V&A XI:Tom Bird (skip), J. Arnold, C. Jonkers, A. Jacot, B. Horan, D. Pitlarge, A. Pitlarge, N. Constantine, J. Tetlow, T. Peacock, D. Scott

Raedarii means ‘Coachmen’ in Latin. My dictionary gives this ancient example – ‘Raedarii Itali insani sunt.’ Italian drivers are barking. It was ever thus. Drive along the Amalfi Coast and you will see, at the bottom of the cliff, a dead Fiat Uno or two. But this does not deter other Fiat Unos, who are the new lemming. But while a British lemming forms a queue the Neapolitan variant just eats lunch and dashes for the edge, no method, just madness.

RAEDARII C.C. are not barking, just polite and helpful. They clear up, they wash up, they (sort of) laugh at my ‘joke(s)’ which was very nice of them as it involved an old wine guru called Hugh Johnson, in the mistaken belief these Oxbridge types were all in the wine trade. They weren’t (that’s Bacchus, silly me) but one or two could play cricket and that’s all you need.

We opened the batting (in a 35-over game) with Peacock and Horan who faced a tremendously fast bowler called Ashworth(Cambs. 2nd XI). Peacock is clearly a fine batsman but it was not Mr. Ashworth who did for him (for 1) but a lesser threat, Callaghan, who bowled a nothing ball beating leg stump by a yard but which clipped Peacock’s left foot and then the wicket. His exit and trudge to the pav was the essence of grace. Horan (0) was bowled by a bolt of a yorker from Ashworth; Nick Constantine (7) was similarly bowled – and Joe Tetlow and Jasper faced a crisis, 23 for 3. But Joe saw off Ashworth with three straight boundaries, and Jasper hit two. The ship was steadied. Jasper does not enjoy running, so his 12 singles in an innings of 36 was an oddity.

Eventually David Pitlarge, whose square cut is as beautiful as a Boucher bottom, joined Tetlow – but it is Tetlow who caught the eye. His innings was as good as anything scored at Stonor. He drove, he pulled, he cut. All classical, all from the manual, reminding the archivist of Plum Warner and Compton. His timing, his poise, was balletic. Of course he was dropped, and of course there were times when running with Jasper is an adventure; but with two overs to go he was still 18 short of his ton and we wondered if his first century would elude. Up stepped their bowler Evans; no dummy, he’d just bowled a maiden. But Tetlow unleashed his armoury – and in that one over hit 26 with three 6s! No one, not even Viv, has scored more in an over at Stonor. Our innings ended on 208 (Tetlow 117*), a fantastic score given our early collapse, but the outfield was quick and there was one very short boundary.

Lunch was by Stephanie, the caterer’s caterer. Superb Moroccan chicken. I had given a lift to Nick C. and A. Jacot who discussed Jonkers and how he may appear to be a Woosterish buffoon but was in fact an old lefty, like Chris Mounsey-Thear. Jonkers seemed to object for some reason, so I said that for me he’ll always be a buffoon, which made him feel better.

Raedarii started very slowly, with our two main bowlers, Jonkers and A. Pitlarge, tying down two scratchy openers. [Jonkers went for only 27 off his 7 overs (1 wicket) and A. Pitlarge went for less than 4 an over.] Raedarii were still well behind the run-rate when Jacot effected a deft run-out with 65 on the board. His pecker was up, sort of, despite being harangued by a frustrated keeper (J. Arnold) to bowl on the wicket, or thereabouts, which Jacot was evidently trying hard to do, but it isn’t easy at his (or any) age. He said, in the pub:‘I don’t aim to bowl outside leg stump, but I manage it.’

Enter a Mr. Turner, who had opened the batting for Cambridge in two seasons. He was good, very good. He began to chase down the total. Catches were dropped by nameless culprits (T. Bird, T. Peacock…)

When their opener, Kiratharan, was bowled by Jonkers (59), they needed 42 off 7 overs. The result was in doubt. The trouble was, with Horan injured, our bowling was not the strongest. Change bowlers Peacock, Tetlow and Constantine, were walloped a bit (although Scott was tight). Lachlan would have been useful (for his bowling). He returns this week. [Jacot’s figures – 0 for 54 off 7 – were unflattered by coming on at the end.] Turner, with their No 4, Jeyachandran, played wisely, whacking the loose ball. In the penultimate over they hit the winning run.

They are a charming team. We went to the pub (or as Jonkers would say, ‘we repaired to the inn’) where they bought drinks, a good and wise move. I complained at lunch that they were too young, they should have a decent percentage of decrepits. Rupert Baddock, their leader, claimed to represent the aged but he doesn’t qualify. He doesn’t dribble and wouldn’t recognise a Mark V Spitfire. Adam Jacot is my vote for Oldie of the Year; he looks the part in the field. He reminds me of Typhoon Tyson, whose brilliant bowling won the Ashes series exactly 70 years ago. Same guile, same variation. Tyson was hit by Lindwall and nearly killed. Riled, he bowled typhoons, at 100 mph. Adam has a similar ball, if piqued by barracking. A javelin. The difference in speed is a mere detail