A gloriously sunny day greeted the Road as they returned to their spiritual home of Haydons Road to start the 2025 season against Dulwich Lawnmower CC.

Tan of the match

Ali wasted no time in getting started on the most important task of the season, taking his top off to work on the tan. To be fair, snakes are notoriously cold blooded creatures. Craigie lost his first toss as captain (isn’t that his only job?!) and the Road were put into bat. Sherman and Pinkney stepped out to get the season underway. It was a slow and steady start, seeing off the opening bowlers as the ball nibbled around on an early May wicket. Pinkney started to get going with a few lovely boundaries, finding batting much easier than when horribly hungover at Intraclub the week before. The opening partnership was eventually broken in the 11th over when a miscommunication led to Sherman being run out and gathering his first injury of the season, twisting his knee as he was sent back. This brought Craigie to the crease, who alongside Pinkney guided the Road to a steady 53-1 at drinks (18 overs). 

Post-drinks carnage

Acceleration was needed and Pinkney started the attack. Four boundaries in quick succession provided much needed runs and brought Pinkney his and the Road’s first 50 of the season. Sadly one shot too many meant Pinkney was bowled for a fine 57. Craigie quickly followed trying to follow suit by pushing on and also getting bowled. This meant at 83-3 the Road had an all left-handed partnership in Dougie and Connor. Some would say two left-handers is cheating, others would call it the devil’s work. But what followed made this writer a true believer. Dougie and Connor launched a joint attack on the Lawnmower bowlers who suddenly lacked cutting edge. Connor dispatched his first ball for 4 and didn’t look back, pulling, flicking and shovelling anything sent his way. Dougie at the other end used all his shoulders to launch the ball to all parts around the ground. Dulwich had no response to the Road partnership and Dougie brought up his 50 by combining a lovely 6 with an assault on the local tennis community of Haydons Road. Who knew he hated strawberries and cream so much? More boundaries followed driving Dougie to finish on 67 not out, with Connor 37 not out at the other end. A superb 111 partnership had taken the Road to a competitive 194-3.

Time for teas

Now, dear reader, many a cold winter night is spent dreaming of cricket returning. And most of those dreams centre around the infamous Kings Road tea. So it was truly a beautiful sight to see the first tea of the summer laid out at Haydons Road. Homemade fajitas, wraps with 500 varieties of vegetables in, Italian subs, blondies and millionaires shortbread to name a few. It was truly a spread for the ages.

Into the field

Sadly the Road could not spend all day grazing as there was a game to be won and some bowling to do! And bowl they did…. C. Brown started up the innings with a maiden (not time for the decommissioning yard just yet), and Ali kept it tight up the other end. The start of the 3rd over brought the breakthrough, Brown finding the edge and Craigie taking the catch. 5 overs later Brown had his second, trapping the no. 3 bat LBW. Mandy came into the attack next and in his second over got the other opener, caught & bowled for 20. Dulwich Lawnmower weren’t about to lie down or rolled over, starting a counter of their own. R. Quinault came to the crease attacking from the off, hitting boundaries off both Mandy and W. Brown, accelerating to 18 off 6 balls. Up stepped Matt Small who, in his first over, drew R. Quinault into a false shot, sending the ball high into the air. After a long winter of hibernation, Keats plucked it out of air like a salmon from a stream and the Road had their breakthrough. In the next over, Will Brown got the other set batsman caught by Sherman before clipping the top of off stump with the very next ball. Keats then came into the attack with a wicket in his first over to bowl T. Quinault and leave Dulwich Lawnmower struggling at 84-7 at drinks.

A catch made in heaven

From that point onwards it was spin to win for the Road, with Keats and Small spinning their webs at each end. A rare expensive over from Small went for 20 but there was to be no restarting of the lawnmower. In the next over, Cubitt hit Keats hard into the legside towards C. Brown. Realising he’d have a long trek after the ball if he missed it, Browny leapt and plucked the ball from above his head one handed out of the air to the disbelief of everyone at Haydons Road. His parents and partner, watching from the boundary, now believe he takes those catches every week. We didn’t have the heart to break the illusion in the pub afterwards… Smally wrapped it up in the next over. He had Ward caught by Pinkney and then bowled Gibbons four balls later to finish with fine figures of 3-30 and give the Road a 71-run win to start the season!

Match report by Andrew Craigie

Match summary

Dulwich Lawnmower elected to bowl; Kings Road 194-3 (35 overs)

Dulwich Lawnmower bowled out for 123 (22 overs)

KRCSC Awards vs Dulwich Lawnmower CC

Champagne

• Dougie 50 up with a 6 – 10
• Will beauty wicket – 3
• CB pluck catch – 12

Embarrassing

• Sherman almost killing a man with a football – big winner 
• Ali turning a single into 3 with an overthrow – 6

Teasmaker

Savoury 

• Ali’s Italian Sarnie – 10
• Connors Wraps – 6
• Smally Fajitas – 1

Sweet 

• Craigie Blondie – 11
• CB Millionaire Shortbread – 8

Italian Sarnie vs Blondie

• 12 for the Sarnie 
• 5 for the Blondie 

Mandy of the Match 

• CB opening spell & a catch – 4
• Dougie for 67 no – 10
• Pinks 57 – 1
• Smally 3 for 30 – 0