Bat & Ball

The Stone, the Navy and the Bat and Ball

<p>Mike Beardall and Gerry Northwood uncover the Royal Navy origins behind Brigands Cricket and discuss how the club has developed its playing membership over the years.</p><p>The importance of Broadhalfpenny Down and the Bat and Ball pub to the Brigands identity is revealed along with details of how cricket fans can gain immortality at the ground through an investment in a hefty slab of Cornish granite. </p>

The very first First Class cricket match took place at Broadhalfpenny Down in 1772. The ground was home to the legendary Hambledon Club, the acknowledged authority on the Laws of Cricket. It is one of the most beautiful grounds in England and cricket, of all standards, is still played today.
This tells the stories of how the game of cricket we know today evolved, how laws such as the third stump, the width of the bat, and overarm bowling came to be, the characters who played the game both today and in the eighteenth century, as well as news about the current cricket being played at Broadhalfpenny Down.
Featuring Mike Beardhall &amp; Gerry Northwood, produced by David Henderson.