Brigands v Whitchurch, 29 July 2026

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde: for Brigands to field ten men once might be considered a misfortune. To do it two matches running looks like carelessness.

At Broadhalfpenny Down on Wednesday, thanks to a printer issue of all things, ten Brigands took the field against eleven from Whitchurch, the visitors marking 250 years and welcoming back Hampshire and MCC wicketkeeping favourite Paul Bailey.

Whitchurch won the toss and invited the home side to bat. Sue Bailey and Peter Danks settled in to score, and Harry Bates began a long day of supplying drinks to players and officials: orange squash and water in equal parts.

Neil Wood went early for 4. Rupert Preece and Dave Turner added 50 for the second wicket, and then the innings seized up: 18 runs in the nine overs after the twelfth, a fair share of them beaten past the outside edge by the topspin of Eddie Treble kicking off a hard pitch. Toby Trinder was tidy at the other end for 1-30 off nine. There are only two tragedies in life, said Wilde, one is not getting what one wants and the other is getting it. Turner, frustrated, called a quick single, got it, and Preece was run out.

Dave Henderson came in and the pair put on 50 in seven overs once both had worked out the bounce. Turner reached his fifty after 28 overs at the crease, a Hadrian's Wall of an innings, built by hand and doing its job in the end. Guy Ladenburg hit a lightning 29, and Rob Manson struck three boundaries in his one over out in the middle. 218-4 declared off 41 overs.

Then the main event. Sandwiches, sausage rolls, fruit, and a table of cake with the air of a Bake Off showstopper round relocated to a Hampshire tent; coffee and walnut, chocolate tiffin, scones, Ginger cake, Victoria sponge, and a Persian love cake of pistachio and almond built to make people fall in love. It was Vice Presidents' day, the tent filled with Brigands legends, and the camaraderie abounded.

Whitchurch went at it from the first ball: 26 off five overs, 54 off ten. Sam Trinder's first seven scoring shots were 4, 4, 4, 6, 1, 4, 4. He was supported by Hoare and Hack, which sounds more like a dubious Victorian law firm than a batting partnership. Jake Peach bowled the first nine overs downhill, spin and seam mixed, and took two.

Dougie Henderson patrolled the long western boundary in the heat, and watched a man in old-fashioned-clothing riding past him on a penny farthing.

With Trinder set and Oz Osmond scoring 30 at a run a ball, Whitchurch were in control needing under five an over to win. Then Mike Beardall found turn and bounce, Trinder skied one to mid-wicket, and Ladenburg got underneath it and spilled it. The shriek from bowler and fielder together carried down the Hambledon valley.

Two overs later a mis-bowled half-tracker arrived and Trinder played the identical shot; he could resist everything except temptation. This time Ladenburg clung on like a limpet to the hull of a naval frigate.

Ninety needed off 16 overs. The Brigands then lost another fielder, gaps opened everywhere, and Paul Whittle covered more grass than a Wimbledon mower does in a fortnight.

Gary Shaughnessy, who is Chair of Parkinson's UK, blocked and drove his way to 17 with the luck of the Irish against a field set to all-out attack; three gullies and a silly mid-on. He cover drove one to a tired Dave Henderson, who half-stopped it with his boot, won a foot race with Whittle, and returned it from the boundary like an exocet to the bowler's end for the run out. Shaugnessy reflected that “having not played cricket for nearly a quarter of a century ... I was not sure what to expect It was, however, an afternoon of friendly competition. I was delighted not to be out first ball!”

Thirty needed off three. Manson bowled Hathaway, and Brigands needed one wicket. Paul Bailey is far too experienced to give his away, and three runs off Peach closed the game out. Wood 1-28, Beardall 2-29 and Ladenburg 2-46 were the pick of the bowling.

Ten men, one wicket short, and nobody on either side much minded. Wilde said that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. This match will be fondly remembered, and talked about for a while.

Brigands 218-4 declared drew with Whitchurch 203-9

The Hampshire Cricket story on the match, the Penny Farthing and the remarkable Gary O'Shaugnessy can be found here

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•