Posted by Send your match reports to king@kingcricket.co.uk. We’re only really interested in your own experience, so if it’s a professional match, on no account mention the cricket itself. (But if it’s an amateur match, feel free to go into excruciating detail.)
Inveterate King Cricket match reporter, Ged Ladd, writes…
I spent several days wallowing in a veritable cornucopia of elite sport at its most elite. King Cricket has asked me to keep the match report brief. I’ll try.
Day 1 – Lord’s on me tod
At the start of the day, everyone thought they knew how the match would turn out. I arrived at Lord’s early for a game of real tennis doubles. My partner and I came second. Jeffy (of the King Cricket comments section parish) watched us briefly.
After tennis, I watched [cricket] from the pavilion, before and after lunch. Then I switched to the Tavern Stand, where I ran into Mr Johnny Friendly, of all people, so I watched and chatted with him for a while. Then I switched to the Warner Stand.
The gentleman sitting behind me in the Warner admired my tie.
“I’m envious of it,” he said.
It had been a gift from niece and nephew-in-law Lavender and Escamilo-Escapilo. I messaged the gentleman’s words to the couple, who accepted the praise with glee.
The atmosphere at Lord’s that day was more like one of those domestic one-day finals, back when Lord’s held such things, than a Lord’s Test match day.
Day 2 – With Awesome Simo and Jonny-Two-Phones
Last time the Saffers came to Lord’s, I saw Jeffy on Day One and Awesome Simo on Day Two. This Test followed the same format. Simo and I were in the Warner Stand this time. The third man was Jonny-Two-Phones.
Daisy fretted that I might have forgotten my hat, based on a hat-forgetting incident 10 days earlier. I had selected my New Zealand Black Cap for this match, just to confuse the antipodean visitors.
I sent Daisy a selfie to reassure her.
The picnic comprised Alaskan salmon bagels, smoked turkey sandwiches with mustard mayo and three kinds of lettuce (that is SO cheffy of me, I know), cheese clouds, strawberries, and grapes.
We had a great day. The atmosphere felt more like a Test match day at the Oval than at Lord’s.
Day 3 – At The Queen’s Club with Daisy
The picnic bore more than a passing resemblance to the Day 2 picnic, except without the turkey sandwiches. Daisy and I got to play table tennis in the sponsor’s exhibition area. I managed a rare win. We also watched rather a lot of lawn. I could get away with telling you all about it, as those details would not breach the King Cricket “no professional cricket” rule. But to keep this report brief, I have reported the tennis in whimsical yet excruciating detail here.
Day 4 – At Lord’s with Daisy
At the start of the day, everyone thought they knew how the match would turn out. I played real doubles again early in the day. Again Peter Plumber was one of my opponents, this time partnering Andrew Trophy, as they are preparing for tournament play.
My partner Ben Gate and I came first that day. Daisy is my secret weapon when she watches me play. Top sledging.
Ben did his own thing, Peter didn’t stick around, but Andrew sat with me and Daisy to watch cricket.
The atmosphere felt more like a T20 finals day at Edgbaston than a Test match day at Lord’s. After that, Daisy and I went home for lunch.
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