The Perfect Cricket Tea

We are fast approaching the end of our cricket season, one weekend to go and then maybe a few odd matches to catch up after the very wet start to the season. Practice finished this week, they played until it was pitch dark and that's when you notice that summer has ended!

 Both boys do winter indoor practice every week and the County trials will start later this month so there's not really any respite! Our weekends, however will be a lot more relaxed as only number 2 son plays rugby and he only does that on occasional Saturdays for the school.

Maybe the renovation work on the house will pick up pace again, or am I hoping in vain? Things have been going very slowly through the summer, the laundry room is still a bare shell, plastered and with a new clay pamment floor but my tumble drier and sink are still lining the hallway. The washing machine bounces around in the middle of the room when on full spin and is waiting to be relocated. The extension we built 7 years ago remains unfinished but the end, I think, is in sight. I'm hopeful that we'll have usable rooms by Christmas - this is the drawback of being married to the builder (although he is cheap!)

Another delay is due to the arrival of a new toy - I stupidly opened an email from a fellow cricketer which offered a table tennis table free to a good home. I had obviously lost my mind when I read said email out loud to the rest of the family! Oh yes we really need one/always wanted one/definitely have space for one etc etc. So it arrived, was assembled in the garden and now tournaments take up all their "spare" time -  even the South African who lives in our garage has been forced to play! The cricketer in the garage only moved in a few weeks ago, I managed to put it off for most of the season and he leaves this week so it wasn't so bad - what else would we use the garage for? A car? Now that would be ridiculous!

But I digress. The last weekend was a full crickety one, Saturday was the usual match for the boys and I went shopping (ie out for coffee & cake) with Little Miss. But Sunday saw us attend a school match with number 2 son, luckily held locally for us. They won magnificently and the club provided bacon rolls cooked on the barbecue - so I was glad I went!

Straight from there we went to the second match of the day, sadly missing the round England cycle race which went right past our house. This was a special memorial match and is played in a very friendly atmosphere at the end of every season. Players on both sides look forward to seeing each other and having a fun, family day as well as enjoying a "proper" cricket tea.

Now a proper cricket tea can be a wonderful sight, and I've partaken of (and made) many. A huge teapot is a definite requirement, a la Alice in Wonderland!

And a selection of sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, fairy cakes, and of course the obligatory victoria sponge cake. Some tea ladies produce home made quiches, sausage rolls, fresh cream cakes and send the teams out for the second innings weighed down with homemade goodies. Sunday's tea was particularly good

Sorry it was difficult to take many photos of the food without everyone thinking I'd gone mad
 (or madder!!)









It was a lovely day, in glorious sunshine and everyone got a chance to play....



....even if the shoes aren't quite the right attire!



Little Miss being directed into her fielding position by her brother





It was lovely to see all the families (plus dogs) having fun in the sun


 

And all this was followed by a barbecue until sunset.

 

I have experienced, and eaten my way through several hundred cricket tea's over the years some fabulous ones made voluntarily by elderly village ladies and some dreadful ones; but I have to say the very best one ever was provided by some eccentric friends who created a cricket pitch in a field and invited us all for a match. I sat on a rickety bench next to a lady (yes and actual Lady as in her ladyship!) in the middle of the field. We'd been told all refreshments would be provided and I at least was not disappointed. At tea time it arrived, on the table in the marquee, a french stick, two tomatoes, and several crates of very good wine!! As far as I'm concerned the perfect way to "enjoy" the match - of course I remember very little about it!!