28TH OF JUNE 2015
East Horsley appears in Domesday Book of 1086 , Its assets were: 3 hides and 1½ virgates; 8½ ploughs, woodland worth 50 hogs. It rendered £5 per year to its overlords.The village is the site of Horsley Park, a gothic mansion bought by. William Currie, a distiller and banker in 1784 (you’d have loved him Windy!)
It is similarly well heeled these day as we drive down Pennymead Drive past the multi- million pound mansions, into this rich heart of the stockbroker belt. Horsley is an excellent tennis club too, and the annual championships were being played. The car parks were busting and and there were a large crowd of well heeled Horsleyians assembled, including some lovely ladies catching the eye of single peckers.
Windy was driving the lovely Mrs Caitlin Miller, Gabbo and Cousin D, Dr AJ drove me Taters and Motty who had been to a 30th and had 2 hours sleep and was still in Saturday night really. He was probably excited we were back at East Horsley where 3 years ago, he skippered and Rossi gave him a cricket bat that used to score made his only Pecker ton The rest arrived relatively sober but managed to squeeze in a Guinness and a game of Table Tennis..before Motty led 4 of us into the ladies toilets for some reason(mistaken for away changing?)
Last year East Horsley had to drop their Sunday fixtures, but have been rejuvenated by the South African born Pitout brothers who have moved into the mansion overlooking the pavilion. Captain Tim Drake won the toss and put us on a greenish wicket, and I used the diceshaker to decide the majority of the top order. Captain’s son Ant Drake opened down the hill with some pace and had Motty driving over a straight one early .
At the other end Cousin David had shaked good dice and was fresh from 36 holes at Royal St Georges on Friday, and a day of cricket on Saturday that started at 630am with a 2020 pre breakfast. He has injured his foot with the overexertion and turned to batting with some success, striking Jarred Pitout’s left arm spinners for 4 early 4s but Taters made exactly the same shot as Motty to Drake Junior with the same clean bowled result 40-2
Cuddy was having his 1st bat for a year and bludgeoned the hardest drives of the day before mistiming a pull shot to the erratic Lewis for 17.
AJ joined Cousin David who then brought up an excellent 50, his 2nd in consecutive weeks and went on to make a quickfire 71 including 9 fours and a six. 118-4. We were delighted to see our ECB man Northern Rob, who joined AJ and built an innings. Then the stattos got the dismissal they were looking for as AJ was caught for 38 so now has a batting average at last!...263 .Gabbo hit a brutal 6 out of the ground, the largest of the game, Windy made a breezy 8
Northern Rob was bowled also for 38. We were 227-6 so I went for a swing, jammed my foot back, unfortunately an inch short of the crease stumped, and then the poor Beearon was bowled off his elbow for a Silverado, all leaving Potty not out 4 and meaning we’d lost 5 wickets for 27 to be 238 all out. With a very short boundary and quickish outfield it was an OK score, although the wicket was doing plenty off a length with some variable bounce. Delicious Fresh Strawberries and a variety of cakes were the highlight of a strong tea.
Teagan Pitout and Micheal Chinniah opened and quickly set about the Peckers, particularly Windy who had to retire after 3, 0-30.
These two were good bats and AJ had to bowl well down the hill to keep things reasonably in check. Eventually Aj got Chinniah caught for a quickfire 31 by Northern Rob off the glove at slip. Rob himself replaced Windos , bowling a mixture of unplayable balls and looser ones. It was tough for occasional keeper Motty keeping to quick spinners with the variable bounce, sharp turn and 2 hours sleep. Sadly he missed a sharp edge and a few stumpings off his friend and former ECB colleague. Ant Drake had joined Teagan and they both struck the ball cleanly. AJ continued to bowl excellently, frequently beating the bat in his 10 overs 1-45
Motty wasn’t alone as Pitout was dropped by several of the Peckers, Windy a skier, Northern tipped one over the bar at long off and a high ball came to
AJ on the deep wicket fence... The ever keen South Australian shouted confidently ‘AJ’s ball’ , and sprinted in 10 yards as the ball sailed over his head to bounce inside the line and go for 4. Even the ever reliable Cuddy in the Gully spilled a sharp chance. Runky was the bowler for many of these chances, Motty did got a stumping on the line off him not given and went for 27 other stumpings with no success(basically went for it on a clean collect) and chatted incessantly to everyone throughout the innings, praise, critique, umpire banter and his favourite sledging the batsmen. He took a particular liking to the young ginger captain’s son. Motty ‘ So you look like you play a bit of LEAGUE’ cricket. Ant –‘ Yes I do very well also against some International Cricketers’….ooty missed another edge and stumping off the poor Beearon, who was beginning to have a sense of humour failure, he’s played at East Horsley for 5 different clubs. I managed to avoid any Orang-Utan impersonations.
I turned to taters flat biting off breaks and he immediately found a good line and length extracting prodifgious bounce and turn. but the score moved to 161-1 and they needed only 78 with plenty of time….. til a Taters trio turned the tide.. He trapped Teagan in front for 94 and then in the same over clean bowled both Elliot and Weaver for ducks. At 161-4 suddenly some pressure was back on Horsley. Then Saffer Jarred came in and also struck the ball well as Ant moved to his 50. It was enthralling cricket as The Beearon and Taters bowled excellently but Horsley kept on the rate and at 208-4, Horsley only needed 31 off 6. Drake struck the Beearon to long off where Northern juggled but held on to a crucial catch. Taters then bowled Kopij but captain Tim Drake came out to join Jarred.
Taters capped off a magnificent spell and his dispelled any thoughts of Jug avoidance by doing a clean sweep of the Pitout brothers bowling Jared for 15. ..4 clean bowleds and an lbw, Taters has learnt not to rely on fielders.
Captain Tim was left to marshall the tail and needed 10 off the last over , with Peckers needing two wickets all 3 results were very possible. We had a few appeals turned down missed a couple of run out chances with the Beearon a bit lax on manning the stumps at the bowlers end. Tim needed 5 off the last ball and he got only a single leaving East Horsley 234-8 and 4 shy of our total. An exciting and honourable Draw, and our 1st of the season.
It was a fun day of cricket. Tatey bought a jug and we enjoyed the balmy evening with the oppo and I then introduced AJ and Taters to the Alma pecker experience for a closing pint.
Well done lads, particulary Tatey on his 9 overs 5-42 Cousin David on his 70 and AJ on his great bowling and a 2015 batting average of 263. These new Peckers love their cricket and have been great additions to the Pecker Squad
We have made some excellent comebacks this season, staring at defeats at Coleman’s Hatch, Old Paulines and East Horsley. On each occasion we didn’t maybe field our best but recovered to take 5-6 quick wickets and record two wins and a draw. Well Done everyone, let’s have a great High Summer!