"In the spring, cricketers are fresh and eager; ambition within them breaks into bud; new bats and flannels are as chaste as the April winds", Neville Cardus The cricketers arrived on the opening day of the season. There were the keen ones, with oiled bats, ironed whites, and confidence from six weeks in the winter nets. There were the rusty ones, with cricket bags unopened since the last Sunday of the previous September, who discover a solitary batting glove and a pair of s

On match days in the 18th century, cricket at Hambledon was as much about money as runs. For a typical fixture, about 20,000 people would descend on Broadhalfpenny Down, two miles outside the village, arriving with horses from as far away as Reading, Tonbridge Wells and London. The crowd needed feeding and watering, and an entire pop-up economy obliged: tents and banners selling food and drink, punch and pies, and stalls offering bats alongside bookmakers’ ledgers. Tradesmen

The Bat & Ball is closely associated with the history of cricket and part of the charm of Broadhalfpenny Brigands cricket. The pub has spent the start of this year undergoing a refurbishment, and as part of the relaunch, is sponsoring the 2026 Fixture Card. We look forward to pre and post-match refreshments in our favourite pub this Summer.

Pathe News was on hand to capture the famous match between The Eskimos and The Invalids in 1929 ... the match was interrupted by horses...

Local photographer Dan Bennett from Havant, shared this incredible shot of star trails in the night sky that he took at Broadhalfpenny Down. The light from the Bat & Ball helped to illuminate the pavilion, and the camera mounted on a tripod and looking North was, as Dsan describes, on a "particularly cold evening". A beautifully composed shot.

The season closed in style at the Bat & Ball in Hambledon, where a good-humoured crowd gathered for the end-of-season awards dinner....

At this year's Club Dinner, Clive Barnett, President, said the following grace. With profuse apologies to Sir Henry Newbolt: There's a...

The Brigands Annual Dinner is taking place on 4th October 2025 at The Bat & Ball. There will be speeches, awards, prizes, a raffle, and...

Hayling Island was once home to Britain’s only operating railway bridge across tidal waters, the Hayling Billy Line, now a much-loved...