The Broadhalfpenny Brigands Cricket Club AGM took place on 4th October 2026 in the pavilion. The Chairman described how more than 70 teams played at Broadhalfpenny Down across the season, representing hundreds of players of all ages and abilities. He outlined the investment made in the ground, including sight screens, car parking, a boiler replacement and roof repairs. He also reported that a generous donation had enabled the removal of the dangerous artificial pitch, which is part of the plan to restore the ground to a more traditional look and feel. The Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) status is now allowing the club to reclaim Gift Aid, with £2,000 reclaimed in 2026. Neil Wood is stepping down as Treasurer after ten years, and Rupert Preece was elected in his place. The ground team is performing wonderfully and is benefiting from the irrigation system installed two years ago. The pavilion received a 5/5 hygiene rating from Winchester City Council, thanks to the dedication of Tracey Murley. The tea room opened Mondays from 10am to 5:30pm through the summer. The clientele is growing, but it is not yet materially profitable. Weddings and birthday parties are the largest single source of revenue, and two events are already booked for the 2027 season. Subscription and fee increases were approved for 2027. Playing membership will be £80, non-playing, youth and student membership £15, and member match fees £16 (£8 for students and youth, unchanged). Opposition match fees will be £190. A recurring problem is opposition teams arriving without umpires and/or scorers. Two sides have been placed "on the naughty step". Website visitors rose 25% in 2026, driven by match reports and more photography. Four photographers took around 2,500 photos, and match reports were emailed to opposition captains the next day. The club's cricket has also been covered in the Telegraph, The Cricketer, the Portsmouth Evening News and the Meon Valley Times. Thirty-nine years of results have now been consolidated into a single database for the first time. Away fixtures for 2027 are under discussion, including Winchester Legends at Winchester College and the Honourable Artillery Company in London. Nairobi Nomads stepped in at short notice for the midsummer fixture and have been rewarded with a 2027 slot. Graham Peach, Rupert Preece (treasurer) and Paul Whittle were elected to the committee. The existing committee of Gerry, Richie, Dave, Guy, Tracey and Mark was re-elected en bloc. Roles for the new members will be communicated to membership alongside the re-election notice. Richie is seeking permission to explore separating the annual dinner from the AGM, and the committee is supportive in principle. A legacy scheme is to be developed, and one enquiry has already come in through the CASC registration. Mike Beardall will write the Peter Tuke Memorial over the winter. The Broadhalfpenny Down Preservation Trust is winding down, and Mike will resolve the remaining loose ends before Christmas. A fuller update from the AGM will be sent to members. Alex Macadam was awarded the Young Player of the Year trophy from President Clive Barnett The season ended as it had begun, on a warm day in the Hambledon valley

Players, officials and supporters gathered for a wonderful evening of camaraderie and good food at the Bat & Ball after the warmest and one of the most enjoyable summers since the Brigands were founded in 1959. Club President, Clive Barnett, opened proceedings with Grace**; There'll always be Broadhalfpenny Just off Hilden Farm Lane Where there's a pavilion small Beside a field of grain. There'll always be Broadhalfpenny Where scorers sit and wait For umpires to raise the finger That decides the batsman's fate Aye, there'll always be Broadhalfpenny While the Bat and Ball stands proudly And Jake has scored another ton And those watching all cheer loudly Yes, there'll always be Broadhalfpenny And entry shall be free If the Down means as much to you As Broadhalfpenny means to me! Dear Lord, For fine wine, good food and grand company, we give you thanks. Amen. Mike Beardall and Jake Peach ran the bottle raffle, featuring some nice Geoff Hurst inpsired sparkling wine. There was deserved praise for the officials, who make such a difference to running a successful cricket club, reflections on a lovely Summer and a pitch that is suited more to batters than bowlers after the hard work of the ground staff. The Officials The award winners included Jake Peach (bowling and the Bernard Marshall award), Dave Henderson (batting), Jake Peach and Jim Morris (best partnership of 160), Guy Ladenburg (run outs galore), Graham Peach (Champagne Moment; that one-handed catch!). The star award of the night, the Don Rock Trophy for Outstanding Services to the Club, went to Neil Wood after ten years of being Treasurer and doing a million other jobs behind the scenes. A huge thank you to the Bat & Ball team for looking after us, Gerry Northwood for the words, and Richie Hay for organising and branding everything so nicely. ** With apologies to Ross Parker, Hugh Charles & Alan Mossford who wrote the patriotic "There Always Be An England" in 1939

Brigands 1988-2026 Thirty-nine summers, 946 fixtures, 891 of them finished and the rest abandoned due to rain. We have combined the archives of Lovett-Turner, Peach and Henderson with results from 1988 to the end 2026. The record - 316 won, 292 drawn, 279 lost, four tied. - The all-time win rate is 35.5% of matches played. - Best season on the books: 2022. Seventeen wins from twenty-eight. - Worst: 1990. Two wins from twenty-five. - Most defeats in a summer: 1989, fourteen from twenty-three. - Busiest fixture lists: 2003 and 2022, twenty-nine apiece. Brigands do win more nowadays - 24.4% of matches won across the first ten seasons. - 42.6% across the last nine. - Twenty-two of the thirty-nine seasons finished with more wins than defeats. But Brigands are no harder to beat - We lost 30.7% of what we played in 1988–97. - We have lost 30.7% since 2018. - The defeat column has not moved in four decades. - What moved was the draw: 44.1% of matches then, 26.2% now. - Every extra win the club has gained since 1988 came out of a draw, not out of a defeat. - No rule or policy ever changed. Attitudes did; modern side declares earlier - More batters retire; Eighteen of this season's twenty-four fifties were retired or not out. - Both habits shorten an innings and leave time to bowl a side out. Both make a draw less likely. The nineties, for those who were there - 1990: fourteen draws from twenty-five. - 1991: fifteen from twenty-four. - Two summers. Only five wins. Twenty-nine draws. Fifteen defeats. Tedious. 2026 - 10 won, 9 lost, 5 drawn from 24. - Thirteenth of thirty-nine seasons, six points above the long-run average. - Five draws in twenty-four is the sixth-lowest figure in the book. - Not one fixture lost to the weather; the first full season on record to manage it. broadhalfpennydown.com · @cradleofcricket

In the Summer of 1976 it did not rain. The Oval was baked white, and Viv Richards made 829 runs in four Tests. Some summers the weather and one cricketer's form are memorable. 2026 as the hottest summer on record at Broadhalfpenny Down and Jake Peach broke records. He played 15 games, made 579 runs at 96.50 and took 33 wickets at 11.09, conceding 3.93 an over. Peach took the season's only hat-trick and was the first player to achieve Bernard Marshall's double of 300 runs and 30 wickets, set back in 1977. Both of the season's hundreds were his. 108 not out against Australia House, made in 102 minutes with 13 fours and two sixes before he retired to let someone else have a go. 106 not out from 69 balls against the Stragglers of Asia, where he and Jim Morris put on 160 for a fifth-wicket record, watched at close range by Graham Peach, who was fielding at point for the opposition. It was a batting summer. In 2012, Brigands runs scored per wicket lost was 17.7. In 2026. it was 28.4. There were two hundreds and 24 fifties, of which 18 were retired or not out. - Dave Henderson was consistent and made 627 runs at 48.23 from 19 innings - Guy Ladenburg 397 at 33.08, with an 81 against the Butterflies containing 15 fours. - Gerry Northwood 260 at 52.00, five not outs in ten innings either side of his sailing trip - Rupert Preece 239, including a composed 50 in the low chase against the Sussex Martlets. - Adam Jay 181 at 30.17, two fifties and lots of quick singles - Dave Turner batted 18 times for 236, including an obdurate 50 against Whitchurch, and brought the most supporters with him than any other Brigand. It was harder for the bowlers. No Brigand took five in a match. Three took four wickets in an innings; Rafi Abdeen twice, Ladenburg once, Peach once. Three men bowled more than 100 overs; Mike Beardall 112 overs for 27 wickets at 21.33, and 20 appearances, more than anyone. Neil Wood 117 overs for 18 at 32.83, including 3 for 23 against the Refreshers with three bowled. Ladenburg 105 overs for 23 at 19.26 and 4.21 an over, which was the best control in the side from anyone, and 4 for 35 to finish the Saints off with the last ball of the match. Behind them, a supporting cast of bowlers; Abdeen, the mystery spinner, took 16 at 18.13 with a best of 4 for 12. He went at under four an over across 74 overs. Rob Manson, fastest and most reliable, 66 overs for 11 at 28.55 and 4.76 an over, and seven maidens Alex McAdam, the young one, six wickets at 20.00 from five games at 4.86, plus 61 runs and an 80 partnership with Preece against Chertsey. John Brehaut, slow left arm, eight wickets at 31.75 from 43 overs, and the throw from long off that kept the Stragglers to two off the last ball. Lee Gray, one of the best league spinners in Hampshire, five wickets at 39.40 in seven games. Henry Moore, first season, an economy of 4.10, and showed promise. Sam Sargant bowled 13 overs for two wickets at 8.08 an over; reassuringly expensive. In the field the Brigands took 69 catches and dropped about the same again. Henderson and Ladenburg led with 12 apiece, including run-outs. There only one stumping all season. Graham Peach reached 96 career catches, four short of being the first Brigand to 100, and took the best of the season in the last game. Twenty-four matches, ten won, nine lost, five drawn. Nine were close with five overs to go. Seven sides were bowled out batting second. The Brigands scored 4,312 for the loss of 149 wickets; the opposition 4,178 for 185. An average of 187 against 182. The margin over a season was five runs an innings. Close to 8,500 runs were scored on the ground, more than in any season anyone can remember. Mark, Dennis and Cyril the groundskeepers will be pleased with that. Wellington Wanderers beaten by 1 run; the Stragglers finishing level on 234 after 86 overs; the Butterflies chasing 236 with two balls left. Over the season, forty players represented the Brigands, 11 of them ten times or more. The largest crowd came on 6 September which marked 250 years since the third stump. The umpiring included 27 LBWs against 26 in 2025. The newly engaged Steve Blackburn scored 135 runs with one shot, Paul Whittle scored 114 runs with two. Mo Ali played once, made 43 not out and took 2 for 3 off three overs. Paul Bailey played four matches, did not bat in any of them and took four catches. Our guest photographers sent in more than 800 photographs, and match reports included more than 15,000 words. A penny farthing passed the boundary during the Whitchurch game. The Anzac biscuits and koalas were new innovations this season for the Australia House game, as was Nina's Persian love cake on Vice Presidents Day. There will be wetter summers, but there wont be many better ones. Brigands 4312 for 149 drew with the Rest 4178 for 185. Played 24, won 10, lost 9, drawn 5.

The road into Hambledon still feels like it narrows towards something special. A bend, a hedge, the Bat and Ball, then Broadhalfpenny Down opens out like a stage, the cradle of cricket under an open Hampshire sky. That sense of occasion is exactly what powered the charity fixtures staged there between the Broadhalfpenny Brigands and the Lord’s Taverners between 1960 and 1972: 13 matches, watched by crowds who travelled from far and wide, the boundary edge lined with spectators several deep, and a marquee serving a quintessential cricket tea behind the little thatched hut of a changing room. The results didn’t really matter; Brigands won two, the Taverners four, with seven draws. It was the atmosphere and the cast lists that explained why these games became a summer talking point. The Taverners help young people facing the challenges of inequality, and open up opportunities for those who might otherwise be left on the margins. These matches were fundraisers, driven by the belief that sport can change lives. Players ensured there was sparkle. Fifteen Test cricketers represented the Lord’s Taverners at the cradle of cricket, from Ray Lindwall and Doug Insole to Jim Laker and Ken Barrington. Brigands fielded three County players themselves; Gerry Tordoff of Somerset, Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie of Hampshire, and Michael Ainsworth of Worcestershire. They were joined by club stalwarts and celebrities who enjoyed a pre-match lunch at HMS Mercury, then happily pulled on whites. The 1961 match drew a crowd in its thousands, and it ended in the kind of last-wicket tension that charity cricket produces more often than it should. The Taverners’ last pair needed just a boundary to win when the last wicket fell. 611 runs were scored in the afternoon, a record that still stands today more than 60 years later; a newspaper headline called it a "dazzling day". In 1964, Jim Laker, on his way to greatness, bowled down the hill and a year later, Ken Barrington took five for 15 as the Brigands were dismissed for 107, the best bowling figures recorded by a Tavener in the series. In 1968, Brigands rotated 13 players and Taverners 14. Chasing 286 to win, Brian Shattock came to the crease with Brigands struggling on 10 for 4. He cut loose to crash 158 in just 65 minutes with 27 boundaries, including 8 sixes. The match was drawn with the last pair surviving the 41st and final over. There were close finishes in 1970, when Taverners chased down a 220 target in under 30 overs with just one wicket in hand, and in 1971 when Taverners reached their target of 200 in the 35th over with 3 wickets in hand in fading light. The 1972 game was rain-affected. The Brigands' Captain, Bryan Burns, top-scored in the game and recalled using the large roller to "squeeze the damp out of the pitch before the start". The game was abandoned at tea when the rain came; the Taverner's captain, Alf Gover, wondered whether Brigands could have declared earlier, given the weather forecast. Burn's favourite memories are surviving an over from Worcestershire fast bowler Jack Flavell in 1969, "he passed my bat 6 times", and taking the wicket of Stuart Surridge, the great Surrey Captain and Wisden Cricketer of the Year. Famous players included Sir Tim Rice, Robert Powell, and Robin Smith In 1988, the Lord’s Taverners returned to Broadhalfpenny Down to play in a cricket match filmed for the ITV Telethon, with proceeds going to charity. Sir Tim Rice featured, and Miss Marion Begley, a local cricket-loving nurse, won a competition prize to lunch with the teams before play. TV presenter Nicholas Parsons, Capital Breakfast Show host Chris Tarrant, and actor Robert Powell added a dash of showbiz to an already distinctive setting. Newspapers previewed and reported on the charity matches at Broadhalfpenny Down By David Henderson, with scorecards and research from Lord's Taverners Archivist William Powell and Brigands' Bryan Burns, 2026. Photographs used with permission from Lord's Taverners and Alamy.

Trevor Chappell rolled the ball along the ground at the MCG on 1 February 1981 and won the match. It was entirely within the Laws. Maradona punched the ball past Shilton in Mexico City in 1986 and the goal stood, because the referee missed it. Cameron Bancroft went into his pocket for some sandpaper at Newlands in 2018 and tried to improve the swing of the cricket ball. Every so often somebody arrives with an idea outside the spirit of the game. At Broadhalfpenny Down this week, it is 255 years since the most audacious of them all. On 23 September 1771, Chertsey played Hambledon at Laleham Burway for £50 a side, over two days because the money demanded a result. A Chertsey man named White, of Reigate, walked out to bat carrying a blade fully as wide as the wicket. John Nyren later recorded that it effectually defended his wicket from the bowler. No law was broken. Nobody had thought to write one. Hambledon won by a single run; Thomas Brett bowled quickly enough to counter the wide bat. But the Hambledon men had seen enough. Within two days they had settled on four and a quarter inches as the breadth of a bat and the club had an iron frame built to the statute width and anything wider was planed down until it fitted. The limit went into the Laws in 1774 and has not moved since. MCC got round to depth and edge limits only in 2017. The men who decided the width of every bat in the world were based at Broadhalfpenny Down. Guy Ladenburg turns out for the Brigands with one of the ten commemorative bats made for the 250th Anniversary of First Class Cricket, each of them exactly four and a quarter inches across. Entirely legal. Which raises the question that had Small, Brett and Nyren kept quiet, and had the width of a bat remained a matter of personal taste, which Brigand might arrive at the ground with a bat as wide as the wicket? Whittle? Turner? Wood? Answers in the comments.

During Cup Final Grandstand in 1979, the impish Des Lynam set viewers a riddle. What is brought to the FA Cup Final every year, but never used? I thought about that on the way to Broadhalfpenny Down for the last game of the Brigands season, after the hottest summer on record and the first I can remember without a ball lost to rain. In my bag was my valued Brigands sleeveless sweater. I have carried it to every game this year and haven't used it once. As a boy I loved Cup Final Grandstand: the long build-up, the coach leaving the hotel, the cameras in the dressing room, supporters who would get their one day at Wembley and no more. The 1979 final was the best of them. Arsenal were 2-0 up with five minutes left when Gordon McQueen and Sammy McIlroy levelled it for Manchester United inside two minutes, only for Alan Sunderland to win it 3-2 with the last touch of the match. "Alan in Wonderland" ran the headlines. A finish worthy of the Brigands. My grandad Albert adored sport. In that spring of 1979 I would show him my Panini sticker album with a complete Nottingham Forest line-up, and he would tell me about Stanley Matthews. He loved the Cup above all, for its Corinthian spirit and because any team could win it. It was his last final. His body had been ravaged by the years as a prisoner of war, and by the John Player tobacco factory in Nottingham. He would have had time for Jake Peach. An honest cricketer, a team player, the first name you want on the sheet. Peach made another fifty on a slow, damp, sticky-pudding of a wicket; 52 not out from 46 balls before retiring with the score at 181-4. He finishes the season with a Bradmanesque batting average of 96 and 33 wickets, more than anyone else. Earlier, Neil Wood got us going with two square cut boundaries in the first over and put on 58 for the first wicket with Jim Morris, who was flowing with his on drives. Wood skied an off drive to Gerry Northwood, guesting for the Old Wykehamists, and Morris missed a slow straight one from Ed Daniels. I made 34, including a six over deep square leg, and Steve Blackburn hit 19 before being caught by Northwood, who was having a productive afternoon. Dave Turner and Guy Ladenburg finished on 17 apiece, and we declared on 210-4 off 33 overs. Tea included a choice of sausage rolls (herb or chilli), sandwiches, flapjack, Pam's scones, Victoria sponge and more, laid on by Laura Northwood, her American aunt, and Justine Morris. Aaron Saunders was awarded his Brigands cap on his birthday, in only his third game. Northwood, about to open the batting for the opposition, presented it and called Saunders one of the more talented and younger players to get one. Mike Beardall opened the bowling downhill, Rafi Abdeen uphill from the pavilion end. Northwood pushed his second ball to Ladenburg at midwicket and ran out Will Poole-Wilson, Hugh Elliston was bowled by Abdeen, and the Old Woks were 9-2 inside four overs. They were rebuilding when Will Drew edged one through the slips. Graham Peach threw out an arm and the ball lodged in his palm; the best catch of the season, and his 96th for the Brigands. Four more and he will be the first Brigand to 100. Ladenburg had the ball on a string: seven overs, four maidens, 9 runs, two wickets, Northwood lbw among them. Jake Peach added a couple of wickets: one in his first over and one in his last. Ben Donald was the only Old Wok to get to grips with the pace of the pitch, marshalling his way to 39 with six fours before a Neil Wood slower ball hit his middle stump, the second of two wickets to fall at 99 in the space of three balls. By now we were into the last 20 overs of the season. The light was fading and the lamps of the Bat and Ball lit the eastern boundary. Two wickets to get, but only one arrived quickly. Chris Nicholls came in with a pristine Kookaburra bat and hit a simple catch to cover. Tom Thompson and Charlie Hurd dug in for seven overs of careful leaves, nervous prods and forward defence. Then a low Abdeen full toss surprised Thompson and he looped it to Ladenburg at midwicket to end the match and the season. Runs, wickets and catches were shared around; six bowlers took a wicket each or better and nobody went home empty-handed. Ray Holyer and Peter Danks scored, Bryan Burns and Keith Martin umpired. There was time for a last round of drinks and chips at the Bat and Ball, and an end-of-season snap of players, umpires and supporters. Everyone had turned up, and everyone had been used. Unlike the runners-up ribbons, which are brought to every FA Cup Final and never are. Albert would have approved. Brigands 210-4 declared beat Old Wykehamists 121 by 89 runs. Brigands finish the season with 10 wins, 9 losses, and 5 draws. 9 of the 24 matches were "close finishes" that could have been won by either side with 5 overs to go. Albert (left) was stationed in Egypt during World War II. Then after the war, with bat in hand, in Scarborough. Alan Sunderland scores the winner for Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup Final. Used with permission from PA Images. Brigands XI for the last game of the season Brigands at the bar Last orders at The Bat & Ball Photo credits Dave Henderson, Lee Gray, Adam Jay, PA Images.

England have just beaten Pakistan 3-0, a Test series settled with the efficiency of an operation that travels with more support staff than players: analysts, a spin coach, a nutritionist, somebody employed to deliver throwdowns. The modern professional just has to turn up and play. At Broadhalfpenny Down this week, it was different; most of the players had other jobs to do. The occasion was the 250th anniversary of the third stump. In 1775 Chertsey's Edward "Lumpy" Stevens beat John Small three times through the two stumps then in use without disturbing the bail. Not out, said the law. Small batted on and won the match. The men who ran the game met across the road at the Bat and Ball Inn and put a stump in the middle and it's been there ever since. Chertsey came back for the rematch by coach, into a crowd of more than a hundred, past a car park being marshalled, a cake stall, a merchandise stall and a bottle raffle being run by players. A commemorative middle stump had been designed and made for each end by a player too. Brigands batted first. Gerry Northwood, who holds the highest individual score on this ground, made a brisk 19 before James Barnes, six foot seven and in a late-season purple patch, found the gate and hit the leg stump. Alex Macadam and Rupert Preece then put on 80, scoring all round the ground and especially through the covers. Preece, who opens and keeps in the manner of Alec Stewart, was bowled round his legs by Oscar Toogood, the "wizard", and the afternoon turned inside out. Next over Macadam skied to mid-off and then Guy Ladenburg was bowled by an unplayable ball that pitched outside leg and hit off. Ladenburg bowled by an unplayable leg spin delivery from Toogood Brigands man of the season Jake Peach was caught and bowled for a duck and Lee Gray, whose cover drive is as elegant as Ian Bell's, was given LBW to a flipper that went straight on. Rob Manson and Neil Wood provided support for Dave Henderson as Brigands added 80 in the last 7 overs before an apt declaration came at 223-8 (one for the numerologists); Dave Henderson 74 not out, Toogood 6-49. Tea was a highlight of the day: sausage rolls, sandwiches, sponge, Malteser cake, Oreo cake, beer, and the raffle drawn in front of the pavilion. The Chertsey president spoke. Northwood said a few words; bats and caps were exchanged. Macadam was awarded his Brigands cap. Chertsey began at 30 without loss in five overs, Hugh Aish-Lyons and Sanj Sachdeva helping themselves to anything short or wide. Sachdeva then shouldered arms to a ball that pitched middle and would have hit middle. Eric Osner won something on the raffle at tea but lost his middle stump to Rob Manson half an hour later. Toogood, having earned the right to enjoy himself with the bat after his bowling performance, chased a wide one from Mike Beardall, edged behind, and Preece took a stunning catch, one-handed. Jack Lloyd, a Chertsey player since he was a Colt and their fixture secretary besides, was bowled by Gray. James Harrison was lbw to Beardall. Amongst the eight bowlers used, Macadam was the most impressive with two wickets in his first two overs. That left 135-7, eleven overs left, 88 wanted, and Aish-Lyons still there. He made 111 of Chertsey's 188, the largest share of a visiting side's runs here this year. But when it was time to accelerate, Manson decided to use the commemorative middle stump as a target practice and Aish-Lyons hit eight consecutive deliveries from Manson straight to the Brigands captain at midwicket. All eight were dots. Five overs left, 50 runs wanted. The boundary had been brought in to make room for the extra spectators, and Dave Turner was brought on to bowl "floaters"; but even this couldn't tempt the batters. Curiously, there were only two sixes in the entire match. Beardall picked up one more wicket, LBW, his 26th wicket of the season, but Chertsey held firm to play out the last over for a draw. Thanks to Nick Harris and Banjo, who umpired superbly, and to Peter Danks and Matt Barnes who scored the book, one of whom had to fit Mukund Vichantangal Pritivatibayangram into a name column. Katie Butler, who played her first game of cricket on this ground, was back on it. And to everyone who parked cars, sold raffle tickets and baked. By early evening the covers were on, sightscreens tied down, tables were folded, the raffle table cleared and the barbecue going strong. The middle stumps that took 250 years to arrive were locked away within the hour. Cricket keeps its laws in a book overseen by the Committee at Lord's, but everything else is locked in the pavilion or in the grounds hut, and looked after by volunteers who love cricket. Brigands 223-8 declared drew with Chertsey 188-8 Brigands v Chertsey with the Hambledon Valley in the background Handshakes and smiles all round at the end of the match Brigands v Chertsey 2026 Danks and Barnes running the book Chertsey, founded 1737, middle stump added 1776 Content credits Dave Henderson & Claire Wright, Communications Manager, Chertsey CC. Photo credits Simon Arnold

Broadhalfpenny Down, 4.30pm on 3rd September 2026 Hear ye, Hear ye, calling all Brigands, Hambledon Cricketers and villagers, especially our ladies and our youngsters. If you would like to learn how cricket was played on Broadhalfpenny Down in the 18th Century, please join us for an early evening of fun on Thursday, 11th June, as we replicate cricket played to the original laws of 1772, with two stumps and underarm pitch bowling. If you would like to join in, please contact Mike Beardall at bearders42@gmail.com or by WhatsApp at 07853216806. Players, Umpires and Notchers; the more the merrier from 16.30 - 20.00, with a small charge to cover refreshments, all are most welcome. There will be a prize for the best-dressed 18th-century cricketer!

The visitors lived up to their name, sauntering onto Broadhalfpenny Down seemingly carefree that they had arrived without an umpire, scorer (nor even a conventional scorebook!) or a full team – the 11th man arriving half an hour adrift. So the hosts,accommodating as ever, supplied the missing officials and let the Optimists bat first, hoping they would at least rally to make a good game of an unpromising start. A limited overs match was agreed and the visitor’s opener D Fox set off rapidly, smiting a six and 3 fours from the first few overs until he was bowled by Richie Hay for 20, the first of the seamer’s brace of castled wickets. John Brehaut weighed in by trapping lbw the useful looking Mr I’Anson. Jake Peach then ran out the scoreless other opener and when skipper Phil Marsh unwisely took on Lee Gray’s arm and was run out the score was 45 for 5. The Optimists looked anything but optimistic yet rallied thanks to a decent middle order partnership between J Thorne (35) and F Marsh (11). The stand ended spectacularly when Peach bowled Thorne with the first ball of his over then proceeded to complete a hat-trick that broke the back of the innings: 79 for 8. The feat also brought up the off-spinner’s 30th wicket, thereby equalling Bernard Marshall’s 1977 clubrecord of 30+ wickets and 300+ runs in a season. Steve Blackburn polished off the tail via the safe hands of Lee Gray and Dave Streather. And so, the Optimists were all out in 21 overs for a rather pessimistic looking 96. Given the early start, rapid collapse and fact that the tea urn was still heating up, Brigands batted straight away and flew to their target score inside 16 overs thanks to a strong opening partnership of 88 between Adam Jay (52 not out in 67 balls, with nine fours) and Dave Streather (31 in 41 balls with a six and 4 fours). Skipper Mike Beardall was undefeated on 1 when Adam hit the winning boundary and everyone retired to the marquee for a leisurely feast of the sumptuous fare that Rosie and Mark Flewitt had lovingly prepared. It was fit for a king! The sun was still high above the beer garden of the Bat & Ball Inn as the rather chastened Optimists trudged back to their cars vowing to come more prepared next time. Optimism can sometimes be a cruel mistress … Match Report by Graham Peach

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the forebears of the Brigands were arguing about whether to introduce a third stump, while the forebears of the Butterflies were fighting over America. In August 1776, the Hambledon Club were debating matters across the road at the Bat and Ball; the two-stump wicket had been letting bowlers down for years, and a third stump was agreed on the grounds that it would shorten the game. At the same time, politicians who had progressed from one of the six Great Schools, that the Butterflies now represent, were dealing with a Declaration of Independence signed in Philadelphia. Lord North, the Prime Minister and King George III's "safe pair of hands", was Eton, and would end up as the man who lost America. Lord George Germain, who wrote the orders that crossed the Atlantic, was Westminster. Burgoyne was Westminster, Cornwallis was Eton. Two of the signatories were old boys as well: Thomas Lynch Jr of Eton, and Arthur Middleton of Harrow. The six Great Schools have produced 37 of Britain's 58 prime ministers. They also produced the man who beat Napoleon, the man who beat Hitler, and Will Miller, who hit a six to win a cricket match at the cradle of the game 250 Augusts later. For the second match running the Brigands fielded four members of the same family. This time it was the Kalras: Paul, with Harry, Sam and young Jake. Harry and Sam opened and went at it from the first over, 42 off 5 and 86-1 off 10, which is not how the Butterflies expected their Sunday to start. Gerry Northwood hit a brace of boundaries and then hit the ball in the air to a fielder. Neil Wood made 18. Guy Ladenburg made 81, with 15 fours and 2 sixes. The Butterflies used eight bowlers, and Oscar Chalk was much the best of them, 2 for 7 off his 3 overs. Brigands declared, independently, on 235-8 off 35 overs. The day was managed by the affable Richie Hay, scored by Caroline Beardall and Peter Danks, and umpired by the debonair Paul Whittle. His visiting counterpart, unbriefed on the village code, was stricter on wides than usual; there were 31 in the match. Lyndon juggles at point, then Perry slides over one at deep mid-wicket The chase began just as briskly, 27-1 off 5, 60-2 off 10, 113-3 off 15. Neil Wood bowled the best spell of the day and got one wicket for it, the dangerous Lily Lyndon. Tom Perry was brilliantly caught by Paul Bailey and walked; the spirit of cricket alive and well. Rupert Preece, an Old Harrovian and a Brigand guesting for the Butterflies, scored a classy 37. Ladenburg picked up important wickets; one skied to long off and held by Lee Gray, another one a late cut hit hard at gully and held by Mike Beardall. On the boundary, some of the crowd, including Pete Tomkins, Harry and Nina Bates, spent a while trying to remember another Beardall catch at gully, and concluded there had not been one, ever. Beardall bowled with flight and solid figures of 1-43. Gray bowled seam and then spin for 1-69, unable to replicate his Saturday League form on a Sunday. Drinks came with 20 overs left, 129 to win and 5 wickets standing. Will Miller came in at 7, Chalk at 8 and Pusinelli at 9. Partnerships of 27 for the seventh wicket and 64 for the eighth kept the Butterflies in it. Twice the ball went up towards the Monument and twice Dave Henderson caught it. The first he slid and juggled to see off Chalk. The second he took above his head, an inch in front of the rope, to see off Pusinelli. Twenty runs needed off two overs, and there was still work to do. Miller hit one in the air to deep square leg in the penultimate over, a sharp chance went down, and four runs came instead of a wicket. The barest of margins. Nine off the last over. A single, a dot ball, a two, a single; so five to win off two balls. Miller swung, the ball went towards the Monument, and it kept going, up and over the boundary for a six, and the Butterflies had won. Over 470 runs in just 74 overs. Another day of sunshine, runs and a close finish in this lovely summer. Village cricket was England's gain, and America's loss. Brigands 235-8 lost to Butterflies 237-8 by 2 wickets with two balls to spare Wides 31, run-outs 3, Beardall catches at gully 1 Butterflies celebrate as Miller hits the winning runs with a ball to spare The talented Kalra family at the cradle of cricket

The Nursery of English Cricket On this day in 1970, the South Yorkshire Times published the Summer Holiday notes of one of its cricket-loving journalists, Alan Banks. He covers the ground's history, the characters that performed here, and, like many visitors, bowls an imaginary ball in his mind's eye. Alan Banks, published 22 August 1970

On only their second visit to Broadhalfpenny Down, their first being New Year's Day 1929, The Invalids brought down a spritely and well-tailored XI. Having inserted Brigands into bat, Ladenburg and Whittle succumbed to accurate bowling on a day that was difficult to score runs. A steady flow of wickets was slowed by Charlie Peach (26) and a few aggressive drives from Dave Turner, and a lovely last wicket stand of 20 from Neil Wood and Dave Hemsley. Tea featured sandwiches, posh crisp, amazing sponges, rocky road and almond biscuits. With only 141 runs to defend special measures were needed; bowling tactics were to lull the opposition into thinking they would get home easily and then surprise them with rippers. First over; a full toss was despatched for four, then the surprise long hop was despatched straight into the hands of the fielder behind square leg. Genius. Ed Hands bowled with menace up the hill (but with the wind) and catches were taken including Inglis and Northwood holding on at cover and extra cover respectively. The tactics continued; Ladenburg started with a lulling full toss and then got two in two balls cheered on by the locals. Hemsley was no-balled for a beamer and then again for a double-bouncing ball, followed by two snorters including the last wicket which saw off stump out cartwheeling out the ground. The Invalids had inexplicably collapsed to 59 all out leaving more time for photographs, drinks at The Bat and Ball, and a record evening of sales for the Broadhalfpenny Down merchandise shop. Brigands 141 all out beat Invalids 59 all out by 82 runs

Brigands skipper Gerry Northwood won the toss for the second time in two games and this time elected to bat first. Suffice to say, this played better with those Brigands who are sensitive to the afternoon heat, than Sunday's decision to field first. Mark Flewitt and Dave Turner opened the Brigands account with a pair of 50s and retired to make way for the rest of the Brigands youthful yet strong batting line up. Batters 3 to 7 all played their part with the standout performance coming from Zeb Jay who totally over matched the Nomads bowlers and batted with supreme confidence to quickly ratchet up 46* at the declaration. At tea, Brigands 220 for 6. The Nomads chase stuttered on the third ball with the fall of a wicket - an audacious reverse sweep that misfired as an LBW. Thereafter, the Nomads batting settled down and there was no mistaking that their run chase was fully underway. Within the space of 8 overs they were nudging 100 before Mike Bath (5-33), Hari Walton and Jemima Bowman (2-7) steadied the ship with accurate and demanding bowling, and cut their way through the Nomads batting line up. Brigands 220-6 beat Nairobi Nomads 139 all out by 81 runs. Picture shows Jemima Bowman striking her first ball on Broadhalfpenny Down to the boundary.

Brigands started well with a 60 run opening partnership between Wood, Bailey and Byes that kept the scoreboard moving at 5 an over. With a batsmen-heavy Brigands line up, strike rate was the order of the day and on a straw coloured turning pitch defence was more dangerous than attack. Henderson hit 5 sixes, narrowly missing the Honorary Secretary's mother-in-law and just evading the windows of the Bat and Ball. When he was stumped it was left to Turner, who played shots all around the ground, and the more classical Charlie Peach to keep up the momentum. A brief cameo from Bates took the Brigands to 200-3 off 35 overs to allow an early declaration and tea. The Portsmouth chase started briskLy and it took line-and-length from Hays and a smart caught and bowled from Hands to keep the score to 60-2 after the first hour. The floaty-spin-triple-threat of Northwood/Jay/Turner were assigned the Pavilion end and Northwood in particular found good turn and bounce. Portsmouth remained patient and 90 off the last 20 overs with 5 wickets in hand seemed doable. Hands and Ladenburg switched ends and more wickets fell, Jay took a stunning one hand catch at silly mid off and now it was 30 off 6 overs and just 3 wickets left; more dots, more pressure and 16 needed off the last 2 overs. Under pressure, under the sultry evening sun, and under the impression he is an opening batsman, Wood was hit by Hampshire's Simon Jones for a couple of sixes and a four in the 47th and penultimate over sealing a 3 wicket win for Portsmouth. Brigands 200-3 declared lost to Portsmouth by 201-7 by 3 wickets

Turner, Bath and Wood hold their nerve in last over nail biter. Against the stunning backdrop of Blenheim Palace, Brigands played their first-ever fixture on the South Lawn and proceeded to provide an amusing diversion for the thousands of visitors exploring the palace and grounds throughout the afternoon. Brigands were in the field for a forty over a side game; Ladenburg and Wood opened the bowling but were unable to achieve a breakthrough despite going close on a number of occasions. After a relatively shaky start, the Blenheim Park openers grew in confidence and the scoreboard began to tick along until Hemsley, coming on as first change, bagged the first wicket. However, it wasn’t until skipper Dave Henderson turned to Bath and Padget that the scoring rate was significantly slowed. Between them, the pair took five middle-order wickets with Bath’s three wickets (a treble wicket maiden) in seven overs particularly impressive. Harry Bates was outstanding in the field and Adam Jay bowled his first maiden for the Brigands. Some lusty blows by the Park’s tail saw them reach 141 - an eminently defendable total given the tricky nature of the wicket. So, it proved with the Brigands losing three cheap wickets before tea was taken after ten overs of their innings. A fourth wicket was lost soon after the resumption with the score barely 40. However, on a wicket that was two-paced, Dave Turner curbed his natural attacking instincts to make an excellent 59 and hold the innings together as batting partners came and went. It wasn’t until he was joined by Mike Bath that the pair finally got on top of some tight bowling. Unfortunately, Turner fell just before the opposition’s score was overhauled and it was left to the cool head of Wood to strike the winning runs with three balls, and three wickets, to spare.

England's footballers reached the finals of the Euros so a short-format game took place against the Saints on a spongey Broadhalfpenny Down wicket. Saints, who always bring a strong team down from London, bowled straight and caught well and Brigands struggled to get any momentum reaching just 122 of their 150 balls. Brigands sinned with 4 dropped catches and England missed three penalties as Saints, and Italy, were victorious on the day. Saints 150-5 off 25 overs beat Brigands 122-7 off 25 overs

Brigands saved by the weather.....maybe. Somehow following a night of heavy rain and a forecast of more rain, the annual Brigands V Oundle Ramblers game got off the blocks and very nearly ran the course. In previous years the Oundle team has consisted of upper sixth students enjoying their last hurrah at the school on a cricket tour that includes a visit to Broadhalfpenny Down. On this occasion, courtesy of Covid, the school was unable to stage the tour and in place of the Upper Sixth, Oundle stalwart and manager Philip Pedley gathered together a talented team of old Oundles and Exeter University students. The Ramblers won the toss and elected to bat against a slightly depleted Brigands side of 10 players. Some increasingly effective bowling by debutante Brigand Sam Sargant (2 for 39) and Neil Wood (2 for 54) at first seemed to keep the Ramblers in check. Though this was not for long, as robust and hard hitting batting inexorably increased the run rate and they were on their way to a declaration at 4pm with 216 for 5 posted on the scoreboard. In reply the Brigands innings, anchored by opener Adam Jay (37) and supported by some clean hitting from Milo Fletcher (36no), took the Brigands to 103 for 3 at the start of the final 20 overs. Yet, by this stage the incessant drizzle was proper rain and the teams had no choice but to agree that it was time to call it a day. Oundle 216-5 drew with Brigands 103-3

For the third time this season, the weather has got the better of cricket, and the match against Merchant Taylors has been called off. Here's hoping for better luck next Sunday at Broadhalfpenny Down.

This game was eloquent testimony to the glorious unpredictability of cricket and a lesson in the importance of keeping going even when defeat seems inevitable. For the second week running, a stunning piece of fielding effectively swung the match, Brigands eventually emerged as winners from a contest in which they had been second-best for much of the time. On a hot, sunny afternoon, the Down looked at its best but this ensured that whoever lost the toss would be condemned to fielding in the roasting sun. So it proved: Dave Henderson called correctly and opted to bat. Droxford rose to the challenge of the heat by bowling and fielding extremely well throughout a long afternoon. As a result, Brigands made relatively slow progress for much of their innings, Jay anchoring the first part of which with a well-made and patient 39. He was well supported by Dave and Dougie Henderson and Whittle. However, it was left to some judicious hitting by the late order, notable young Jonas Waktare with 32, to enable the Brigands to declare at tea. At 118-1, Droxford were cruising to victory, this in spite of an excellent opening spell by Ladenburg and Hemsley, who took his first wicket for the club thanks to a sharp slip catch by Beardall. Henderson rotated his bowlers well, the Droxford second wicket partnership moved serenely past 100 and, with plenty of overs to spare, looked set to achieve a comfortable victory. For their part, the Brigands’ bowlers and fielders stuck at their task and standards were maintained in spite of the heat. When Henderson turned to Wood and his son, Dougie, the run rate started to falter and it was then that Waktare, fielding in the deep picked up and threw down the wicket with a direct hit, running out the Droxford Number 3 by half-a-yard. His partner fell LBW to Wood soon after and Brigands sensed that the tide had turned. So it proved and the return of Ladenburg proved too much for the Droxford tail which succumbed, leaving Brigands with a victory snatched from the jaws of defeat! Brigands 167 all out beat Droxford 144 all out by 23 runs