The lead-up to the final competitive fixture of the 2022 season, in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, was overshadowed by the passing of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II, which was fittingly marked by the wearing of black armbands. The atmosphere at the ground on the arrival of the cricket teams, on a glorious late summers day, seemed to be one of collective relief to be blessed to have the opportunity to spend a few hours away from reality in the warm embrace of friends and under the spell of the game we all dearly love.
The final eleven of 2022 comprised old hands and new. The Kwakka tree bore it’s first fruit in the shape of his great friend from Kindergarten Struan ‘Apple Strudel’ Robertson and 11 year old son Archie god-son to Kwaaka, became “Jammy Dodger” for the day….
Archie was heard advising Motty after the pitch inspection that this was an inserter, and POBsy duly obliged. We took to the field without Baron von Runkel, latterly of the Madeira set, who arrived fashionably late darling….apparently after being mistaken en-route for a Battenburg by a group of elderly American tourists in Henley.
Archie Dodger donned the gloves and kept admirably all day, first to a miserly and challenging opening pace duo of Motty (1-17 off 8) and Groundskeeper (1-24 off 8), who bowled an enviable line and length throughout their spells, restricting the Rotherfield openers to a pedestrian rate, until Groundskeeper’s scalp of Watts to a ball that kicked off a length and was, yes, actually caught…….a feat not achieved in the last game at Brook after 7 attempts… this demon had been laid to rest and the Peckers put on a fine fielding display for the rest of the afternoon, though Pirate after a brilliant diving stop got us going should have used two hands to a sharp chance, perhaps forgetting that he was not wielding his cutlass….
Bowling changes were called on to to replace the opening attack, with Mapuddah and the Beaaaron coming on…. and it was to be a Tale of Two Ends….."It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of beautifully flighted off breaks, it was the age of leg stump full tosses, it was the epoch of long unbroken spells, it was the epoch of “have a blow”….. opener Leedham, had now got his eye in after Mappudah wheeled on an early buffet trolley,
Patrick rolled the dice and introduced H-Bomb into the attack, who complimented the Beeearon like a fine port served with the cheese course. The contrasting styles proved too much for Rotherfield, from the Baron’s end a batsman has a lifetime to think about the mistake he is about to make, before he makes it, but still elects to go ahead with the shot. With H-Bomb,( 2 for 7 off six), you play and miss and hear the death rattle all in a flash. Runky’s thirst for wickets was like a vampire at a blood transfusion centre, as he followed up his last two spells for the Peckers, which bagged 9 wickets, with a wonderful 4 for 19 off 8 (surely moving him into pole position for the Peckers bowling awards). Most batsmen were bowled, although Archie also executed a skilful stumping.
Other Pecker spinners followed once we had control of the game, with Pirrate bagging a lovely bowled and spells from Milly and pacer POBsy. Motty came back to clean up the tail and Rotherfield posted an under par 132 all out (though Badger came out as 12th man) off their 40 overs.
L-r from back -Otto, Beearon, Pobsy. Kamikaze, Strudel,GK Smeagol, H-Bomb, Pirrate, Kwakka, Jammy Dodger, Mapuddah
Tea was taken courtesy of Badger, and it was enjoyed by all, especially Myrtle the Jack Russell, who was well fed from the selection of meats, cheeses, French bread and lots of delicious Chocky snacks. The Peckers started their reply with openers Pirate and Strudel, and the Rotherfield opening attack of the Mennies brothers was naggingly accurate, and Pirate misjudged a straight one which took his leg stump. bringing to the wicket Milly, who with Strudel, took to the first change bowlers and boundaries started to flow with from a succession of fine cricket shots. Milly really found his timing and raced to his 50 with the scoreboard advancing quickly, and with a modest total to chase. I was umpiring and Milly who had been middling everything volunteered to hit one in the air pointing out that we really should get young Jammy Dodger in the game-I left it to him and next ball…Milly fell on his wicket by contriving a run out that made the Charge of the Light Brigade look like a sensible proposition, with an immovable Strudel staying put disdainfully at the other end, and he thereby earned his new nickname of Kamikazee. It also works as if we need a short leg in future we can send Kamikazee in there to avoid another bruising to a senior pro. It’s a role he plays for Malmesbury
Kamikaze (formerly known as Milly) flanked by Pirrate and Mapuddah
Sensing the angst, 🇯🇵. Archie’s godfather, Kwaaka, came in next but had not read the script, and arrived looking to occupy and plunder, a desperate attempt to improve his season average, and after three flashing boundaries, he was struck on the foot by a full toss -POBSy, doing a stint in the white coat had no hesitation in raising the finger and in strode Archie, all of 5ft tall, to join his father Strudel at the crease, but the latter fell to a wonderful catch running in from the boundary.
The Kwakka with his tree -Apple Strudel, Jammy Dodger and Dodger’s new hero, the Beearon
Enter Henners, who had batting demons to exorcise after a lean patch. At this ground, 4 years ago, he had won another battle against more formidable personal demons, and so no one doubted that he would turn things around with the willow. He immediately began to smoke the bowling to all parts, with some thunderous shots through mid off and the leg side, and Rotherfield’s boundary was well and truly Peppered (36 not out at the end, including 7 boundaries). Archie had played studiously, refusing to surrender his wicket, but then realised the time had come to trouble the scorers before the total had been reached. Standing a foot outside his crease, he smited two lusty blows back past the bowler to thunderous applause from the pavilion. Henners brutally ended proceedings in the 25th over and handshakes were exchanged.
The after match pleasantries had a nostalgic feel as this fixture marks the end of the season, and conversation centred around a thrilling season, with POBsy helping us to work out the season record which is Played 17 Won 9, Lost 6 . Tied 2 , As beer was coiffed in the fading light against a backdrop of a beautiful ground, and we stayed long into the evening with no one wanting to leave. But leave we did, with Motty sending us on our way with a poetic farewell- “winter well lads”…..
On behalf of all peckers, thank you POBSy for all your hard work in making this dream come true year after year, and we will formally mark the changing of the seasons with the annual Peckers v Peckers next saturday at Barnes common, where more stories will surely be written…..(Greasy, please be careful with the pints next week….🤣).