Brigands v Vagabonds, 27 April 2025
- Dave Henderson
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Only village cricketers know the pain of stopping a well-hit ball with an outstretched ankle or taking a mistimed catch squarely on the chest. Welcome to the cricket season, Steve Blackburn and Rupert Preece, each bearing bruises after this weekend’s Brigands match against Vagabonds.
The game was delayed slightly: first, waiting for the new clock to strike 1pm, and then for two umpires to join the 22 players, two scorers, a local journalist, and a scattering of spectators, dog walkers, and thirsty, Lycra-clad cyclists at Broadhalfpenny Down.
The opening deliveries from Neil Wood and Guy Ladenburg were so loose that the photographer from the Meon Valley Times asked the captain if this was really the first team.
Vagabonds made a steady start, putting on 20 for the first wicket, then accelerating to 100–3 by the 25th over. Umpire John Farquhar, on his first visit to this cradle of cricket, gave Vagabond Edwards out LBW with his very first decision — a verdict bowler Ladenburg heartily endorsed, saying Farquhar was "welcome back any time."
Raffi Abdeen flighted the ball and picked up 4 wickets for 33 runs, causing a mid-innings wobble. From 117–7, Vagabonds rallied with the introduction of mystery-spin from Turner, puzzle-spin from Blackburn, and riddle-spin from Henderson. Vagabonds were eventually bowled out for 170 after 40 overs.
Bill Bryson once noted that cricket is the only sport built around meal breaks, where spectators burn as many calories as players, and where one can wear white from head to toe and finish as clean as they started.
Tea, then, was a feast Bryson would have applauded: fancy sandwiches, homemade scones, and a chocolate tiffin that melted in the mouth. Bravo to the Turner family.
In reply, Harry Woolvine and Rupert Preece got Brigands off to a flyer — racing to 30 runs off the first five overs. Preece fell to a sharp catch, before Woolvine was aghast at being given LBW — the ball pitching in line and cannoning towards middle stump. Paraphrasing baseball coach Leo Durocher, the young Brigand walked off believing two forces were against him: the umpire and the laws of the game.
Dave Henderson and Adam Jay consolidated against spin from both ends and a run-saving ring field.
Vagabonds hadn’t accounted for Jay’s unique coaching, more Nick Bollettieri than MCC. Jay judged whether to run on the quality of his shot, not on fielding positions. Fortunate for Brigands, Jay ran almost as fast as Virat Kohli’s record (32.5 km/h), nicking quick singles and turning twos into threes, on his way to a sparkling half-century.
After Jay departed, Henderson and Ladenburg quickly followed. With 20 still needed, two of the less fleet-footed Brigands, Dave Turner and Paul Whittle, came together. They eked out nine runs before Whittle was caught at gully.
Turner, the proud owner of a new B3 bat won at the Club Dinner, was thankful to the thick edges that kept his new bat looking pristine as he and Steve Blackburn struck the winning runs to see Brigands home by three wickets.
Vagabonds will rue a few costly moments: losing their final wicket on the seventh ball of an over, a missed run-out chance late on, and conceding 29 extras. In village cricket, matches are won, lost, and debated (at the Bat & Ball afterwards) over such fine margins.
Cricket is back for the summer. A reminder to those with Monday morning aches and pains, and those bearing new bruises, these are treasured reminders of a Sunday well spent with good people, in the South Downs.
Brigands 171–7 beat Vagabonds 170 all out, by 3 wickets.
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