Welcome to the 2026 Season

Gerry Northwood, Chair

I very much hope that this pre-season update will inspire our members to start thinking of, and prepping for, those sunnier and balmier days that lie ahead on Broadhalfpenny Down. Whether it is a bat that needs a fresh coat of linseed oil, an umpire’s panama hat to be dusted down, or scorer’s pencil to be sharpened, the 2026 season is almost upon us. The Brigands and Broadhalfpenny Down needs you!

The amount of work that has been done over the winter on the ground and the pavilion will no doubt be apparent to all of you as you read the rest of this update. So I will not dwell on it here other than to offer a big thank you to Tracy Murley and Mark Smith and their respective teams for getting stuck in and making such a huge difference. There is of course more to be done and a strong club attendance on Ground Opening day will help with that final push to have everything ready for the season.

Blessed as we are with our stewardship of a ground which has played such an important role in the early development of the game, this season will be the “Third Stump Summer”. We shall be celebrating the invention of such an obvious idea that one wonders why it took so long to get round to it! But a great invention all the same, and all bowlers are no doubt grateful for it. “TSS” culminates with a game against Chertsey, the club that was the original protagonist during the first third stump game 250 years ago. Please mark the date in your diaries as we are very much hoping to celebrate the day in style with as many Brigands and other cricket lovers present as possible.