This fixture encapsulates what Sunday village cricket is all about and why we all love it. A picturesque ground that dates back to 1815, a most welcoming opposition, fabulous tea and a cracking tavern with a wonderful beer garden and a gentleman’s agreement that no one should take it too seriously. The May bank holiday was kind to us, although the sun, clouds and wind played their dance in the sky keeping it interesting.

We lost the toss and were inserted by Ham who also claimed our new Huddersfield Cherry. The rules were old school, declaration cricket in an 80 over game. We were honoured to have chief ICC cricket tv director, Borgav, umpiring fresh from his stint covering the PSL and Caribbean league and as he walked out to the middle his keen eye for detail must have noticed the international makeup of our opposition for the day, which included 5 Indians, 1 Afghan, 1 South African and a Trinidadian wonderfully named Bentley.

H&P opened with their own Akbar, which confused me for a while as I was umpiring.The Afghan was bowling full inswingers at a skiddy speed on a surface that was sticky and his initial spell was right on the money. Facing were openers Bison and Muttley (who had made a fine hundred on the ground two years ago). At the other end Grant, a South African, also had lively pace , slightly shorter and it was clear we wer in for much more of a battle at Ham this year!

Muttley was first to go in the 3rd over inside edging Akbar onto his stumps with the score on 15. Groundskeeper replaced him edging the next delivery through the slips but then fell to Akbar as he played all around a full straight one. Bison was solid, keeping the scoreboard ticking while the pressure was being applied with the new cherry, and his new partner at the crease Bumpy fell to the kind of yorker from the Afghan that Waqar would have been proud of. We were in trouble at 46-3 after 9. Our two giants Bison and Levers, both measuring 6 foot 4 decided to dig in and turn things around.

With brave shot selection, including several drives and cuts to the rope by Levers, they took the score to 79 when Akbar bowled two dangerous beamers that led to him being taken off to collective relief before Levers was unexpectedly caught at deep mid wicket off Grant for 15. Cat came and went in a flash, missing a straight one to the off spinner who didn’t turn it, and suddenly we were 80-5 with no specialist batsmen to come.

What we needed now was a captains innings… and that’s exactly what we got. POBSy came in having watched his side falter he played an assured and wonderful knock, coming forward to the spinners and hitting the bad balls for several lovely off drives. He assumed full responsibility for getting us a competitive total after Bison fell to Bentley just after reaching his 50.

*Bison is feted on his 1st fifty for the Woodpeckers, and many more to come*

We still had a lot of work to do at 117-6 after 22. Old hands Tiddles and POBSy played straight and kept the scoreboard ticking until we passed 150 in the 30th over, and the restaint got too much for Tiddles when someone bowled a Cornetto.POBSy was joined by Twinkle and so close to his 50 when he was run out going for two on 48, but his contribution was priceless. Our tail did not wag and we were bowled out before half the allotted overs were completed, ending on 166. Would this be enough?

*Director Borgav ratified Umpire Bumpy’s decision*

Tea was taken in the delightful Hand and Flower pub which also served as our changing rooms. Highlight of the fare were the samosas and coronation chicken sandwiches which were so inviting that they had run out by the time the kindly H&P captain brought up the rear in the queue. A cover band was playing to the bank holiday audience in the beer garden. Snax’s friend Kahren joined the team for a cup of tea, as did Groundskeepers cousin, and everyone was in good spirits and some had fuller bellies than others.

*Tiddles selecting his tray of sandwiches*

H&P opened with Charles Reddish (kindly Tea Maker) and Akbar and were met by wonderful new ball seam bowling by Spinach (who bowled a marathon spell of 12 overs) and Tiddles (whose 8 overs accounted for at least half the calories in the chocolate mini rolls he consumed). The cornetto lover was pitching the new ball up and moving it around enough to pierce the Afghan’s defences to draw first blood in the 6th over followed by another wonderful wicket taking delivery next ball. Tiddles was suddenly on a hat-trick!

Spinach bowled the opener with a lovely full delivery and Ham were 24-3. Pansar and Mundi began to consolidate whilst struggling to score against our miserly openers. Spinach was particularly unlucky as several chances went through and fell tantalisingly short of the slip cordon. Finally an edge flew to Keeper Bumpy who was keeping brilliantly on in very ‘Bumpy’ conditions dived forward to take a fantastic catch.… or so we thought, but not given and no movement from Mundi, who later claimed that this was retribution for a wrongful dismissal in the previous game. After the match H@P skipper confirmed that on that occasion he had walked 5 yards but returned to the crease claiming he actually hadn’t hit it… the partnership took the score to 67-3 and a decent position before Spin finally got his man, bowling Mundi for 19. The turning point in the match was the run out of the dangerous Pansar (29) from a relay run out that emanated from a size 14 boot stop on the boundary by 🦬 off the last ball of POTYs marvellous spell. We took the game by the scruff of the neck for the remainder of the game with first change bowlers Groundskeeper and Snax coming on to bag further braces. Groundskeeper took his second catch of the day off his own bowling, a huge leap from an England Schools high jumper (highest 1.91).

*Smeagol soared like an eagle to pick up his second*

There was wonderful symmetry to the bowling figures as both openers Tid and Spinach returned figures of 2-31, and both first change bowlers GK Smeagol and Snax recorded 2-12 Average honours go to Twinkle with a 1-1 return. They were wonderfully supported in the field as we talk all of the catches (in front of the wicket). Snax was left with the honour of closing proceedings, captured on film and foretold by the skipper

H&P were all out for 94 in the 29th over… a glorious comeback by the Peckers and a win by 72 runs to extend our winning streak to four. This correspondent would like to suggest that Bison should take the MOTM laurel for his first Pecker 50 closely followed by the skipper for keeping the ship afloat. We retired to a glorious evening sunshine in the Hand and Flower garden where we sat with the opposition and enjoyed some beers, live music and the last of the Summer sunshine. GK Smaegol’s Vietnamese Auntie was there, still recovering from returning to her house two years prior at 9am after the game/after-party to find me in her bed! We all felt good to be alive this day 🙏 and great to be a Pecker ❤️