Bowl him a harpsichord

We do not see much sledging on Broadhalfpenny Down. Matches are friendly, the setting is tranquil, and the players are usually too nice.

In recent years, Mo Ali has delivered the odd send-off. Liam Shrehorn has given as good as he got, and Andrew Ainslie has been known to take his frustration out on the opposition.

It's more subtle these days; Ladenburg Junior was nicknamed "Aussie Tom" by the Australian High Commission, Rafi Abdeen christened on field as "Baby Murali", and Paul Whittle was once referred to in the scorebook as "Paint Dry".

But none can match the 18th-century eloquence of Richard Nyren who, whilst playing for The Hambledon Club, was heard to shout, after a batsmen had missed three balls in a row, “Bowle hymme a harpsichord, see if he can playeth that”.

The top sledgers; Mo Ali, Liam Shrehorn, and Richard Nyren