Nicko has been pinged a mystifying Enigma Code of numbers to open the place up with. We can’t help with that so Stephen Britto and I busy ourselves with putting the boundary rope out. Other Plough drift in and proffer their opinions on how big the boundary should be. Does it matter where the rope lies? This game is sure to be abandoned. The sky is slate grey, and every weather app says we should just get that bar open now and avoid the rush.

Simon Carson is pacing, he is twelfth man, but Ashish Paul has been forced out of this game at the last minute with Man-Flu. I can’t tell if Simon is anxious about the possibility of having to pull on his whites, or the possibility of no play at all. “The weather gods don’t look kindly on this fixture” is all I can get out of him. I lend a hand pushing the covers off the wicket, convinced it’s the most Sisyphean job in Dulwich today.

But before you know it, we are off and running. Streatham and Marlborough take the field. Giordy Diangienda opens the bowling for them and in true sporting spirit is wearing the colours of both teams. Like us, S&M have had their own problems putting out a starting XI of vets, but it appears they’ve mustered a good, balanced side of youth and experience. Cosgrove and Hynes open for Ploughmans CC. Conditions are tricky, it’s blowy with skittery showers and the bowling is tight. Paul Hynes is the first wicket to fall for 2 in the 4th over. Leon Parks looked solid and reliable as ever until given out LBW for 13.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Nicko Dowell comes to the crease and strikes four from the first ball he faced. S&M immediately spread the field. His physique alone makes the opposition think he’s going to smash it to all corners. That may be so, but it belies his technique. If you have the good fortune to be umpiring, you appreciate at close quarters what exquisite timing Dowell has. The sound off the bat is simultaneously sumptuous and terrifying, and boy, that ball stays hit.

A partnership with Grant Wolledge begins to blossom. An elegant, and scholarly bat. If ever someone was to ask me for an image of ‘English Summer’ I think it would be Grant Wolledge gliding between the stumps, faded wide brimmed hat pulled down over his curls, looking over his shoulder at the path of the ball, bat held perpendicular in his right hand.

I’m torn from my daydreams by Giordy bowling Grant for 39, a very good ball, and Nicko magnanimously retiring on the stroke of 100. What a knock, what a captain’s innings.

There is a moment of controversy which threatens to sour the day. Britto (batting with no socks incidentally) attempts to play a ball to square leg and misses. The ball hits him on the leg and drops to the ground, it’s definitely not lbw, but there are appeals from behind the stumps. They say the ball has rolled to the stumps and dislodged a bail. The umpire’s view of the stumps is blocked by the batter; the square leg umpire didn’t see the bail drop either. The umpires don’t feel they can give it out if they didn’t see it happen, and we’ve had the bails being blown off by the wind already today. After a heated debate it goes in the scorebook as a dot ball.

Nick Ridgway hits one to the boundary rope and the next to a waiting fielder. Liam Gray scores 8 before being bowled. Simon Wilkonson makes 3 before being bowled on the last ball of the innings. Stephen Britto ends the day on 67 not out. Streatham & Marlborough have a daunting target of 290 to win.

Tea is taken hurriedly. We’ve had some brief but beautiful sunny spells, but we know the rain is coming. I take the ball to open the bowling with L Gray, and wonder how many overs can we squeeze in before we are forced off?

It’s breezy and gloomy and definitely not barbecue weather, but when the opening bat pushes the third ball along the ground to Nicko at mid-off, and immediately starts running, imploring the stock-still non-striker to do likewise, you can smell the charcoal. The ball is gathered by Nicko and lobbed to Grant who has time to finish the crossword and check the weather forecast before breaking the wicket. Two more dots and a mischievous Britto says ‘imagine if it was two down for no runs’ last ball of the over beats the bat and takes the bails off. They’re two down for no runs. Grayzer’s opening over is a maiden of course. It feels significant. Like a damaged but still operational battleship, it still poses a danger, but you know it’s already starting to sink.

Yorkshire comes on to bowl. It’s a privilege to share the field with Simon Wilkinson, and his double-digit cap number. His fielding is excellent and his bowling, he is unlucky not to get amongst the wickets too. He sets the trap for the batter, but the ball is just beyond Grayzer’s reach.
Nick Ridgway bowls beautifully and economically from his very first ball, he’ll bowl five lovely overs including a maiden to end with 1-18. At drinks the opposition is 3 for 87.

Paul Hynes (Heinz in the scorebook; ‘It was good to ketchup with him’ as CRS said) has to work two years of rust out of his action before claiming a wicket, caught Leon Parks. He’s a picture of determination.

And now wickets start to tumble regularly, Nicko and Britto pick up two apiece. Grant taking a catch off Stephen to complete a superb day with the gloves. Final honours go to Liam Gray mopping up the tail. Giordy Diangienda, who had fielded all innings for the Plough with the same energy and commitment as he had for Streatham & Marlborough, was their last man out, caught Ridgway bowled Gray.

Ploughmans win by 142 runs. I’m amazed that we have managed 71.4 uninterrupted overs of cricket. But the occasion was the most important thing. The support was superb, and a special thank you to all the wives and partners, children, friends and family and current players that braved the conditions.

It was a day for enjoying the company of friends and teammates, some had not played cricket for Ploughmans in a long time, others wished they could play more regularly, but can’t, and we remember those who we wish were still playing but have sadly passed.

Stephen Britto summed it up best the next day when he said what a lovely moment it was watching the ball go round the ring, from Grant to Leon to Paulie to Noodle. Moments like that are worth savouring.

Match report from Damon Greeney