V&A XI: Tom Bird (c), Joe Tetlow, Jasper Arnold, Ben Horan, Dominic Scott, Nick Constantine, Adam Jacot, Chris Mounsey-Thear, John Clayman, Adam Knight, Enzo Nicoli

This was a new fixture for the teams. Penn Street CC were put into bat and the V&A took the field. The weather was somewhat sultry, the sky was cloudy whilst the breeze was constant and kind. A lovelier day for cricket in a lovelier spot I could not imagine.

Excellent bowling by Adam Knight and Chris Mounsey-Thear slowed the scoring and between them they took 5 of the six wickets. Nick Constantine, Adam Jacot and Enzo Nicoli bowled well and economically but all were unlucky as dropped catches threatened to be the highest scorer. Not that excellent catches weren’t taken by Nick Constantine and Tom Bird. Jasper Arnold like all good wicketkeepers did his job tidily and organised his slips with authority. Dominic Scott almost stole the show with a wonderful bit of fielding and shy at the stumps.

It should be noted that the combined talents of the V&A attack failed to dislodge the 13-year-old batting at no 4 who scored a very fine 55 before being run out on the last ball. It should also be noted that this was 16 more than his father. A father whose close attention and constant encouragement of his son caused some chuntering amongst the ranks of the V&A. One could not help but be aware of all the decades of analysis drifting in the breeze across the outfield.

A delicious lunch was laid on by Stephanie Bird and a curious speech was made by Nicky Bird. I’m not sure I followed all of it but it seems he is quite taken with Ann Widdecombe, particularly after a bottle or two. But there you go.

The 10 overs after lunch (this was a 40 over match) were painful, but the V&A stoically soldiered on to the end though feeling that perhaps they had given away 20 runs too many with the Penn CC finishing on 190 for 7.

Ben Horan and Dominic Scott opened the batting, the clouds parted, and the sun came out. As did the newspapers. After 9 overs we had scored 9 runs. Penn Street were bowling well and with some venom. A couple of wickets fell (at tea the opposition were heard describing the ball that got Joe Tetlow, saying that only a very good batsmen would even have touched it) and Nick Constantine was up. The newspapers were cast aside, and the party started. A century partnership of savage beauty and calculated aggression ensued. The team relaxed and joked as they enjoyed the scene. When they departed, Ben for 46 and Nick for 66 it seemed only a matter of walking it home. Only it wasn’t. Wickets tumbled and fear stalked the pavilion.

Tom Bird, as captains often do, calmly walked out to join Jasper Arnold and they did walk it home. The V&A finished on 192 for 6 with one and a half overs to spare. A win against a good opposition who, I would suggest, will be looking to even things up next year.