Our fourth game of this season saw the Peckers make their way down to the delightful village of Dunsfold, situated in the picturesque Surrey countryside. Dunsfold is a village steeped in history and beauty. It dates back to the 13th Century, during which time it has been host to the pilgrimage sight of a Holy Well. It had also been the home of the Top Gear racetrack for many years (repurposed from a second world war Canadian Aerodrome). Oh, and Potty used to live there as well, so a settlement full of history and big names! We also held our 1st ever peckers V Peckers there some 15 years ago.

As the morning introduced another Sunday fixture, many Peckers, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, made their own pilgrimage to the holy well of The Sun, where customary pre-match ales of Surry Hills were consumed along with a round of infamous roast beef sandwiches. However, a second, rather less fresh trio of Peckers regretfully did not make this pre-match feast, namely due to a weekend of stagging down in Bracklesham Bay in lieu of Greasy’s upcoming betrothal. Alas, somehow, all made it to the pitch on time and to the relief of a few, POB lost the toss the Peckers were batting!

Spinach enjoying the Surry Hills and Roast Beef Sandwiches!

The wicket was unbelievably slow and sticky. A week prior to the fixture saw the square underwater, so from one groundsman to another I say bravo in getting the pitch ready for what was to be Dunsfold’s first match of the season. Cat and Kamikaze trotted out first.

Cat, who was undoubtedly still digesting a couple of pounds of Bavette and a third of an Imperial bottle of 2012 Patris-Querre, Saint-Emilion, Grand Cru from the stag weekend, was triggered by Cyoungy for an LBW for 1. When asked about the dismissal, Cyoungy simply said, “I didn’t know what I’d tell the bowler if he asked why it wasn’t given”.

Kamikaze, who had a decent knock and steadied the ship last week at the Hogs, struck a quick and fluent 14 before missing a straight one aand made way for Pippin and Henners who could step up and show their metal. This was Henner’s first game of the season, but as I am sure you are all expecting, one wouldn’t have known it as he began to tee off and cart the ball all over the pitch, producing a myriad of boundaries and an enormous 6, pulled into the trees beyond. Pippin meanwhile waited at the other end!

Alas, I do Pippin an injustice as he hit a healthy 29 and stuck with Henners when many of us couldn’t, but when you consider the pair's first 10 scoring shots one can’t help but laugh.

Dabell: 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,4

compared to

Walpole: 3,4,4,1,2,4,1,1,2,4

It was around this part of the innings that the bowling quality took a rather large turn for the worse. One poor chap was really struggling to work out the right time to let go of the ball and would seemingly decide that somewhere just below the Sieg Heil Salute was the most efficient time to do so, resulting in the ball often taking its first bounce only a couple of inches away from his own foot. This prompted our illustrious leader, currently umpiring, to ask on the 12th ball of the over: ‘is it a no ball, a dead ball or a wide? I need to check the rules.’ After a bit of reshuffling and clarification, the game moved on and eventually, Henners made way on 81.

The mood on the boundary was mixed. Pobs worried that Henners ‘brutish’ innings would put us out of favour with Dunsfold, GK Smeagol was focusing on breathing as stories of his antics from Greasy’s stag sent his anxiety into hyperdrive and Greasy wasn’t speaking unless to grumble or complain about something or other. However, there was a huge cause for celebration during this match as a momentous Peckers debut was made. Bonnie Rosina Grace Mott (Bonnotty Boo) made her first appearance to what we hope will be the first of many. Gemotty, Motty, Bonnie (nickname to come soon I am sure) and Harry kept the mood afloat. Bonnie, not making a squeak and Harry making a racket! We all know who the problem child is! That and a selection of fine cheeses, Bavette and Flowerpots ale, all left over from the stag, set the scene for the most wholesome and kindly first innings.

Here we have Picos de Europa, Somerset Driftwood, Srärnächäs and Pont-L’Évêque. Kindly indeed!

Next in was Cyoungy and Greasy. Cyoungy had a rather large fan club of family and friends slowly assembling on the boundary and dug out 8 runs before being bowled and caught.(including his lovely Wife Lucy and son Luca also on debut) Greasy, still yet to smile at this point, added 7 runs to the score sheet and continued not to smile. The order from 7-11 was decided on a dice roll however the less said about the rest of the batting the better other than yours truly who needs some stick for a pitiful QUACK!In fact, batters 5 – 11 managed to hit 43 runs between them all, so as ever, the usual peckers collapse occurred in the finest of fashions!

Otto and Butternut batted out our remaining overs and despite our middle to lower-end order disintegration the Peckers managed to put 185 runs on the board in 35 overs which, considering the wicket, we thought was a decent, winnable score. Thanks should be given to Henners, Pippen, wides and no-balls for that!

Tea consisted of a good range of sandwiches and some rather delicious cakes. Kamikaze was heard to moan about the lack of crisps, but I expect the opposition thought we would be rather full up after our pre-tea snack of cheese and steak! It was safe to say we didn’t go hungry.

The Peckers were keen to get out in the field and crack on! Spinach and Motty opened the bowling in style and after 10 overs the pair had skittled 6 of their wickets each taking 3. Motty pulled up with a slight tweak in the groin area and rested in the slips for the remainder of the game. Spinach was also brought off as Skip worried for our opposition seeing their lack of remaining wickets and severe lack of runs. Spinach was rather disgruntled with this hoping he’d be able to have a crack at his first Michelle Pfeiffer for the Peckers. I can hear Barron Von Runkle telling him to leave some for the rest of us!

Cyoungy and Butternut took to the crease next, Cyoungy‘s support from the boundary seeming to grow with each over. Both bowled extremely economically but to no reward of a wicket, Cyoungy going for 0-3 from 3 overs and Butternut going for 0-1 from 3 overs. Cyoungy was unlucky not to get a wicket, but as the ball soared into the air, it was inevitably going for El Bombardier Pobsy who inevitably dropped it, albeit in a dramatic diving fashion.

*Cyoungy with son Luca, Maggie the Cocker, Mr Burt and his three lovely daughters(inc Lucy Young left) and Jessie Meins a former GF of Windy there also to complete the lovely support crew*

Skip had managed to stop the opposition from losing any more wickets but he still wanted to give them some runs. Pippin got the call-up along with GK Smeagol who was ordered to bowl loopy spin. Both bowlers gave them a handful of runs although GK was unlucky not to pick up more wickets as Spinach, obviously keen to come back on a have another go for his fifer, decided to drop two sitters in one over when GK had been kind enough to snaffle one for him. Thankfully Cyoungy gave GK some piece of mind as he held onto a ball fired right into his solar plexis.

Bagpuss and Greasy were next to bowl, both were also ordered to conduct their overs in slow orthodox spin. The Feline agreed and was rewarded with a wicket. Greasy, who still hadn’t smiled, was less agreeable and allowed his frustrations of the day to help bend his back. Pob had some words and decided that the publican was best placed elsewhere on the field and put himself on to bowl instead. We were expecting a flurry of his classic oral-b-beamers, when in fact he placed the ball rather well, although no wickets were to come. Finally, Spinach got the ball back and was told to clear up so we could all go for a jug and be home in time for the Antiques Road Show. He got one wicket but not the two he was hoping for - Karma if you ask me! Kamikaze, who had been keeping, passed the kit over to Cat and cleared up the last and final wicket of the day thanks to a quick slip catch from Otto, who also had the cock-cam on and ready for action (video below). Dunsfold were all out for 83.

After the customary team photos, the Horse and GG, who had come to support, produced a small barrel of TEA which was most appreciated, after which most of the Peckers wandered over to the Sun Inn where we were rewarded with jugs of Surry Hills, a platter of leftover Yorkshire Puds and gravy and an unexpected appearance from Potty. We are now 4 wins from 4 this season! Pobs informs me that this win apparently puts us on a run of 6 unbeaten games (including the 2 wins from the end of last season) and thus one win away from equalling our 7 win record set at HAC in 2021. I am further informed that 5 wins in a row at the start of a season has never happened before in the history of the club so there are records to be equalled and broken when we go to Ham and Petersham this weekend – We really need a RECOGNISED BATSMAN to help us break the records.