As I sit here in my study with the rays of the sun blazing though my french-windows, I want to claim a share in a Reed Cricket Club record that I think has been created recently. On the 11th May 2013, the Reed Fourth XI played away against Datchworth. Included in the team were three veteran Reed players, Ian Roberts, Alan Ward and me. You might not be aware that all three of us are Grandfathers! Alan’s middle son Keiran has two children, Ian’s daughter Lucy gave birth to her own daughter in February and my elder son, James, became a father on the 29th April when my grandson, Jonty, was born.Thus, when Ian, Alan and I played together at Datchworth, we formed a trio of Granddads. I know of no other instance of this happening in the Club’s history although I can’t be absolutely certain that some of those older generation of players in the fifties and sixties were not of similar age to us and were possibly doting grandparents. (They were probably only 20 or 30 something years old although from the images in the photographs they all looked and dressed as if they were sixty!)

Certainly, there are other Club members who are already grandparents, but they don’t play. Also active in the Club currently, JQH is a grandfather several times over, but he has not yet played this season. Perhaps if John plays with us we could push the bar even higher and create an all-time record of 4 Granddads turning-out for the same team. A quartet that would be hard to beat. Unfortunately, Mr. Roberts has delayed that scenario from happening for a few weeks more by involving himself with a ladder, height and gravity. (Ian – we wish you a speedy recovery!) But who else could qualify in the near future? Could we hang-on for a full XI?

We might not be everyone’s idea of kindly, bespectacled, grey-haired, old grandfathers but we are not ready for pipes and slippers just yet! Fortunately, the skipper indulges us by allowing us to occupy the rocking chairs positioned carefully in the slips and gully so that the athletic teenagers in our team can run around and field the ball when it rolls gently past.

Remember, that you are only as good as your next innings. So, see you next week, (if selected)!

Cross-battingly yours,

PGB

(This Weekly column is written by Peter Baker. The views expressed in the article are his own and do not necessarily comprise those of the Clubs General Committee)