Once more unto Brook, dear friends, once more

And it came to pass that 11 gallant Pecker crusaders, old and new, gathered on the hallowed fields of Brook. This is one of our oldest fixtures and has been an enjoyed location for the Peckers over the years (although not last year), and the site of Tater’s Peckers debut circa 16 years ago. Brook has undergone some substantial changes recently with the closure of the Dog, a favourite pre match watering hole, and the club not being able to retain players and linking up with Romany CC.

All 11 knights arrived in good time and went to survey the field of battle, which was an oasis of green in an otherwise parched landscape. On the surface it looked quite good but as we were to discover, looks can be deceiving.

As we had a BYO tea situation and Cat had been roasting beef and Kwakka appropriating cheese, POB’s decided that no matter what we should field first so that we could enjoy a wonderful spread, and we duly went out to field in the heat of the day. Smeagol and Chuckie where handed the new cherry and battle commenced.

Smeagol was a great down the hill bowler and plugged away on a line and length with the wicket doing the rest with lots of horizontal and vertical movement keeping batmen and keeper on their toes alike. He was unlucky not to get any wickets in his 7 over spell. Chuckie at the other end was just as metronomic and got the wicket of one of the openers with a ball that reared up off a length, took the shoulder of the bat and was catch at slip by a delighted Pirate.

The Brook batsmen though started amassing some runs with their local knowledge of the conditions with Wright and Cooper scoring well but the pitch always playing up the bowlers it wasn’t long before Chuckie got his second with young Cooper getting caught out by the pitch with another catch snaffled.

Greasy and Snax brought some fresh legs into the attack with both bowlers benefiting from some excellent catches in the field and some interesting reactions from the pitch. Snax made the initial breakthrough dismissing the dangerous Wright, caught by PObsy and then last week’s keeper nemesis Kyle wonderfully pouched on the boundary by Smeagol and Greasy getting the dangerous Herring with Felix pouncing at point to snaffle another…With Brook at 66 for 5 it looked like it may be a quick afternoon. However, J Barron (30 not out) and Herring (another one) put on a remarkable batting display on this tricky pitch and when Herring was finally yorked for 41 by POB they had got up to 122 for 6. Unfortunately, the bowler who suffered most for this accumulation was Taters who was rather hungover from his Birthday celebrations and finding it hard to control the prodigious turn. .. the Brook total 148 for 7 looked interesting.

As so to tea where a spread for the ages was set before us with many roast beef, rocket and chutney sarnies accompanied by sausage rolls, quiche, crisps and a most amazing cheese board were duly enjoyed by all, including the opposition and Saveena (Mrs Taters). There was also the wonderful addition of some beautifully chilled Pinot Noir from Pirate which really set the tone for the afternoon. The photos of the spread really do not do it justice.

in 2025 we collapsed to 130 All Out after a similar BYO Feast Tea with lashings of Pinot Noir. Once much feasting had been completed Felix and Pirate wandered out to the battle field. The fact that they had enjoyed the spread so much they wished to be back with it quickly, Felix bowled by an absolute jaffa for 8 after a couple of roast beefy shots and Pirate for 5 plumb LBW unable to move his feet due to the pinot. Mutley was clean bowled by a superb yorker and Taters by one that kept low. When Mumma Cass was caught at cover by a ball that stopped on the surface the Peckers were languishing at 32 for 5 and it looked as if the end may be in sight. The opening Cooper brother bowling partnership had decimated the top order with good accurate bowling assisted ably by some intermittent bounce. This had all the hallmarks of the similar collapse after the same sized BYO tea last year.

Kwakka (19 off 18 balls) and Mama (11) stopped the rot for a while but the wily Tilford veteran Johnny Barron took over at the dangerous Scoreboard end and bowled just the line and length to test the lads who eventually succumbed. Pobsy went out to join Smeagol at 64-7. They batted sensibly and ran energetically and put on 27 before GKS succumbed to the cunning Barron for 27. Chuck joined Pobsy and once he;s got used to the running they too began to build a great partnership until POB’s was given LBW by Mama (also for 27) with the peckers at 124 for 9, and still 23 runs short;

With Snax wondering to the crease we thought we could be repairing for an early shower. How wrong we were. Chuckie kept the strike and unleashed some lofty blows, and Snax somehow survived. However, the single never materialised at the end of the 34 over and Snax was left to face J King (think Beeaaron in his pomp), which Snax has previously be struggling to get away. We’ll let the videos tell the story from here…..This is the 2nd ball of the last over still 5 to win. The Following video is the 3rd ball of the final over. Kwakka' apologizes for his camera work that went a bit Blair Witch Project in the excitement

The pictures tell the story…Scenes of Jubilation, astonishment and relief all rolled into one. An epic victory by one wicket with three balls to spare, an amazing recovery after being 64-7 and looking dead and buried.

JK, Kwakka, Mama, Pirrate. GKS, Cat, Saveena, Pobsy, Taters, Muttley, Chuck, Snax, Greasy, Myrtle

Another fine weekends sport was brought to a close with the sun setting on this most glorious of village cricket locations which we can only hope gets a new lease of life quickly so that many more people can enjoy the wonders of village cricket, and the Peckers can be hosted here for generations to come.

On to Kew with dreams of a record breaking season still on.