Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrating 70 years of our Queens service, fitting that the Peckers would play one of their longest-serving fixtures (50+ years) at the uniquely charming Tilford. The Jubilee celebrations meant there were guest ales to sample from Tilford's local brewery. The sweet woody smell of a pizza oven in the air was accompanied by a medley of casual jazz and classic guitar hits; all played live.
The long bank holiday weekend had also prevented our new, young, energetic, “got in at 5 am” Peckers from playing. The allure of a “chilled” weekend in Biarritz or a not so chilled weekend in Budapest had trumped this Woodpeckers fixture. As a result, it was a more vintage collection of Peckers on display for our annual Tilford fixture. Most notably, we were joined by The Gaunts. Richard Gaunt, leading Malmsbury wicket-taker for over 20 years, and his London based son James, both excellent friends of Woodpecker legend – Rossi. Richard's previous turn out for the Peckers was ten years prior at the request of Rossi, fond memories were shared, and even Rossi’s old jumper would be worn by Richard on his 2nd turn out for the Peckers.
I did not have the pleasure of meeting Rossi, but he had a profound effect on all who did, and his legacy of generosity is what makes the sight of his old jumper “a moment”.
With Rain forecast at 5 pm, POB and Ramekin (Tilford Skipper) agreed on a sensible 30 over game. 2022 has already seen several tight finishes, with the Peckers chasing an aggressive run rate to win. This fact or our impressive array of 2 seamers compelled Pobs to bowl 1st.
Spinach/ Her Royal Highness opened up from the Barley Mow end, the traditional chin high loosener nowhere to be seen, on the money from ball 1. Similarly, from the barn end, Motty strangles the scoring and provides our 1st chance and delivery of the armband of shame. Potty was set to have an eventful day; his intercostal muscle damaged from some overzealous mattress removal earlier in the week has meant he was limited to gully and 1st slip. Motty had made a delivery loop off the shoulder of the bat in the direction of Potty; he did instruct his body to move to the ball; it simply couldn’t respond to the intercostal damage and only let out a groan instead.
Both openers had started to settle, and the run rate was creeping up; Woodpeckers needed a wicket; Pobs turned to Ma Puddah, whose action was extracting maximum drift and seam from the overcast conditions and resulted in the bowling of 1st teamer Wrenn. Snax/ Ma Puddah finished with 1- 27 from his three overs. This encouraged Henners, who had been given the ultimatum to “only bowl if its seam”, to charge off his long run. This worked; he bowled opener Wilson and Thursby at 5 with a delightful drift away medium pace action, 2 – 10 off his four overs. The Tilford number 4 Branns was now settling into a rhythm helped by a traditional collection of dropped catches from the Peckers, most notably Spinach’s on the boundary – run in, stop, slide and miss over the head for 4; Tilford is a difficult place to field.
Just as the run rate looked like it was going to accelerate, the spin partnership of Runky and Gaunt removed 2 of Tilford's middle order for less than six runs and the aggressive innings of Tilford's number 3 Branns bowled for 41. Gaunt finished with 2 – 15, Runky 1-22 and Woodpeckers very much in the driving seat. These wickets then brought the skipper Ramekin (Ramasar ) to the middle, whom Peckers will recall scored an aggressive ton in the beating heat of 2021, and Tilford youth coach Sholbo – Daylo. These 2 addressed the slowing scoring rate of Tilford and set about sweeping and driving to the short barn road boundary. This was accompanied by some traditional Woodpecker’s dropped catches, and the last five overs felt like a slog, running up and down the Tilford slopes or collecting balls from near the stream. Pirate and Pob both bowling an over each for 17 and 7, respectively; when all was said and done, Tilford were 165 for 6 – Captain Ramekin and Sholbo-Daylo 42 and 24 not out.
Tea was held in the Barley Mow marquee until the rain arrived, so a swift turn around and Woodpeckers opened up with a father and Son Gaunt combination. Young James is familiar with the new cherry seaming around but perhaps not so familiar with the village conditions of a June Tilford wicket. The opening few overs from Tilford’s left arm over Stones were unplayable. Bowling at the exact right pace up the hill with a keeper stood up, the occasional ball leaping into your neck off a good length. Tilford is a hard place to bat.
Gaunt Junior looked promising until a skied drive to mid off for 6; more is to come from this chap; come back soon. This brought Pirate to the wicket wielding Snax’s newly gripped cutlass (Snax fitted a grip with no gripping cone, but with a plastic bag – Youtube is amazing). Pirate and Gaunt both settled in and were now scoring more freely until Gaunt Senior bowled by Branns darty style of offspin for 15. This same darty offspin would do for Pirate after a classy 23, including some rootesque nudges to 3rd man and fine leg (it’s a Yorkshire thing). Henners in at 4, now carrying the hopes of the Woodpeckers on his shoulders, was finding the middle and fielders, but on the ground, he has scored a 100; he was our best chance of meeting the now climbing run rate of 7 an over. Kwakka struck some uncharacteristic 6’s to the short boundary but ran himself out for 17; next up? Potty at six nursing an intercostal strain. Beware the injured golfer is a phrase (Thanks, Horse), I’m not sure it applies to cricket, but Potty struck his 2nd ball for a glorious 6, which unfortunately destroyed the back window of a nearby Honda. Picture attached (taken for insurance purposes)
Wrenn-selydale was now bowling the remaining overs for Tilford and at sufficient pace to make scoring challenging; he removed Potty for seven and the “in form” Pobs for 2. With the scoring rate remaining at seven an over with Henners at the crease, this is always possible; when he holed out to deep mid-off for 24, Runky stated: “well, it's all over”. This motivated the incoming Spinach, who was now at the crease with Motty
Otto lashes out
.. Faced with 7.5 an over, the 2 of them set about Tilford bowling with both conventional and unconventional shots to exploit the short boundary. Not another nail-biting finish? Spinach adopted the reverse lap; Motty the lofted straight drive; when we fell off the rate, one of them would get us back on it. If it were not a shot from one of them, an entertaining overthrow/ buzzer would move us closer to the target.
The run chase was into the last over when Spinach had to run on a clothed ball from Wrenn, which resulted in an easy run out for 19. Great effort from spinach, one the queen would have approved of. We still had Motty at the crease, eye in and striking it well. The requirement was six from 4 to win; Snax wore one on the pads, scampered single and took a tumble. The next ball saw an easy one turn into a 2 with a buzzer, leaving three from 2 to win. Motty’s well-struck off drive deserved more than the one it received, leaving Ma puddah/ Snax to face the final ball: 2 to win, 1 to tie. Cricket was the winner as the ball struck Snax’s pads and another scampered single levelled the scores. Motty finished on a match-winning 24 accompanied by Snax 0, not out.
What a match; it was followed by coronation sandwiches and swiss roll in the Barley Mow washed down with Shere drop. On the finest days: Queens Jubilee, England winning a test match; what could be better? Maybe the lads on their way back from Budapest and Biarritz have an answer to that question?