Turville Park is a lovely ground, surrounded by fields and sheep. Usually the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye, but this year there wasn’t any, so 35 overs took a lot less time than in years gone by – Sarah’s BBQ lunch was also not such a protracted affair as our formal Stonor lunches. Those with long memories remember Vib in his pomp whacking balls into the corn from both ends, obliging us to plant ballboys in the undergrowth to search for the wretched things – we must have lost 6. Vib now plays for HMP Parkhurst CC which is a pity. But we have Robbie Lawson.

We tied a game here with the Chancers ten years ago, when I caught their last man off a wide. And we think we won our only game against the Chancers here a year or so later when my daughter Maria batted out the last overs with James Bowles, my father – aged 82 – having stroked a few, reminding older members [Fraser, A] of his pre-war days playing for Winchester and Berkshire. James Bowles now plays for Wagga Wagga CC down under.

Dennis [skip] was late because he was picked up by Adam who went via Droitwich and Tiverton or some such circuitous route. But Dennis soon calmed down. Martin stood in, won the toss and elected to bat. Good decision. Robbie, and Andy’s nephew Stuart Fraser, opened at a brisk pace – 12 off the first over and thereafter at a rate of 6 an over until Stuart was bowled with 70 up (for a fine 20) by one that crept along the ground. He has the batting skills of his Uncle Andy but there the resemblance ends. He does not share Andy’s penchant for Chaucerian banter. And he can bend and throw and bowl.

The Jacobites (a jovial team founded at Edinburgh University 15 years ago) were not helped by Ed Black, their all-rounder captain, busting his car and being late, with two others. We gave them Rob Taylor as a sub fielder who is brilliant, but they were still only 9. To their credit they made no excuses. They missed Ed as an unsettling opening bowler.

After Stuart departed Chris Monsey-Thear came in, walloped a boundary and then snicked a fast ball to the lone slip who snatched at it, juggled it for an age and then clutched it safely. Bummer for Chris who scored 125 for the V&A in his last innings. But when he walked off you could not tell whether he had scored a ton or nowt, the mark of a gent. Freddie Motley came in and pulled some powerful shots before being bowled (for 18) by the speedy Ed when he belatedly came on. Enter Dennis with the score now around 150. He did what Dennis does best – scored brisk runs with big hits, departing for 17 (three 4s) in 3 overs. Adam thwacked a mighty shot to the mid-wicket boundary but unfortunately a man who can catch was stationed there. Uncle Andy hobbled in, requested his usual runner [‘a gentleman does not run’] and played as elegantly and unselfishly as ever, conceding strike to the brilliantly in-form Robbie Lawson.

Robbie has impressed everyone who has seen him bat and bowl, not least for the languor of his driving. But that has been his undoing, he reaches 30 with style and ease and then effortlessly holes out to mid-off. But not this time. He gave no chances, his concentration was faultless. I was watching his innings with old lags like Dennis, Peter and Martin and the consensus was that Vib was classy but less classical, there is nothing agricultural about Robbie, all is timing and footwork, with the occasional wristy glance thrown in. He reached his 50 with 80 on the board and 100 after a mere 26 overs. He then cut loose and, in a stand with Andy of 60, scored a further 44 for a total of 145 not out. Our archivist states that this is the highest V&A score in our 40 year history, and without doubt the finest spectacle. He scored eighteen 4s and three 6s. He had only become available to play on Thursday when we were actually 12, but you do not spurn a player of his ability, even if it means a couple sitting out a few overs. Anyway, it’s our home pitch, we’re the hosts, we make the rules, even if playing 13 is to our advantage, which it sort of was…

We reached 235 after our 35 overs and, although at Stonor this would be safe, at Turville Heath it is not, the boundaries are far closer. But they started inauspiciously, Ed being nearly caught by Rob Taylor at silly mid-off off the third ball. Their other opener is an extremely good bat and looked to have scored a fine 4 off Dennis through square leg when Adam, dreaming of the meaning of life, unaccountably held a brilliant catch. We were surprised; none more so than A. Jacot. Presumably he had no time to think. Two weeks ago he declined a simpler catch because in an overs game ‘wickets are not important’.

Only Ed Black of the Chancers seemed to grasp the urgency of the moment, others came and plodded and went, when buccaneering swashbuckle was needed. Wickets fell to excellent bowling and remarkable fielding – what a difference youth makes, particularly when we carry passengers in their dotage. Three further excellent catches were held – off Rob, Olly and Martin – including a memorable one in the deep, to dismiss Ed, by Freddie which appeared to have flown far beyond him but was plucked unseen from behind his head. Pete bowled a straight one and got a wicket, so too did Adam. Bit it was Chris Monsey-Thear who did the most damage, with 4 wickets- all bowled! – angling the ball from outside off stump. He was simply too fast and too good. Dennis shuffled his many bowlers with customary tact and aplomb.

They were all out with 4 overs to go, 100 or so short of the target. Ed apologised afterwards for their poor performance which was an ironic twist as usually I’ve apologised to him for our deficiencies. But it was hardly a disgrace to lose to an innings by Robbie of incomparable skill and elegance.

Next week we are back at Stonor. Turville makes a nice change. Our thanks go to John Hancock who prepared a beautiful pitch. If kitchen utensils are lacking (according to Sarah Jenkins returning – at last! – from endless holidays), there is a Ladies toilet out back with a working lock, where substances or the tea lady may be enjoyed in private.