“I never meant to be in romantic comedies; it's just what ended up happening” quoted the Latymer High School old boy, Hugh Grant, one sunny day back in the early noughties…..and here we were at that very place, on a beautiful sunny June day, which certainly had plenty of romance and comedy!

*The highlight of Romance and Comedy with some real Catting*

This is also the school of our very own Bomber Henners, who had helped our skipper in organising this lovely fixture, on the best outfield we ever likely to field on.

The Peckers dribbled in to one of the few central London grounds we play at, and at start time we had 8 players ready to go. Snax was around, but looking lost and dumbfounded as he walked past the gates. He eventually walked in and informed us that “a kid nicked my stuff on the bus”…which not only explained his lost look, but clearly angered him.

Pobsy clearly saw this as a real opportunity to use this anger, post putting the Latymer Old Boys in to bat, and threw the ball to Snax to open the bowling! An inspired decision!

The next crew of Peckers arrived and we started with 10, Greasy still making his way to the ground, post doing Chef duties in his lovely pub all morning, with Snax snarling like a raging bull at the end of his mark.

The Latymer Old Boys, who were more young boys it has to be said, were in total shock and unable to pick the incoming medium very slow inswingers that were being dealt up.

Groundskeeper opened up with a 9-ball over but it also contained a wicket as the opener steered one to our Traashy gully. The pressure was on, and between Snax and Groundskeeper, the Latymer Old (young) boys were soon 18for 4 on a lovely batting wicket.

The highlights being a “demanded” LBW from Snax, after three Richard Hadlee type appeals, all missing it has to be said, and a beautiful in-swinging seaming delivery from Groundskeeper that bowled Brainard through the gate. The opening bowlers ending with a combined 5 for 19.

Pippin was then brought on to help with “making it a game” but only succeeded in getting 1 for 18 in 5 dibbly dabbly overs. thanks to a brilliant catch standing up my the Mole.

A fine knock from Latymer middle order batsmen Garry then provided some resistance, with him scoring a lovely 41, full of nicely timed drives and pulls. But wickets were continuing to tumble with the Cat throwing down some filthy spinners but still getting some lovely figures of 1 for 23.

Greasy had by then turned up, but given his early cooking had forgotten his cricket shoes and so joined us in his black velvet trainers, which looked a little out of place on the carpet outfield we were playing on.

This inspired skipper Pobsy to ask him to bowl some spin, and reaching deep into the buffet trolley asked Pirate to come on at the end, as this was a sure way of making sure that the Latymer Old Boys could still make a competitive score……or so he thought.

First over Garry, looking good and set for a bigger score, spooned one up in the air off a Greasy leg-break for a fairly comfortable catch by pirate in the gully area. This clearly gave Pirate the confidence he needed, as he then took the most stunning of one handed caught and bowled ever seen, followed by a further wicket to wrap up the innings, Traash taking his second catch of the day.

Pob, Trash, Pirate, Mole, Hobbits Pippin and Merry -Fr Greasy Hoover, GK Myrtle, Bomber, Snax, Cat

A rather uncompetitive 104 all out scored by the Latymer Old Boys on a glorious pitch in the warm sunshine. We walked off applauding the eventual Player of the Match Snax, as it was he who had set the tone, with his beautiful opening bowling, confident that we could finish early with such a good batting line up at the ready.

Tea was a bring your own affair, but this actually led to a good picnic style tea on the outfield, whilst the Pecker dogs had their share of running wild on the perfect grasses.

Not often the Dabell brothers get to open, but here was a real chance to go out together, without anyone noticing, and get us off to a good start. Merry got out early after a brisk start, getting 6 in about 10 balls. Pippin was determined to hang around, and managed to sneak to 8 from about 40 balls, before eventually being triggered missing a straight one.

Pirate had managed to get to double figures, including a lovely hook for 4, only making sure he connected to not have his glasses smashed, before falling to a lovely slower ball from the Latymer opening bowler.

This brought Henners and Greasy to the crease, the former having his lovely parents in the crowd, watching on, like they did many years ago, when Henners was a thinner, quicker, more nimble school boy. However the hard hitting and lovely drives were all still in place and they had a chance to reminisce with fondness at their sons stroke play.

Greasy missed out on the new ball, but a poor mal-nourished Hoover made up for it

Greasy, having is trusty hound watching on, decided it was time to open the beers, and took to Hamish with real aplomb, placing a couple of very large sixes over cow corner.

Peckers win getting to 112 for 3 within 18 overs, and able to finish early and enjoy this beautiful ground whilst sipping some locally found tinny’s and snacks!

A glorious day had at a glorious ground, and as we sat around the outfield, there was many a discussion about how the Latymer Old Boys missed out, and were unknowing in how to play the Peckers “slower” paced bowling than they were used to. Will we be asked back, I for one (Pirate) surely hopes so, as I managed to get home in 10 minutes rather than the usual 2 hours. Up the Peckers!