Brigands v Old Wykehamists, 1 June 2025

The winds whipped across the historic Broadhalfpenny Down as the Brigands took to the field against a disciplined Old Wykehamists side.

Before play there were the logistical hurdles you expect in village cricket; a missing scoreboard powerpack, player injuries, a late change of wicket as the Under 15s had used the the Sunday pitch by mistake, and a very large marquee left behind on the boundary from a wedding the night before. In the interest of safety, a local rule was implemented that any six that was hit between the marquee and the Monument would be counted as a dot ball.

Batting first, the Brigands started brightly as Gerry Northwood and Neil Wood took advantage of the early overs. However, Old Wykehamists’ bowlers were relentless, with their a tight line and length that made scoring difficult. Wood looked in fine touch for a bowler opening the batting, driving and cutting with fluency, but his promising innings was abruptly ended by a stunning one-handed catch from the visiting wicketkeeper—arguably the moment of the session.

After setting 206 for 9 in their 38 overs—thanks to a swashbuckling 56 from Dave Henderson and supporting knocks from Adam Jay (35) and Gerry Northwood (31)—the Brigands returned to the field after a sumptuous tea, complete with flower decorations, eager to defend their total.

Ed Hands and Guy Ladenburg led the charge with the new ball, but Old Wykehamists settled in quickly, finding rhythm in their chase.

The Brigands did manage breakthroughs, with wickets for Hands, Wood, Mike Beardall, and Dougie Henderson, but Chris Villiers anchored the innings masterfully with a sparkling 72. He was ably supported by Maclay, who contributed a controlled 50 before retiring with a sore leg and strained vocal chords :).

Despite their best efforts, the Brigands could not stall the visitors' momentum, as Old Wykehamists reached the target with four overs to spare.

Although the result didn’t go the Brigands’ way, the match delivered another entertaining afternoon on the Down—where camaraderie, competition, cream tea and cricket came together in perfect harmony.

Brigands 206-9 declared lost to Old Wykehamists 207-5 by 5 wickets

Match Report by Jim Morris