From Hampshire to the World

A guest story by a Friend of the Brigands, Ray Mead

I thoroughly enjoyed Bill Evershed’s blog on these pages back in May (The Great Grey Granite Slabs Scam), explaining his entry on the splendid new plaque unveiled this year on the pavilion wall.

Unlike Bill, I can’t quite claim to have been “imbibing here since 1954,” nor do I own an umpire’s tie earned via a promise of free beer in Hong Kong. But I too have a small inscription on the plaque, and thought I’d share the story behind it - one that ties a thread of my own family’s history to the rich tapestry of Broadhalfpenny Down.

My connection to the ground is recent, forged in the last few years since my son, Henry, began playing for Hambledon. Now part of the Under 11s, he spends his weekends out on that hallowed turf while I, pint in hand from the Bat & Ball, cheer from a fold-up chair. It’s become one of life’s great pleasures—watching cricket’s core memories take shape in such a stirring and historic setting.

As a fan, I’ve long known about Broadhalfpenny Down’s importance to the game, and was thrilled to attend the 250th Anniversary Match in 2022 with Henry, celebrating the birth of First Class Cricket. That legacy, along with innovations like the third stump and overarm bowling, is what I aimed to honour with my plaque line: “From Hants to the World.”

I’m a proud Hampshireman, raised and schooled in the county’s north, later living in Southampton and Winchester, and now happily rooted in the Meon Valley. To me, Broadhalfpenny Down is more than a cricket ground; it’s a living monument to the sport’s origins and the generations who’ve shaped it.

While reading more about the ground’s history, I stumbled upon a distant family link to C.P. “Phil” Mead, the legendary Hampshire batsman who played in the 1908 commemorative match, when the granite monument was first unveiled at the south-east corner of the ground. His record, more than 49,000 First Class runs for a single county, remains unmatched.

Phil Mead is a distant cousin of both Henry and me. So when the chance came to support the preservation fund and contribute a line to the plaque, it felt right—a small gesture of thanks to those safeguarding this special place, and a nod to our family’s connection past and present.

I look forward to raising a glass with you all at the annual end-of-season dinner in October—to the past, the present, and the future of this remarkable ground.

See you at the Bat & Ball.