The Twickenham CC Vets were back out entertaining the masses on Sunday 13 August. A fine body of men made the trip down to Wisborough Green CC in Sussex to take on a side put together by former TCC starlet, Chris Marshall. The Ts came out on top, although in truth the result was, as is absolutely appropriate, largely immaterial (see here for the card).

The Shield of Loxwood
Over the years many a Twickenham player has been delayed getting to a game thanks to the vagaries of the North Circular or odd things happening on public transport. It’d be interesting to know whether any Twickenham skipper has nonetheless ever heard the phrase “sorry, skip, got a bit delayed by a medieval jousting festival”. That particular fate befell a number of the TCC players as they negotiated their way along Sussex’s winding roads.

On further inspection it was revealed that ‘The Shield of Loxwood’ was up for grabs and that the event was apparently an immersive one (see here for the full lowdown). There’s a danger that there might be a drinking game in there somewhere….

Solid batting effort from the Ts
Once the sides were all present and correct, the Ts promptly won the toss and decided to have a bat. Rumours that this was largely so Eugene Berger could have a much-need lie down to help recover from Saturday’s batting heroics (see here) were hotly denied.

Dan Hough and Andy Donelan opened up. Donelan hit his first scoring shot into the houses on the leg side before then hitting another four into a car parked on the boundary rope. Donelan, it would appear, was in destructive mode.

Be that as it may, Hough, Donelan and Steve Cowley only enjoyed brief flirtations at the crease as the Ts were reduced to 23-3. Leon Kilford did most of the damage, whilst Hugo March also bowled impressively from the flagpole end.

Damon Combrinck (46 off 41) and the ebullient JP Cronje (53 off 46) subsequently went about putting the Twickenham innings back on an even keel. Combrinck wheeled out a number of his trademark cover drives, Cronje cut with gusto and ran smartly between the wickets. It really did feel like 2003 again rather than 2023.

That tempo-lift was maintained through the rest of the innings; keeper-batsman James Jordan hit his first ball elegantly for four and very nearly followed that with a maximum. Someone was definitely channelling their inner Jonny Bairstow there.

Ashley Perry (2-35) eventually did for both Jordan and Holger Kriess, but that simply allowed Dave Russell (39no off 30) and Nihal Tomar (36no off 26) to put on an excellent 61 at the end. That took the Ts to a more than respectable 221 off their 35 overs.

The tea was a joyous affair. When strawberries and ice cream are served in ample portions, and you have a fine array of cakes, sausage roles and indeed sandwiches then you really are winning at life. There was a discussion in one part of the Ts’ dressing room as to whether egg sandwiches would have added an extra dimension (“egg sandwiches in cricket teas are like having kebabs after six pints; just HAS to happen”), although consensus was not forthcoming on the merits of the argument. The David Henderson Tea-o-meter nonetheless came in with a very solid A-.

Cronje tweaks the Ts to victory
Once tea had been digested Wisborough Green set out on their chase. Tarnie Dixon and skipper Chris Marshall took up the challenge of getting things up and running and they started positively enough. Eugene Berger tweaked and tempted both batters into going big, and all four (yes, four!) of his slips knew they could be in the game at any moment.

Ryan Combrinck also seemed in an oddly un-Ryan-like mood. Rather than run in and try to get the ball spearing up and into the batter’s armpit, he opted for a controlled spell of line and length bowling. Most unusual. By the final over of his spell he did, however, decide that just a little bit of chin music was in order; you can take the boy out of South Africa, but you can’t take South Africa out of the boy…..

It was, however, the mercurial off spin of Nihal Tomar that saw the first wicket fall. Tomar bowled at a good pace – estimated at between 10-15mph – and that ultimately did for Dixon. He was bowled for 29.

When one wicketkeeper (Tomar) finished his spell another (Steve Cowley) took up the bowling mantle. And, he got his first wicket since 2018 (in a Cricket Week game against the 1987 League Rep side, seeing as you ask) when Andy Donelan snuffled a chance at first slip. When skipper Chris Marshall (34) played on to Dan Hough and Rupert Warmington then went and played round a straight one the hosts were beginning to creak.

Hugo March (20) and Ollie Warmington (22) did their best to get things moving forward before the wily old off spin of JP Cronje did for the both of them. Ashley Perry then came in and peppered a few of the nearby houses with some genuinely big hits and his rasping 47no saw the day end on an entertaining high.

Perry’s big-hitting didn’t affect the outcome of the game. The Ts were home and hosed by 26 runs for a well-deserved victory.

The Ts formally won, but cricket was the true victor as both sides discussed matters in great depth in the pavilion afterwards. Great stuff, and thanks to all concerned for making the day happen.