfully soon put both out to pasture. Jimmy Anderson, meanwhile, was bowling at 83mph in Southampton at 38 years of age in search of his 600th test wicket. Remarkable.

Max, who played Surrey Premier for Cranleigh last year, was looking very assured and the run rate was on target. POB, to no one’s great surprise, threw the ball to Henners at one end and Motty at the other. Henners proceeded to take two wickets in his first over, the first a rank full toss to remove St Aubyn for a rapid 26 that was superbly held by Fish at cow corner. Motty exerted great pressure from the other end, and the runs dried up as Max was hampered by tight bowling and was starting to lose partners. Henners served up a blend of spitting turners and horrible full tosses, and, this being Sunday cricket, it was the latter that largely took the wickets in his 3-11. Motty bowled his full 8 overs for an admirable 28-1 and helped squeeze the life out of the Dunsfold batsmen.

POB got his dander up when a tight run-out call on Max was turned down by the square leg umpire, at which point POB introduced himself uphill for a rare spell and wonderfully had Max caught by Horse for 72. Horse set the tone in the field with 3 snaffles, thankfully making up for some appalling balls-ups from others.

With Max’s wicket, the chase was effectively over for Dunsfold, and POB brought on Chug for a spell downhill. Chug normally bowls on a 17-yard wicket with a ball about 1/3 smaller than the one we play with. His first delivery was full and straight, and Whitney clipped it straight to Henners at deep point. Absolute scenes as he was mobbed by his teammates. He also then followed up with the prize wicket of Bell Snr with a grim double-bouncer (but as Henners will tell you, its often the ugliest deliveries that get the prize). He was absolutely buzzing with his 2-3 off 4 overs, and the Dunsfold lads were highly effusive in praising him after, nice touch.

Cuddy and Fish both enjoyed decent late spells, but without reward, Fish in particular unlucky to miss out with his aesthetically pleasing twirlers. At this late stage in the day the Dunsfold innings dragged on somewhat as all players other than the Dunsfold 9, 10 and 11 started thinking about jugs of ale in the evening sun. Thankfully Karl with a K, coming on as our 9th bowler to show our depth of talent, soon weaseled out the last two wickets (including a fine pouch from the skip at short extra cover) and we were able to shake hands before 7pm, Dunsfold finishing well short of the target.

All players headed back to the pub for beers, with a half lemonade for our youngest.

Woodpeckers 260-7 off 40 overs

Dunsfold 157 all out off 39 overs

https://dunsfoldscc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4441531

MOM (seniors’ category) – Henners

MOM (juniors’ category) – Chug