Sanderstead, a beautiful cricket ground, just south of Croydon, (Can I say that in the same sentence), was the destination of the Woodpeckers second game of the 2025 season, on a beautiful warm mid Spring Sunday.
The annual post match curry was the enticement to gather a great flock of Peckers, although as many arrived at the ground for an earlier than normal 12.30pm start, a few were, following the previous night’s revelries, far from thinking about a curry after the game!
Now Alan Hansen famously said ‘You win nothing with kids’, but there a quintet of 14 year olds were about to put that theory to the test. It had been a quiet few decades for the age group since Mozart wrote his first opera at that age and Nadia Comeneci scored a 10.0 at the Olympics. But 4000 miles away on a different cricket pitch 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi announcedhimself as a global megastar with the second fastest ever century in the IPL in just 35 balls.
Back in Sanderstead a quartet of home-grown 14-year olds were about to make life very difficult for the Peckers.Pirrate and Mama Cass opened the innings, our first games of the season, with talk on the way to the crease about how we just wanted to get a run on the board and stop feeling so hungover!
Sanderstead opened up with a spinner, which certainly did not make the openers feel anymore alive! Pirrate was bowled, out for a 9 ball 9 by the 14-year-old Jake Cronin, then quickly followed back to the lovely Sanderstead pavilion by Felix, (scoring 2, to ensure an average for the season). It was a Golden, first ball of the season, duck for Mama Cass, albeit it was in the 4th over of the day, leaving the Peckers 16-3., with young Jake Cronin on his wqay to 2-22
Some debate ensued on the boundary about whether Mama had achieved a Diamond Duck, but Tiddles put us straight that was being out without facing a ball.
Moleman, carrying a slight groin strain from a game the day before, and Trash, steadied the ship, and got us back on track for a score that we hoped would get us over 200 from our allocated 35 overs.
Sanderstead then started to rotate the bowling with the more “experienced” leg spinners taking an end each, which led Trash to opening up the shoulders and reach 51 by the 14th over. He then had to retire as the skippers agreed we would have too much for Sanderstead before we started, but after the first 4 overs this seemed like a bad ask! (More to come on this later)
Trash then spent the rest of the innings on the sidelines telling everyone that once he was back in he would get us well over the 200 par score we needed…..!
Wickets continued to fall at a too frequent rate and Chef was soon nowhere to be found, after going to charge his car…..or at least that’s what he told us. So Snax, was now padded up, ready to go in at 9, as the Peckers fell to 116 for 5 and Trash retired.
Greasy managed a few hefty blows to reach 18 before being bamboozled by the extra slow leg spin and thinking about the multiple strokes he could play and then got caught behind playing none of them!
Moleman continued to slowly accumulate some runs and eventually also got to his 50, before going back in at the end and finishing with 60 Not Out.
Unfortunately, he was now batting with Tiddles, as Trash had gone back in, with the Peckers now only 157 with 7 overs left, to get our par score of 200, but had the same issue as Greasy and ended up skying his first ball up in the air to be caught without adding to his 51 from earlier.
The tail had not wagged, albeit Snax was triggered by Greasy Goldfinger, when looking a valuable watch for the onlooking crowd and Peckers squad! Peckers all out in 29.2 overs for just 169. Some way short of what we thought was a par score. Sanderstead’s 14-year-old leg spinner Sam Hiscock wrapping up the innings finishing with 3 for 8 from 3.2 overs.
The Peckers were certainly not confident as we sat around eating a wonderful tea, likely the best on the circuit, especially the strawberry scones, which were a particular delight on such a lovely sunny day.
Lovely to be back with old friends Sanderstead
Things got no better. The two opening batters for Sanderstead, skipper Palfrey and Elleray, got off to a great start and only when Chef was brought on and Palfrey holed out to Trash in the deep for 47, did we get our first wicket, Sanderstead 87 for 1 in the 15th over. One over of which had gone for 16 from Greasy, who thought beamers were the only thing that would help our cause!
Drinks taken, with somber discussion of going for the curry early ensued and we slowly went back to our fielding expecting it all over in the next 8-10 overs.
However Chef was now on a roll, Pobsy switching him to up the hill and finding a really nice length that started to really tie one end up. Trash came on downhill and runs started to really dry up for Sanderstead, once opener Elleray had retired. Wickets were also now falling at.a reasonable rate, although some of us were worried of the Opener coming back in to finish the job. Chef and Trash combined to take 4-49 from there 14 overs. We were back in the game, if we could make dot balls our friend!
Back came Tiddles in to the attack, rumbling up the small hill, his run up, getting shorter and harder every ball, but the miserly opening bowler ended with 1-19 with 2 maidens in his 7 overs. The Peckers could smell a first win of the season in the offing!
Cat and Greasy came back in to bowl and both made up for there earlier batting challenges and bowling spell respectively, to really twist the game in our favour, with Cat collecting 2 late wickets. Sanderstead falling short at 154.
Snax perked up after drinks was keen to tell Dan the Cameraman how his 0-18 had played a pivotal role
A remarkable come back from the Peckers, who were dead and buried at drinks in the 2nd innings, but with our Skipper Pobsy, consistent in his approach, ensuring we were all on it in the field, pushing back on the many Pecker suggestions and getting us over the line!
The scribes MOM was Tiddles for his very tight, cornettoless bowling but ultimately Trash and Moleman had provided us a score to defend, especially when our 4th highest scorer was byes! It was also wonderful to see the 14-year-olds make such a valuable contribution and gave us consolation that our great game is alive and well.
The day finished with a lovely trip up to the Panahar and the annual curry, accompanied by Aesch representing Sanderstead and giving Pobsy an opportunity to provide plentiful of stories of old. The chat was about how we had come back in the game and what the summer ahead was going to be like. No game next week, but a trip to Hampshire Hogs is next up and many were excited at the prospect!
Peckers Up!
Here are the 20-minute highlights wonderfully filmed and edited by Dan