I wake up on Sunday morning feeling hot. As I slowly open my eyes, I can still hear the champagne corks pop and the laughter echo out across the River Cam from the day before. I get ready tentatively and gingerly leave the house. I get on the nearest Lime bike. What a treat! I left my cricket bag at the DSG on Thursday night after training and can travel to the ground as light as a feather, with the wind in my hair and the sun is shining down on my face.

I start in the crowded city streets of Whitechapel. My route takes me over Tower Bridge, taking in the stunning scenery all around me as tourists take photos, and then on to Bermondsey, winding through some more residential areas. I stop at my favourite coffee shop, where I order toasted cheese croissant, a double espresso and a sparkling water. I sit and enjoy this simple pleasure on my own, taking 10 or 15 minutes to indulge in people watching as I sit outside in the warm.

My route then takes me through the park, so I head off road. Birds are singing, children are playing, joggers are running up and down. Leaving the trees of the park behind, I enter Peckham High Street. The energy is palpable. There are hundreds of people on the streets; buses, cars, bikes and pedestrians overlap and intertwine in harmonious chaos.

My route then takes me through Dulwich and back to the residential streets, trees and greenery. It’s a noticeably more affluent area; larger houses, independent coffee shops, up and down the hills along past Dulwich Village and down Turney Road. This is a glorious cycle, incorporating four or five totally different London experiences in one freewheeling 40 minute joyous ride, for which I am hugely appreciative. I have a big smile on my face as I reflect on the journey and pause for a second to consider the journeys of other Plough and how they get to the ground.

Niraj has been in Nottingham for his birthday, and his journey to the ground this morning consists of multiple train journeys and transfers. Leo and Will had both been away for the weekend and travelled from different cities to the DSG this morning. Suri lives opposite a cricket ground in West London, where some of his friends and family play. He lives close to another cricket club where some of his friends and colleagues play.

Today he has set out on a three hour round trip to play for Ploughmans Cricket Club, for the 150th time. This milestone is a remarkable achievement and is testament to the commitment of the man and his appreciation for the club, despite two others on his doorstep continually, relentlessly trying to tempt him away.

Suri is at the ground before the skipper, as is Steve. Plough have two games at the DSG today and the other skipper is yet to arrive also. Plough have two pitches. Suri and Steve, as the self appointed leadership group for our team, and Bob, the self appointed vice captain of the other team, are arguing about which team plays on which pitch. On arrival I take over negotiations, which do not proceed well and ultimately fail. Neither of us feels strongly about the pitch itself, but we both feel incredibly strongly about the point of principle and the point of being told what to do by others. Multiple solutions are mooted, including arm wrestling and a bowl off. Bob and I decide to flip a 5 pence piece. Bob wins the toss and chooses one of the available pitches. We both relay the outcome to our respective teams, who are waiting on tenterhooks. No one on either team looks remotely bothered by the outcome. An excellent use of 15 minutes and multiple phone calls.

Bush is at the DSG with his daughter. It is fantastic to meet her and it’s fantastic to see him — a welcome surprise. He and I have a brief catch up. Bush flirts with the idea of playing a game at some point. Some of my best memories on the cricket field have been shared with Bush. It gives me pleasure and pride, momentarily thinking back to one or two of them.

Our opposition for the day, Clapham Inn, have 10 players and not all of them are at the ground yet. The Ploughmans wrapped stumps are already in position on the nursery ground as we go out to toss. I take the same 5 pence piece from Bob, confident in my assertion that I can’t lose two tosses with the same coin inside the space of 10 minutes. My confidence is rewarded and I win the toss. With at least eight top four batters in my side, I negotiate a 40 over game with the opposition skipper and confidently opt to bat first. Everyone is delighted. The weather is perfect — warm and cloudy with some sun breaking through. We’ve got a batting order, volunteers for scoring and umpiring. Smiles and chatter fill the air at the DSG. Multiple people comment on the celebrity guest appearance being made by Adeel Riaz, and this offers its own excitement. The mood is jovial as the openers head out to bat.

Partway through the first over, Suri and I notice that about one third of the boundary is missing. The boundary on one side of the ground is considerably shorter than it is on the other side, so we head off to fix it, Suri padded up, bat in hand. We negotiate the correct boundary size with the opposition skipper in between deliveries! We complete the remainder of the boundary just in time for Ben to hit a classy off side shot for four, piercing the infield. That becomes a common theme for the day, and Ben’s calm demeanour, classic technique and beautiful timing treat everyone in attendance to some glorious viewing. Also playing glorious cricket shots at the top of the order today are Steve and Scants. Both players hit a couple of exquisite looking boundaries and get a start but fail to go on. Credit should also go to the Clapham Inn bowling attack, who hit the deck hard, bowl in good areas and make the going difficult for us, picking up some big wickets as they go.

Ben departs, eventually bowled for a very skilful 49. I inform him of this as he steps over the boundary rope and he doesn’t believe me — he thinks his score is 29 or somewhere in the early 30s. Don’t underestimate yourself, mate. With excellent timing and lovely shots all around the ground, plenty of 50s await you at Ploughmans Cricket Club. Niraj, off the back of his birthday celebrations in the East Midlands, is another who adds some valuable runs to the total. Happy to attack and play in the air, he confidently carves the ball around. The dedication to training is paying off and his batting intent is on display for all to see. Two wickets in successive balls bring the magnificent Sandeep to the crease.
The first ball that Sandeep faces is the third ball of what could be a hat trick. As he is walking to the crease, the bowler moves the field closer in; players come in behind the bat and in front of the bat in close catching positions. Everyone is chattering, there is a bit of excitement in the air. The bowler runs in, pitches it up on off stump, and Sandeep proceeds to smash it along the ground through the off side for four. A few close fielders jump out of the way. The Plough on the boundary cheer. A few people laugh.

Niraj eventually falls for a tidy 24, and in scoring those runs he has contributed to the momentum swinging back ever so slightly in our direction. By this time Mighty Hoopla festival is in full swing in Brockwell Park and the pop tunes are blaring from afar. Greg and Sandeep have got the party in full flow at the DSG — the run rate is flying and the cricket ball is flying to all parts of the ground. Sandeep’s innings is measured and calculated and brutal. Well supported by Greg, he smashes boundaries in every direction. Sandeep finishes not out on 66 from 37 deliveries. It’s a sight to behold, a joy to watch. It’s a partnership of 69* and it is oh so naughty!

These two take the total from 142 to 211 and we head off to the tea rooms for a well earned feed! As I reflect on the first innings, I take stock. There was a point at which I would have taken 180 runs, and in that sense 211 is a mighty fine effort thanks to some standout performances. I cannot, however, help but feel that it is going to be difficult to defend a score of 211 on that nursery pitch in these conditions. Plough boast some fine bowlers in the attack and there is always a chance, especially if we start well with the ball.

I have a little reminisce as Plough take the field for the second innings. An estimated 45 times, Bush and I opened the bowling together. Bush would move it in to the right hander and I would move it away. A combination that would trouble top orders across South London and North Surrey for the best part of 10 years.

I bowl the first over. The opening batter plays a classy late cut, and the ball runs very quickly to the boundary down the hill. The speed that the ball moves along the outfield is a sign of things to come. Later in the over, the same batter throws the kitchen sink at a full and straight delivery. Every bit of his might is behind the ball in the form of an enormous agricultural mow back down the ground. It flies over the bowler’s head and onto the roof of the nursery. It didn’t appear to come out of the middle of the bat; it is a small boundary, but it is a massive hit. It takes four or five of the oppo and two or three of us to retrieve the ball, which now has one shiny side and one side which is pretty much destroyed. How very “Bush”, I think to myself, as I walk to my place at mid on. Thirteen runs off the over.

Mohammed is behind the stumps with the gloves and pads on. Suri, in his 150th game for the club, has requested that he get a bowl. He takes the second over, marvelling at the damage caused to the ball by the flat roof of the nursery. He runs in and swings the ball in beautifully to the right hander. The first ball is blocked. The second ball is a big shout for LBW. He and the umpire share a friendly exchange about the ball hitting the pads and the outcome of the decision. The umpire agrees that it was close. The third ball of the innings strikes him on the pad again; everyone goes up. This time he has got his man! The opener is gone, Clapham In are one down and Ploughmans are delighted. How very “Bush”, I think to myself, as everyone celebrates. “First wicket for the club, that’s a jug,” the fielders cry out in delight. Suri, smiling ear to ear, makes 6 or 7 references to Bush.

Clapham In have some players who hit the ball hard and they have come to play with one approach in mind. I get the number three with a swinging, tasty delivery that moves away from the right hander and hits the top of off stump. The number four batter, who they have “never seen bat before”, smashes 51 off 27 deliveries, including some enormous sixes. He is no match for Mo, who bowls a tidy five overs and takes the number four bat with him, much to everyone else’s relief. He just can’t handle the flight and guile that Mo is bowling and he mistimes a number of shots before Mo bowls him with a wicked turner. We now have a game on our hands.

Sandeep’s bowling is masterful. It is the third time this season I have played with him and he has the ball on a string. Every delivery is on the money — spinning, bouncing, darting around, impossible to read and almost impossible to score off. He bowls eight overs of sheer brilliance, taking two with him for a miserly 18 runs. As has been the case for most of this season, it’s eight overs of pure damage limitation and survival for the batting team; they’re not even trying to score any runs off his bowling. After the way he batted, this is a truly dominating performance and there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Sandeep is the player of the match. With bat and with ball, he gave everyone else on the nursery a lesson in how to play cricket.

Sandeep’s spell finishes with the oppo 158 for five. They need about 60 runs and we need four wickets. Greg and Adeel try everything. They are keeping it tight and they are creating chances. Greg gets the opener for 59 and both teams are within touching distance of a famous victory. Greg then takes another with him. Plough get incredibly close but ultimately do not have enough to get over the line. Congratulations to Clapham In, who bowled well, fielded well, batted well and did just enough on the day to win by three wickets.

There were some great performances from us and overall we gave a decent account of ourselves, respecting the game of cricket and thoroughly enjoying the afternoon spent together. As the sounds of the Scissor Sisters travelled across the warm evening skies, from Brockwell Park, we sat and socialised with the other Ploughmans teams who had also played that day. We exchange tales of cricketing nature and partake in light-hearted banter.

Some hours later, Suri had bought two jugs — one for Niraj and my birthday and another for getting his first wicket for the club. He recalls the fateful day that Spence, Steve and I recruited him from GSK, in a game organised by Nasser. He imagines an alternative reality in which he plays cricket next to his house with his family or his colleagues, walking a few hundred metres to the game and back. For now, at least, he is ours — and how lucky we are. Often the first at the bar and always on tour, Suri is currently joint top of keeping dismissals in the history of the club, he bats destructively and apparently, he can bowl as well!

As he rides off into the night on his Royal Enfield, making the long trip back to West London for the 150th time, leather jacket on, those in attendance are left thinking that he is surely one of the coolest cricketers the world has ever seen.