The Woodpeckers have graced many grounds over their proud history, and Headley has been a firm favourite for over 50 years, and the bonds between past players and the ground have been immortalised by a loving memorial bench at the ground for POBsy’s dear parents, so it was fitting that the team sheet included three Owen-Brownes.
The group whatsapp was abuzz on Saturday as the lads were at the Twickenham Sevens dressed up as chickens. (Housewives took to the internet to complain that Marrigolds we’re in short supply in South London )
Traash, Bagpuss and Dabbler looking finger lickin’ good
POBSY worriedly was checking the whereabouts of the youth team members and when they were last seen on Whatsapp on the morning of the game at 5.37 am…
The rest of the team arrived early to practice on possibly the liveliest club ground net on the circuit, a surface that prepared the mind for an even livelier rock hard pitch out in the middle. On paper, our squad looked to be bristling with batsmen though we were unusally light on medium pacers, on a ground which doesn’t suit spinners.
POBsy was left with little choice but to bat first, as our youth section (Felix,Traash, Dabler and Moleman) didn’t reach the ground until twenty minutes after the start. We were also live scoring on play cricket opff an I-Pad for the 1st time ever. A reshuffle of the batting order saw the Peckers open with Ed Owen-Browne and Pirate, against an accurate Headley pace attack, and former Tonbridge 1st 11 opener Edob was out cheaply splicing a pull shot. This led to a more than useful partnership developing between Lamby and Pirrate GaRRR, taking us to 72 after 11 overs, before Pirate was out after notching a battling 24, who was quickly followed by JOBBY O-B playing his 1st Peckers game for 22 years. He got an unlucky played on off his glove but took his early departure to a ball that spat with the same good grace that he displayed the entire day.
Happy Jack, Foxy and Marmahead enjoy a delicious bubble gum ice cream
In walked Dabbler, who was studious in his approach, trying to focus after the massive day and night before. Headley’s young medium pace duo of Charlie Beall and Toby Winslett bowled very well to our middle order and removed Lamby who went for a hard earned 31 from 54. Moleman joined Dabbler who was trying to ignore heckling from the sidelines in reaction to a faltering run rate -10 off 40 balls at one stage, (“come on… how long does it take to get your eye in…” was the only printable quote). When the two youngsters had bowled their allocation of 7, some acceleration occurred, Dabbler recovered to finish well and top score with 40 from 69, and Moleman a very useful 30 from 30 balls. Felix (exhausted form heckling) and Traash (got a tough lbw) went cheaply as wily Headley Secretary Andy Pickering took 3-31 This left stalwart POBSy (7 not out, great for his average), and such was the captains commitment that he thought nothing of calling Snax for a quick single after the latter was still checking his remaining teeth after edging one into his face, and the hapless Mappudah was duly run out . Sorry Snax 2 balls left in the innings
So we ended on 176-9 after 35 overs… it seemed 20 runs below par. We didn’t utilise the short roadside boundary, failing to notch up a single six in our innings… would it be a mistake the home team would not make? Time would tell… It was unfortunate that our three big hitting types Traaash, Edob and Jobby were all out for a total of 2 with a lot of bad luck involved
The highlight of tea was some delicious home made cakes -Peckers were well behaved due to hangovers, and a need to focus on fielding. We also had a wonderful set of supporters -Horse with foals and Girlfriend Lala on Pecker debut + extra friends, Ched and his keen young colts and some Lambys and Hobby O-B also came along.
A wonderful group of Peckers and spectators grace the Owen-Browne bench (lovingly restored by Headley -thanks)
The Headley openers came out to a cloudy sky and it seemed perhaps we had had the best of the batting conditions on a pitch that looked to assist our talented opening attack of Felix and Traash. Felix bowled a lovely, controlled spell and perhaps deserved better than 2-18 off 7…and was then ably replaced by more seam options in Lamby, who bowled tightly to keep the game in the balance. Pobsy came on for a rare bowl due to the dearth of medium pacers - 1st ball was straight but opener Jenkins decided this was the time to go and struck the first two of an octet of sixes by Headley.
Runky came on but the short boundaries and Left-Right Combos didn’t suit the Beearon as he was hit for further 6s and unluckily had a catch put down after confusion between EDOB and Dabbler. The Peckers needed wickets, as opener Jenkins and Captain “Kate” Winslett looked to be controlling the game and the run rate… Snax duly obliged dismissing both of them in his two overs, which though expensive (two more sixes from captain Kate) , gave us more than a fighting chance after 27 overs, with Headley still needing 40 off 8 with four wickets left. Mapuddah’s 1st over was a cracker.
Pobsy turned to cousin JOBBY, who bowled a very tidy left arm darts with no luck as several balls grazed the stumps. Traash had 2 overs left as a last roll of the dice but we were unable to make a further breakthrough, and contributions from young son of skipper Toby Winslett helped Headley win in the penultimate over, in a tightly contested match. https://woodpeckers.play-cricket.com/website/results/5397443
A few ales were had and pleasantries exchanged. The presence of Headley President Sir Michael Pickard led to a conversation after the game about a letter in the clubhouse penned by Sir John Major when he was PM, a celebrated cricket fan and friend of Sir Michael’s to celebrate Headley’s centenary. A quote from the letter seems to sum up why we all turn up on a Sunday…
“ I am glad to hear that you are keen to enjoy the social side as well as the playing side since it is this that marks cricket apart as a game for players of all ages and abilities”… So true….
Peckers up !! Can’t wait for Glorious, jubilee Tilford next week 🙏
Complete with the reflection of an ale, and Pobs and Pirrate enjoying the last one of the day