Episode 6

This week the boys meet up in the pub pre-Trinder wedding to discuss how the Parish have been going this year and a slightly controversial umpires email:  See email below: I umpired with .... at Longparish today, but there was no tea. While we enjoyed the cricket match and the players were kind and respectful to each other, I felt the conviviality of cricket was missing. We all know that beers after the game are now a thing of the past, because of the dangers of drink-driving, but the absence of a tea meant that each of the teams sat in their dressing rooms, while we (the umpires) sat in our designated room and drank our solitary cups of tea. There were no ladies or helpers in evidence to help with provision of the tea and it all felt a bit grim. The fun of the game is being drained away by a thousand cuts and, for me over the 50 years I played, the tea was always an important and pleasurable vehicle to get the teams and ladies interacting. The teams were even keen to start the second innings early, as there was no relaxed and shared experience to be enjoyed. I felt the absence of the tea acutely and know that I will stop umpiring when the pleasure fades. I hope those of us who care for the game will postpone that day as far into the future as we can. Warm regards,