“Close your eyes – picture the scene
The pub, the church, the village green,
Flanelled figures round the wicket,
This is England, this is cricket.
Even non-cricketers confess
Its quintessential Englishness.
It is, for those in any doubt,
What two world wars were all about;
Peace on earth and God in Heaven –
Tea time, 156 for 7...”
(With thanks to Arthur Salway’s ‘The English Game’)
It is an exciting event, I suggest, for a small village cricket club to celebrate its first 100 years. One would like to know who encouraged the men of Moulsford to found the club In 1910; the year in which, according to Wisden, GA Faulkner of South Africa inspired his team mates to a notable Test victory over England by scoring 545 runs and taking 29 wickets.
We have our own heroes over the years with impressive records: among them, Ted Wells in the 1930s; and, notably, since early in the 1970s, John Bonner, Bryan Parkes, David Slade and Allan Newman. Following the club’s excellent start to this centenary year – and a strong membership - we look forward to others making their mark, with regular contributions to the team’s fortunes.
It would be remiss of me not to thank former players and administrators – and their families – for loyal support over so many years, which has brought us happily to our first unbeaten century.
May I wish everyone involved a productive and enjoyable season. Moulsford Cricket Club remains a quintessentially English village cricket team intent on batting its way through a second century and beyond.
Dair Farrar-Hockley