A PCC Magic Moment retrospective by James Smith during the Covid-19 crisis (April 2020)

The best match on the tour was at St Au Ley. It was a perfect setting - in the middle of parched fields with not a tree in sight and a shed as a pavilion. We were asked to field first on a coconut mat wicket. The team spirit was great - we all bowled a spell - and generally had a laugh. I remember Adam Long, probably hungover, deciding it was time to bowl a hostile spell of short stuff and having to be taken off by Webbo after being asked to calm down!

Before the match I'd put together different stupid things to do on pieces of paper and we'd all drawn them out of the hat - take a single no matter where the ball goes, bowl a slower ball, appeal whatever happens, etc. If you were called for a Joker then you had to pull it out of your pocket and do it next ball. I can't remember if people wanted to do it but I remember thinking this was a great idea. It actually wasn't.

When it was our turn to bat we had lost a few early wickets and Pete Hollman and Kurt had steadied the ship. Kurt began to accelerate and Pete was being solid - and was in for the first time on tour. With Kurt doing the biffing the management committee (probably me and Webley) called Joker on Pete and unfortunately he had drawn 'try to hit a six next ball'. I don't think Pete had hit a six in a decade but he had a go and got caught at mid-off. We looked on in horror and literally all ran off to hide as he sloped off folornly. It was at that moment that Jokers were consigned to the bin of terrible ideas.

We went on to win, after manufacturing a tight finish, with the only other notable highlight being Conrad getting out and kicking his helmet over the pavilion shed in frustration at being given out LBW to a donkey drop. We then went off to the local town and sat in a lovely restaurant, on a warm night by a river, eating crepes and completing the day's fines. I was responsible for those - I can't remember whether they were funny or family friendly - but doing that just ended one of the best days I ever had in cricket. Nothing related to the match or any special performance but I can literally remember thinking I didn't want to be anywhere else with anyone else. Just a shame Pete never hit that six!

Peter Thanks for your message - sorry for late reply. We'll be happy to see you again in 2008 - end of August? Wynford

XIII:- Jon Webley*, Mark Sams+, Steve Emmins+, Peter Hollman, Conrad Chandler, Adam Long, Matt Callender, Matt Patel, James Smith, Kurt Rademaker, Oli Haill, Sammy Purcell & Teddy Haywood.