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Two birthdays this weekend; our Chairman Gerry Northwood was celebrating on Friday and today, Sunday, our octogenarian Honorary Groundsman, Harry Bates, is enjoying his today. Many happy returns to you both and thank you for all you do to make Broadhalfpenny Down the thriving club and historical ground it is today. You are both treasures.

The day when a good idea, cricket, and Nina’s tea were all winners Brigands welcomed old friends Whitchurch to the Down on a day when it looked like the weather would be the winner but it was not to be. With rain due early evening both skippers decided that to get a game in a 25 over game would be the best bet with each side getting 90 minutes to bat and bowl their allocation of overs. Chairman Northwood detailed the rules to both sets of players and the game got underway. Brigands batting first got off to a quick start with Waktare and Turner putting on 37 for the first wicket in 5 overs. Brigands doubled that total in the next 7 overs until the 13th over proved unlucky for Brigands as the Whitchurch bowler took the wickets of Dougie Henderson, Alderman and Mann to claim a hat-trick and reduce Brigands to 76-4 with Turner having retired on 25. Some slow overs followed before Northwood departed for 24 followed by Blackburn the very next ball leaving the same bowler on a hat-trick for the second time in the game. However this time it wasn't to be as a quick-fire 16 from Sargant led Brigands to 125 off 25 overs. With tea delayed until the end of both innings, Brigands took to the field to try and keep the visitors at bay chasing 126 to win. Wood and Sargant were given the new ball and kept the visitors to 25-2 after 10 overs with both wickets going to Wood. With the rain starting but soon disappearing it was Beardall and Waktare who continued for Brigands and with both being let down by dropped catches the visitors started to see the runs flow. With 5 overs left, the visitors needed 40 runs to win. It was left to Dougie Henderson and Turner to bowl at the death and with 7 needed off the last over Henderson restricted the visitors to 5 singles and a dot off the last ball to help Brigands to claim the win by 1 run. All that was left was for both sides and a large number of guests to enjoy the magnificent tea that was provided by Nina with help from Jenny and her scones. A great afternoon had by all on a day when we didn't let the weather win

To paraphrase Buddy Holly, the sun is out, the sky is grey, hopes of play have gone away, its been raining ... and waterlogged the square. The match v The Authors is off so a chance to go and watch The Open, Oppenheimer or Barbie The Movie instead. The next match is against Whitchurch on Wednesday 26th July at 2pm.

The pavilion at Broadhalfpenny Down got a makeover this week, thanks to Paul Whittle and Mike Beardall amongst others. The splinter-ridden, uneven, and dangerous wooden planks were replaced with new astroturf. A nice upgrade; many thanks, team.

The Hambledon Club was a celebrated aristocratic dining club that emerged in the 18th century in the village of Hambledon, Hampshire, England. The club played a pivotal role in the development of cricket as a sport and established several of the game's key rules and practices. The club was revived in 1999, to honour the memory and great achievements of the Hambledon Club by holding luncheons at the beginning and end of each season featuring high-quality guest speakers. The first modern luncheon was held at the Bat & Ball Inn on Saturday, 10 April 1999 and they have continued without interruption ever since. This week they have relaunched their new website https://www.thehambledonclub.com/ taking some inspiration from the website at Broadhalfpenny Down :)

We are delighted to welcome back a team from Hollywood who last played at Broadhaldpenny Down in 1995. Earlier that year, the Mayor of Bournemouth, while on a business trip to LA, paid a visit to the Dome Village as he had heard about a homeless cricket team called The LA Krickets. He brought with him a bat from Hambledon and he said “if you guys ever come to England and are good enough cricketers The Hambledon Club challenges you to a game". In September of 1995, The LA Krickets, sponsored by Prudential Life Insurance amongst others accepted the challenge and enjoyed a lovely game of cricket where it all began. Almost 20 years later, and a lot older, some of the players are coming out of retirement and returning to Hambledon for one last match. It will be a T20, starting at 4.30 pm on Tuesday September 5th, with refreshments and stories afterward in the Bat and Ball with everyone welcome. The LA Krickets in 1995

Following the critically acclaimed first edition of the season to date it is now time for the evening games edition of the season-to-date statistics. Brigands were scheduled to play 6 T20 games but with 2 being cancelled only 4 were played with one of those being cut short by rain. Brigands won one game and lost the other 2. Overall Brigands scored 505 runs for the loss of 21 wickets while our opponents scored 458 runs for the loss of 14 wickets. Onto the individual stats. Starting with the batting, Adam Jay tops the run charts with 78 narrowly ahead of Guy Ladenburg who hit 72. The rest of the top 5 was made up of Gerry Northwood, Dave Mann and Neil Wood with 43, 39 and 32 respectively. The bowling was a low-scoring affair with only 14 wickets being taken and 4 of those were run outs. Matt Goodman and Neil Wood took 3 apiece with Gerry Northwood, Mike Beardall, Ed Hands and Tom Ladenburg taking 1 each. Brigands held 3 catches and Dave Mann took a stumping as well as being involved in 2 run outs. Join us at the end of the season for the final episode of L, DL & S.

As we enter the month of July we are at the halfway point of our season; Brigands have played 8 regular games winning 4, losing 3, drawing 1 and 3 have been cancelled. Brigands have an average score of 147.5 for the loss of 6.50 wickets whereas our opponents have averaged 141.75 for the loss of 8.25 wickets. Onto the batting stats that see Dave Henderson and Lee Gray lead the way with 182 runs apiece at an average of 45.50 each. Only Guy Ladenburg has also reached 100 runs scoring 111 at an average of 22.20. Making it into the top 5 are Dave Turner and Andrew Ainsley with 81 runs each. The bowling is a one-horse race at the moment with Mike Bath securing 19 wickets at an impressive average of 6.11. No other bowler has made it to 10 wickets yet with Mo Ali 8, Mike Beardall 6 and Lee Gray & Guy Ladenburg also sneak into the top 5 with 4 wickets each. The fielding stats show that Brigands have taken 28 catches this season with Adam Jay leading the way taking 5 catches to date. Dave Henderson and Neil Wood are a close second with 4 apiece followed by Dave Turner and Mike Bath with 3 each. For the wicketkeepers, Andrew Ainsley has 2 catches and 3 stumpings while Paul Bailey has 1 catch and 2 stumpings. The next statistics update will feature the evening T20 games.

There were two matches taking place at the same time; Brigands playing Saints at Broadhalfpenny Down and England chasing down 250 against Australia at Headingley. Both had early tension as Jay and Morris, and Stokes and Bairstow, were out early. But runs from Henderson (30) and Ladenburg (32), and Brook and Woakes, steadied the respective ships. The bell was rung loudly to signify England had won, signaling that Brigands could concentrate on setting a challenging target; Beardall (16) drove, Northwood (19) swept and Bailey (3) cut to get the total up to 172 all-out from 40.1 overs. Saints were founded around 1950 and Brigands in 1952, and few would have had more delicious Brownies and Walnut Cake in the 70 years or so since. Saints started well getting to 24 without loss from just 4 overs but the wiley Ladenburg (2 wickets) and Gray (1 wicket) bowled patiently-straight on a pitch that offered more to bowlers than batters and were rewarded with three quick dismissals including a fine one-handed caught and bowled to Ladenburg. Wood (2 wickets) and Bath (3 wickets) came on and enticed the Saint's middle order into playing shots on a wicket that helped seam and spin; four more batters were clean bowled as the "bloodbath" continued. The introduction of right-arm very-slow Turner surprised a few, including the Saints big hitters; one missed a straight ball and the other hit it straight to Morris at mid-on. In just 20 overs, Saints had got themselves all out for 77, and Brigands, like England, could celebrate with a pint.

In what was billed by the media as The Landlord v The Tenants clash it was a cloudy evening that greeted the players for the final T20 of the season. Tim Hands brought his invitation XI to face the Brigands to celebrate his retirement from Winchester College. Brigands won the toss in the rain against opposition captain Ed Hands and decided to bat first but were soon regretting the decision as 2 wickets fell without a run on the board. Turner and Ladenburg Snr both retired with 20 apiece but no other batsman in the top 9 hit double figures. Wood and Northwood hit quick runs to take Brigands to 91-7 in 16 overs before the rain interrupted proceedings. It was decided to allow the visitors time to bat and face 16 overs chasing 92 to win. Some tight Brigands bowling from the start left the visitors on 41-0 after 7.4 overs before the rain came again forcing the players from the field for a second time. The crowd were left disappointed at not seeing another ramp attempt from Nick Hands. It was left to the match referee, Tim Hands to make an executive decision and declare the match a draw before both teams headed to the pub for a beer and a bowl of chips. Well done to everyone involved in getting the game going and being played in a sporting way. Many thanks to Tim and Jane Hands for their hospitality and best wishes from all Brigands in your retirement.

In 2022 the iconic Ash tree on the South Western boundary had to be removed as it was suffering from the contagious Ash dieback disease. A number of other smaller Ash trees were also removed from the copse. To replace this icon, and also in recognition of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign, three young Oak trees have been planted in the corner of the ground and are beginning to thrive. This project was able to be completed owing to the generosity of our long-standing friends at the Rioteers Cricket Club, much assisted by Hillier Nurseries and with a further generous contribution of the Brigands’ President Bryan Burns. These trees should stand in memory of these relationships for many, many years to come while providing a new backdrop for the setting sun in the west.

A year ago we celebrated the 250 year anniversary since the original first-class cricket match took place at Broadhalfpenny Down. Mark Nicholas and his Hampshire All-Star XI overcame Charlotte Edwards' All England XI featuring cricket writers, actors, International cricketers and representatives from MCC, Barmy Army, and England Disability Cricket. Mike Beardall was featured live on Test Match Special, BBC and ITV filmed away, Jack Russell painted away, the ice cream van visited, as did the Unity Cricket bat on its tour of the UK. A day for the ages, at the cradle of cricket. Hampshire CCC match report Broadhalfpenny Down match report Many of the photographs courtesy of Dave Vokes

After the heatwave, came the rain. The Barbarians won the toss and batted first on a pitch that was bouncier than usual, and built up a commanding 100-1 after the first 20 overs. All four pace bowlers beat the bat on numerous occasions, with wickets being shared evenly. The rain came at 4.20 pm and the innings declared; when the rain stopped at 6 pm, the Captains agreed to a chase of 86 off 17 overs and Brigands were called back from their mid-match drink at the Bat and Ball. Gray and Hands were out early but quick singles,10 overthrows, and a dropped catch by The Monument meant the momentum swung Brigand's way and the winning runs scored with 2 overs to spare. The game featured two Foakes-like wicket-keeping performances, one from an 11-year-old and one from a 67-year-old; multi-generational cricket at Broadhalfpenny Down. Brigands 86-3 (revised target) won by 3 wickets against Barbarians 170-6 declared The Sunday Barbarians, the covers going on mid-match, Gray starting the chase

Hosted by Friend of Broadhalfpenny Down, and current Marylebone Cricket Club President, Stephen Fry, the Legends of the Ashes podcast features contributions from a host of legendary names in Ashes history. Across the ten episodes the Global Original Podcast will delve deep into the stories that make the England versus Australia Ashes rivalry what it is, hearing from cricketing royalty in the shape of Lord Botham, Sir Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer and modern-day heroes such as Stuart Broad and Steve Smith. Stephen Fry said: “we hear from many of the stars who have illuminated the Ashes series over the decades - the dramas they have been involved in and the legends they have created. How sweat, blood and tears have been shed, jubilation and despair felt, and lives radically altered in the constant quest for its reclamation.” Simon Hughes, who wrote the script, said: “This is the first definitive audio series dramatising the special matches, moments and characters of the greatest sporting rivalry there is, with new and revealing insights from the players at the heart of these brilliant battles. It is a rivalry that transcends sport and creates true heroes and villains.” The show’s guests discuss moments that will live forever in Ashes history including ‘Botham’s Ashes’, the ‘Ball of the Century’ delivered in 1993 by the late, great Australian legend Shane Warne, and the ‘Bodyline’ series - one of the most volatile contests in sporting history. The megastars of the rivalry, such as Don Bradman, Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff and Shane Warne, come under the microscope as does ‘The Greatest Series’ in 2005 and the ‘Summer of Stokes’ the last series held on English soil, plus many more iconic moments brought to life through archive, music and candid interviews with the greats of the sport. All 10 episodes of Legends of The Ashes will be available on Global Player, and all major podcast platforms, from June 15th. Global Player allows listeners to enjoy all of Global’s award-winning podcasts and expertly curated playlists all together, and all for free on mobile via the Global Player app, online and through your smart speaker. Legends of The Ashes episode list: Episode 1 - The Greatest Series Ever Played (2005) Episode 2 - Megastars Episode 3 - Bodyline (1932/33) Episode 4 - Bodyline II (1974/75) Episode 5 - Botham’s Ashes (1981) Episode 6 - The Ball of the Century (1993) Episode 7 - Australian Bullies (2001) Episode 8 - English Conquerors (2010/11) Episode 9 - The Perfect Pairs Episode 10 - Summer of Stokes (2019)

A warm and sunny evening greeted the players for the 3rd T20 of the summer for the Brigands. Brigands won the toss and chose to bat first. Skipper Northwood sent Mann and Flewitt in to open the batting and the pair quickly put on 36 before Mann fell. Flewitt continued onto retire at 25 and a quick fire 29 from Ladenburg Snr including putting 2 balls in the farmer's field. The second one almost hitting the Brigands looking for the first ball!! Runs slowed as West Meon brought on some quicker bowlers but Jay Snr and Goodman saw Brigands through to 126 after 20 overs. West Meon also started brightly with their opener quickly getting his 25 but after the quick start runs slowed up. Chatty Mann took a stumping and a catch in the same over off Wood and 2 in 2 balls from Goodman looked to turn the tie in Brigands favour. A late flourish from West Meon was halted by a great catch from Blackburn off Beardall and a run out from the boundary by Jay Snr left West Meon needing 13 off the last over with 2 wickets left. Goodman removed the number 11 first ball leaving the retired opener to return but he lost his wicket to a run out from Ladenburg to end the game. A close game which was enjoyed by both sides. Motivational quote of the day goes to Ladenburg Snr who when attempting to console Ladenburg Jnr after his first ball duck said "It was a great ball that even Adam Jay wouldn't have kept out!!".

One of the greatest cricketers of all time, South African Barry Richards was only able to play four Test matches – all against Australia – before South Africa's exclusion from the international scene in 1970. Test Crickets loss was English County Crickets gain as he amassed runs for Hampshire CCC, named Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1969 and was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009. He scored over 28,000 first class runs at an average of 54.74 but, more than statistics, the elegance of his batting and the way he played his cricket would have made hinm an excellent Brigand had he played at Broadhalfpenny Down. We hope to welcome Barry on his next visit to Hampshire and are delighted he has joined other greats, from Sir Garfield Sobers and Mark Nicholas, as a Patron.

You know it wasn't a great match for the Brigands when the first text message to the players afterward asked "who is up for a fielding practice next Tuesday?". The Brigands habit of dropping key batters at crucial times continued; three went down in the first ten overs. Henderson rotated 8 bowlers to try and keep the batters guessing, and only Hands and Wood took a wicket each in a poor display at Broadhalfpenny Down. Earlier in the evening, both Jays scored quick runs and Hands hit two sixes but too much playing and missing meant 125 was a below-par target to set and the Brigands lost easily to a Shedfield side packed with talented cricketers. Brigands 125-6 lost to Shedfield 126-2 by 8 wickets

The historian GM Trevelyan described "the cricket field is the essence of Englishness". At Broadhalfpenny Down, near Hambledon, a weekend visitor should see two teams in white playing cricket and find cream teas and a pub on the boundary; a place where locals come to cheer on Hambledon or Brigands Cricket Club and enjoy a cold pint or two in the sun. Players of all ages, from teenagers revising for their exams to retired naval commanders and businessmen tired of their Zoom calls, gather on the field to engage in a game that is equal parts tradition and excitement. The game may have its frustrations - moving sight screens, bad umpiring decisions, and lost balls - but it's all part of the charm. The great joy of village cricket is that you are never quite sure what is going to happen. The game has also seen a rise in women players in recent years, and blind and visually impaired cricket is played regularly, adding new layers to the story. It's about community, it's about the laughter, it's about the friendship. That is the beauty of village cricket.

A new short format podcast has been made to share the history of, and some of the stories, from Broadhalfpenny Down. Known as the Cradle of Cricket, it was home to the legendary Hambledon Club, the acknowledged authority on the Laws of Cricket, and is one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in England. Mike Beardall commented: "On the back of our successful celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the first-ever First Class match being played on the ground, we hope that a lively discussion-based podcast might help bring the ground to life for a wider audience". This podcast will include stories of how the game of cricket we know today evolved, how laws such as the third stump, the width of the bat, and overarm bowling came to be, the characters who played the game both today and in the eighteenth century, as well as news about the current cricket being played at Broadhalfpenny Down. Gerry Northwood added: "We would like these podcasts to be an enjoyable way for more people to become acquainted with this jewel in the cricketing crown, resonating with cricket lovers the world over." Bat & Ball is available on Global Player, Spotify, TuneIn and will soon be available on most podcast platforms. The first three episodes feature Mike Beardhall & Gerry Northwood with production by David Henderson and Tasnim Begum. Episodes can be accessed here, via Global Player, on the web, on Android or Apple mobile.

Abridged from Jon Hotten's excellent article is Wisden Cricket Monthly, 2016. Jon is a great Friend of Broadhalfpenny Down. They called Alfred Mynn ‘The Lion of Kent’ and he was the king of single wicket. Like other great all-rounders that would follow, he seemed bigger than the game, bigger than life. He was the Botham of the era, the Flintoff of his day, and he was loved just as unconditionally. And if Mynn was Flintoff, then his opponent and friend Nicholas Felix was a different kind of cricketer, like Gower perhaps, a will o’ the wisp left-hander that another of Kent’s ‘famous five’, Fuller Pilch, rated as the most attractive batsman in the land. Felix was a renaissance man. He wrote one of the first works about technique and psychology, Felix On The Bat, invented a bowling machine called the Catapulta and made the first pairs of batting gloves by sticking India rubber to the fingers. His watercolours of cricketers and wildlife were widely admired, and Fuller Pilch was often amused by Felix’s ability to coax a tune out of almost any musical instrument. Mynn had been undefeated at single wicket for more than eight years, since beating James Dearman for £100 and becoming Champion of England. His skills matched perfectly with this odd, small-sided game that began as a way of being able to match two cricketers, or smaller groups of players, against one another in a fair contest. The rules varied, but some general principles held. To register a run, the batsman had to get to the bowler’s end and back again. The areas of the field in which he could score was restricted by a ‘bounds’, usually a line that extended outwards from the popping crease at the batsman’s end. Any hit landing in the bounds – essentially going behind square – could not be scored from. If the combatants were granted fielders, it would be an equal number, often not more than two or three. Mynn versus Felix became the format’s final and defining contest. Mynn held all of the advantages. His size and power made him a fearsome hitter, and he was one of the most devastating fast bowlers in the land. By contrast, Felix bowled underarm dollies. When they duelled at Lord’s, the way that Felix resisted Mynn’s bowling on the notoriously rough wicket enthralled the crowd. Of the 248 deliveries he received in his second innings, he struck 175, many of them into the bounds. When he was at last bowled out, the demand for a rematch was such that it was set immediately, and took place over two days on common ground by the White Hart pub in Bromley. Mynn won once more. The expansion of the railways ended the first bright burst of single wicket* yet I had often wondered what it would be like to play? Broadhalfpenny Down, the tiny gem of a ground set deep in Hampshire next to the Bat and Ball pub once run by Richard Nyren, glows with cricket history. It stages 50 matches per year, mostly for charity, under the friendly stewardship of the Broadhalfpenny Brigands Cricket Club. When the chance to play on the Down came up, the idea of recreating one of the original forms of the game was irresistible. Ten entrants were drawn into two groups of five. A bounds was set at a slight angle from the popping crease, allowing for a genuine square-cut or sweep, but not an edge or glance. One group of five fielded while the other played round-robin matches of one eight-ball over per innings. Dismissal resulted in the deduction of four runs from the batsman’s total. Two semi-finals and then a final, played out in perfect summer weather just as the sun dipped below the ridge and cast long shadows, produced a fitting champion named Peter Frankopan, like Nicholas Felix a renaissance man – hotelier, writer and academic who claims to have once opened the bowling for Croatia. It was a long, hard, fun day’s cricket, the right kind. The only runs were singles or boundaries, and every wicket caused the game to swing violently in favour of the bowler. For an afternoon, single wicket had us in its thrall, just as it would have done two centuries ago. Three great exponents of Single Wicket Cricket; Nicholas Felix, Alfred Mynn & Richard Nyren *Richard Nyren won many a single wicket tournament in the Eighteenth Century at Broadhalfpenny Down. The last great single wicket cricket match was played in1846 at Lord’s, although a demonstration event took place in 1969 also at Lord's where Keith Boyce knocked out Broadhalfpenny Down Patron Garfield Sobers in the first round; Boyce was then rendered unconscious after being hit by a throw in the final but recovered to score a 46-ball 84 to win the tournament.