Episode 21 - Cricketing Family, WG RumblePants

Welcome back to the Sunday Service with Church and Vickers - we hope you’ve all had a peaceful cricketing week.

This week, Mark and Hector are joined by one of the greats of the 'X' world. 

With 25.3 thousand followers on the platform formerly known as 'Twitter', this man hosts one of the great cricket accounts. His iPad Art, 'Today's beautiful cricket ground' segment, and County Championship countdown clock turns his platform into a cricketing community. 

WG RumblePants joins the show to chat all about his love for cricket, the origins and practicalities of his 'double life', and just what makes county cricket the greatest sport on earth.

Also on the episode, Church and Vickers continue their new segment - “Whose cricket book is this?” - and Churchy delivers a sermon about his mum and cricket.

A huge thank you to the great WG for joining us on this week's episode for a lovely interview. We look forward to catching up this summer, and highly recommend that listeners check out his fantastic portrait of Ravi Ashwin (2 million views) - pinned on his 'X' feed: @WG_RumblePants.

Another big thank you goes to our friends at Newbery Cricket, who have announced a SECRET SPECIAL prize for the months of February and March.

Genuinely, this is one that you won't want to miss out on - with hints of; classic, iconic, and 'seriously good' wrapped into one fantastic prize.

You can check out the premium equipment that Newbery has to offer here: https://newbery.co.uk/

If you have liked this episode of Sunday Service, please make sure to rate and review us, and share us on social media platforms.

Make sure to get in touch, we want to hear your cricketing thoughts and guest suggestions:

Email us at: sundayservice.pod@yahoo.com

‘X’ - sundayservice22

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello everyone, and thank you for joining us again on the Sunday Sylvus for Church and Vickers. I hope you've all had a good cricketing week, and congratulations to India for winning the world T20, and of course, congratulations to Ricky Mumotting for confusing the world of cricket. The old man is alongside me today in church. You only have one thing to say. I didn't hate it. Happy Mother's Day. Sean's week. I'm like it and I'll say the same. Happy Mother's Day. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Sunday service with Church and Vegas. Well, we are back, and this week the sun has been in and out more times than Ricky Martin's hips during his set ahead of the World T20 final. I've been a little under the weather this week, but I did watch the World Cup final, and it was a dominant performance from the host, India. Churchy, how has your week been?

SPEAKER_03 0:59

I would describe this week as a solid week, young header took a trip to the capital city of London early in the week to chat to sorry women's head coach Johan Meiberg. And I saw a number of cricketers heading towards that marquee that I can see out of the commentary box window at the moment. There was the first ever 100 auction in Piccadilly something. I tried very, very hard, but not so I wouldn't say I enjoyed it. It looked like a slightly dark GP's waiting room or nightclub. The only thing I can think to improve it for next year, one of my great loves is Homes Under the Hammer. Now I find the auction process in that far more tense with well, not that Dion Dublin does it, but hosted by Dion Dublin. Whether, whether next year's auction, I don't know. You could get a couple of the the head coaches to plumb in a non-sweet soil during the during the auction as well and see what they could sell it for by by the end of the auction.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

We could be the auctionist.

SPEAKER_03 2:13

And of course, today is Mother's Day. And as you told us, Hector, I believe you gave your mum a rather lovely Mother's Day card this very morning.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

I did. I'm pretty happy with it. She was today if if you're listening, you're welcome, Mum. And Elbot's on the programme. And cricket.

SPEAKER_03 2:37

Now we have another edition of Who's Cricketbook Intel?

SPEAKER_01 2:41

And our guest today is a man who most of you will follow on X, formerly known as Twitter, whose love of cricket joins from and don't forget, you can get in touch with us.

SPEAKER_03 2:50

Just email sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or tweet at Sundayservice22.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

So, lots to get through, let's get cracking with the Sunday service.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

This is Cameron Steele, and you are listening to the Sunday service with church and vicars.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

Good morning. I trust your week has been full of early wickets and dashing runs. Congratulations to India, who are the world T20 champions, becoming the first team to defend the title. The final was a little one-sided, you have to say, but it did give us the excuse in the parish to all gather in the village hall to watch the final on the overhead projector screen. Thanks to Mr. Evans, who used to be an IT specialist and managed to connect his laptop computer into a projector to beam the coverage onto the big screen. We were slightly delayed as Mr. Evans went through the entire folder of his photos of his walking holiday in the Peak District last year, but eventually there was the World Cup final on the big screen, and we all sat very happily watching. I must admit, the highlight for us all was the performance of Ricky Martin. He was simply magnificent. Although we couldn't really hear his first couple of songs and had to be mesmerised by his immaculate footwork, the putting on of his sunglasses, and the removing of his coat. We all left the village hall in agreement that India had been the best team in the tournament, and wouldn't it be great if we could get Ricky to perform at our village fate next summer and present first prize in the dog that looks most like its owner competition. And today, of course, is Mother's Day. So can I say on behalf of us all, well batted to all the mums. Without our mums, none of us would be here, even I've worked that one out. My mum has always been very loyal, especially when it came to cricket. She used to make the teas for Dad's club side every Saturday, and I would be tasked with the job of helping carry the sandwiches and cakes up to the pavilion, and then help lay everything out on the tables. Then mum would get ready at the tea urn, and in the tea break, she'd be there serving cups of tea to all the players and consoling Dad when his offspin had been launched all over Sussex or he'd been out first ball once again. In fact, she became the team psychologist, helping players through a bad trot with the bat with words of encouragement such as, Well, at least the sun is shining, and isn't that a lovely jumper you're wearing? Then I started playing, and do you know, she never missed a game when I was younger. I always knew she'd arrived when she put her folded chair, slap bang in front of the side screen, sat down and started waving to me. There were a number of occasions when I was batting that I would wave back and then ask her politely to move. At the end of the game, she would kindly drive me home and magically be able to tell me all about the lives of the other players in the side, having spent the day chatting to their mums and dads. And then when we got home, she'd wash my whites and get them looking pristine for the next game. As I got older, she wasn't able to come and watch as much. But when she did, it was always a highlight, as she once again sat herself in front of the site screen and then told me afterwards that she didn't understand what had happened in the game, but she'd had the most lovely day. Plus, she never complained when five or six of my teammates would come back, eat her magnificent lasagna, and sleep on floors around the house. And there was always a cook breakfast in the morning because you all need a good start to the day. She was also a loyal support during my so-called broadcasting career. The phone would go at the end of a day's play and she would tell me, Oh, you sounded wonderful today, and the people you were with were so lovely. On numerous occasions it transpired she'd been listening to the wrong game. But the fact that she even took the time to listen was all that mattered. And on trips around the country, conversations would always end with, You have packed enough pants, haven't you? And you are eating properly. And I would always let it go because she is my mum. Everybody who's been involved in cricket knows how much mums do to enable the game to continue. They might drive players to the game, they might coach the side, they might make the tease, they might wash the kit, they might offer words of encouragement, or they might do the scoring. That was a particularly interesting day when mum tried that. And I always get a little emotional when a player gets to the top of the game, the camera pans round to their proud mum in the ground as they do something spectacular out there in the middle. We will all be celebrating Mums in the Parish today, as we should, because today is all about them. So once again I say well batted mum, and I hope you all have a splendid day. Until next week, keep playing your shots, but pick the right time to play them. Until then, bat well everyone, especially the mums, bat very, very well.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

It's whose cricket book is this? So last week you, Churchy, read out an extract from a cricketing book, and we asked you the question: Whose cricket book is this? Here is the snippet.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

It's slightly different for me and for other television commentators. The ideal from my point of view is certainly to be on the spot, but the difference is that I want to have the expertise to add to whatever is on the screen.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

That was, of course, from Richie Beno's autobiography, Anything But the Great Man. So here is Churchy with today's extract, and the question is, whose cricket book is this?

SPEAKER_03 9:05

Arrive at the Oval, park in the convent and set up the commentary box. Greeted by the sight of Charles Dagnall dangling his effects microphone out of the test match special box window. Dagnor, a man with his finger on the pulse, has the test match playing on his iPad. I spend a happy hour watching with him as Sam marches to the middle of Edgbiston with England in all sorts of bother. He proceeds to play a quite magical innings, taking on India's bowlers and going to a maiden test 50 with a cover-driven six. We all knew the boy could bat, but now the whole world knows.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

So, whose cricket book is that? If you think you know, email sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or tweet at Sundayservice22.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

Hi, Matt Fisher, Surrey in England.

SPEAKER_03 9:50

Um, you're listening to the Sunday service with church and vicus. And now it's time for our cricketing guest. This gentleman has become famous on X, formerly known as Twitter, of course, and is the talent behind the amazing pictures of myself and Hector in cardstock and dog collar watching the parish play after a Sunday service. His historical cricketing photos are a muscle for all cricket lovers, and his genuine passion for the game shines through. I had the great honour myself of playing a charity game with him a couple of years ago, and he is one of the nicest men you could ever wish to meet. He is, of course, WG Rumblepant. And he joined us on the Sunday service, and I started by asking him, How are you, WG?

SPEAKER_02 10:36

I'm very well, thank you, Churchy. I'm incredibly excited. We've we've got, at this point of recording, three weeks to go until the start of the counter championship in the domestic season. And anyone that follows me will know that I do a daily countdown. I've been doing that since before Christmas. Uh so yeah, I'm excited and full of the joys of spring and the anticipation of the new season that stretches in front of us.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

Brilliant. And WG, given your love of all things cricket, as we know from from being one of your loyal followers, where where did that all start? What what what was the first cricket game you went to? Where do your love for the game start?

SPEAKER_02 11:13

I think this is this is an unexpected thing that uh some people won't realise about me. Is I actually came to cricket quite late in life. Didn't really play uh growing up. My school was uh ball standard comprehensive, and I think we played cricket for about two weeks in the summer before we moved on to athletics. So I didn't play, it was always there in the background because my dad listened to TMS all throughout the summer. So I was aware of it and and it was just kind of there fizzing away in the background, but I didn't follow it. And it got to 2013, I think I just turned 30. And it was Nash's series coming that year, and I thought this is the year I'm gonna try and understand cricket and and follow what's been going on. Um and I'd always been I've always enjoyed the aesthetic of cricket. The the Englishness of it, the way it sort of sits very nicely in the English landscape. So I thought this is the year I'm gonna try and get my head hat around how cricket really works. And my wife bought me the behind the scenes Tour of Lords, we go in the long room in the museum, and that was really interesting. And then we had New Zealand over before we had the Aussies over that year. And I thought, oh I'll be really quiet this week at work. I think there's a test match at Lords this week. I know, I'll just take Friday afternoon off and I'll wander along to Walk Lords and buy a ticket, not you know, knowing anything about ticket ballots, and I was lucky enough they actually had some tickets left. So I sat in the the lower Edridge, I think, that afternoon, and and I think I saw Jimmy Anderson get his 300th wicket. And I was kind of hooked that from that point, and then I'd listened to and watched the Ashes that summer. Uh and that was a good that was a good Ashes series actually, and it was quite quite a lot of back and forth and England were on the ropes a couple of times, but um and and and that was it, and I've kind of been all in ever since. And I tend to be one of those people who when you when you get you get into something, I really get into it, and and I've read an awful lot and you know caught up on all the footage I missed. So yeah, I came to it late in life and and been all in since 2013. So not that long really.

SPEAKER_03 13:20

But what I love about your all-in, yes, people can get into cricket and all they do is watch international cricket, but you're all in in terms of domestic cricket as well. You you you you love the domestic game as well, don't you?

SPEAKER_02 13:34

I love the domestic game because I think it gives you something that you you don't get the chance to have in international cricket. International cricket has an intensity all of its own, and that's wonderful. Um we all enjoy going to test matches and and sitting there amongst a completely full crowd and soaking up that atmosphere. But domestic cricket and club cricket as well gives you a very different vibe, and I love the quite reflective moments in a game. Sometimes when not an awful lot is happening, and bowlers are just plugging away and plugging away and testing a batsman and suckering them in, um, and building pressure. And then something happens and you get a you get a release of that pressure, and it's the it's the the community and that reflective time, which you don't actually get from any other sports at all. You don't you don't get those long moments where you could be you know you might drift off and think about something else and the game is still there unfolding before you and you have time to chat and make friends and all of that stuff that you you don't get in high-pressured international sports. So, yeah, I think domestic cricket and club cricket they give you that time to really enjoy your day. You can be there from that first ball, watch the sun climb over the sky and then sink behind the stand. And you've not really moved all day. You might even need to get up to have your cup of coffee or a lunch or a pint. But y y you get time to unwind, and and I find that incredibly relaxing. So, yeah, domestic cricket for me um gives something that I don't think you get in in any other sport really.

SPEAKER_03 15:18

Well, it well it was uh we let's talk about the the social media side of things as well. How did that all get started? And also, has it surprised you how popular you are now on on social media because you are incredibly popular and you're you are and and and I still I still say tweets, but I know it's now called X, but they're gonna say tweets anyway. And I look at some of your numbers and I think, wow. Has it surprised you the popularity of what you're doing? And ha has that also you talked about you know making friends in cricket, uh Twitter at times and X can be not a very nice place, but have you you've met some good people as well through their love of cricket through the social media?

SPEAKER_02 16:05

Yeah, just how how did it start entirely by accident, as most things do? Uh I I I think I resisted going on Twitter for years and years. I was on Facebook a bit and various cricket Facebook groups and got to know a few people there, and I dabbled in X, but I wasn't on it much, and then I think it was only in about 2021, 2022 I started using it more. And really that's because it gives you access to people in the community and players that you wouldn't otherwise get a chance to interact with and hear from. And I found that very interesting and you know how open in those days at least a lot of players and people within the game were. Uh and then I just got into the habit of of posting things regularly, and I think the algorithms seemed to enjoy you posting things regularly. Uh and maybe for that reason my posts seem to find their way to the top of people's feeds. And uh as as many people will know, I do a a daily beautiful cricket ground post in the morning as well as the the countdown that I'm doing at the moment, and then I you know dip in with other things and observations about the game. Uh quite often tongue-in-cheek and light-hearted, and uh I I do quite like a little bit of needle in cricket and a little bit of gentle Mickey taking. I d I try not to take it all too seriously because there's too many other things in life that people take far too seriously. Uh so I like uh I like a bit of uh of Mickey taking and needle, but um yeah, it's taken me entirely by surprise, really. And uh I I I I'm not sure I'm universally popular in certain communities, uh, but uh more you know, most people, vast majority of people seem to to like what I do, and I enjoy when people comment on the on the cricket ground post, just you know, they really seem to enjoy seeing them every morning. Gives gives them a list.

SPEAKER_03 17:56

Absolutely, absolutely, and and actually, funny enough, this morning you put on a photo of Gooch, Botham, and Gower here at New Zealand Test match, sitting outside having a cup of tea on a table, and I remember that so well. And and what's so great is you sourcing that and those memories, and it it's there's a lot of nostalgia as well that works, isn't there? People love a bit of nostalgia on social media.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

They do, and and I think maybe that's the cricket ground post's um success. People like commenting saying, Oh, I've played there, or I've umpired there, or I watched a game there, you know, so you know, 20 years ago, and and people enjoy seeing the natural beauty of cricket grounds because there's nothing quite so nice as a cricket ground on a sunny day. Uh so there's a you know there's the the natural beauty of it, but there's you know there's people's memories tied up in those places as well. So uh it's yeah, it's nice to to get those reactions from people. I just post stuff that I like or that amuses me. Um and if other people like that, that's great. But I don't really put too much thought into it often. It's it's and sometimes you it's a throwaway line that you um you know you post in the middle of a game or an observation, and those are the ones that that people resonate with, but you you can't really plan it too much. And I think if you do try and plan it too much, you go down the route of being a cricket content creator, and I'm certainly not that there are some people on YouTube who do that very, very well, and um doing that professionally, I'm just doing it for the fun because it amuses me to do it, and if other people like it, that's brilliant.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

One thing that could certainly be professional is your iPad art. Uh that pin tweet of yours, I think it's the portrait of Ravi Ashwin, is almost about two million views, 15,000 likes, everyone's commenting on it. How did you sort of get into it's not just the Ashwin, you do a lot of iPad art um around cricket. How did you get into that? And is that does that sort of just run hand in hand with your account or is that elsewhere?

SPEAKER_02 20:00

Yeah, I haven't I haven't done one for a while actually, and I really need to get back into it because I enjoyed doing them. Um I've always enjoyed art since I was a kid. Um and when I got the iPad, I specifically went for the Apple Pencil, so I could do a bit of art, and I got a commute every morning, and that was when I was doing it really, and it was a great way to kind of distract my brain from thinking too much about work in the morning and um to unwind in the evening. Uh and I started doing those probably in about 2018, and actually the first couple I did were were players at my local club who I'd admired for years, and one of them was moving on, so I thought, oh you know, do a um do a portrait of them got a good photo I can use for reference. So those were the first couple I did. Then I did a few more sketchy ones that was posting on Facebook, which people seem to like, and then I thought, well, actually, um I'll try and I'll try and do some you know almost photorealistic ones, and those are actually great for distracting your mind because it's just the concentration of of being able to go, oh that doesn't look quite right. And you're really just in the in the process of doing it, you're not thinking about anything else, and before you know it, the train journey is gone, and you think, I wish I could actually just sit here and can carry on doing this. Um and I post you know in work in progress uh images, and people seem to like those. And and again, people have been very kind and responded well to them. And it's nice because it's uh it's enabled me to sometimes meet the players that that I've done the artwork of. So that's been great meeting people that are your you know become your heroes, and that they want copies of your artwork.

SPEAKER_03 21:38

But that must be that that must be uh unbelievable. So so which which players sort of have wanted a copy of your artwork?

SPEAKER_02 21:45

Uh so Nat Siva Brunt wanted a copy of the one I did of Catherine Brandt. Yeah. Uh Alex Stewart has got a copy of of of one. I mean, that was that was really nice one because even when I was a kid and I wasn't Really watching a lot of because I knew who Alex Stewart was. My dad was an Alex Stewart fan. And so when he contacted me, and it was his wife actually that wanted the portrait, he said, Would you could I buy one off you? And so I'm not going to charge you, I'll give you one. I've got a print done for for him. And I met him at a uh a members' event at the Oval. He's come a bit early. And um and he gave me a signed sorry cap in exchange for it. And I've just, you know, I've got to know him a bit since, but at that point I was completely starstruck. This is Alex Stewart. And um, as you will know, he couldn't be more down-to-earth and more normal, and such a nice, disarming guy who instantly puts you at ease. So yeah, but that was such a thrill when the first time I met him, and that he he has that in his home somewhere.

SPEAKER_03 22:50

Yeah, yeah, that is a lovely story, it really is. Now, you said you came late to cricket. I've had the honour of playing against you and against your son. What was that, a couple of years ago now? How nice is that, as well, that your boy as well loves cricket and and and also plays cricket, and that that must be a lovely thing as well for you.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

Well, both of my kids, my son and my daughter, who's a bit younger, so my son's 17 and my daughter's uh 13 this year, and they both play and uh are both involved in our local club. Uh, and I'm involved in our local club. I kind of run all the junior cricket there. I don't play uh much these days, but I I do do an awful lot of work behind the scenes. And there's nothing quite like enjoying the success of your kids from you know the the the the right side of the boundary rope. It's it's always stressful watching them play in matches on the other side of the boundary rope. I'm a terrible spectator when my kids are playing because I feel everything for but when you're when you're on the field with them and they're doing well, that's such a wonderful feeling, I think. You know, and that's another thing I love about cricket because I've played in games where you've had three generations of the same family playing all together, uh and everyone's having a good time, and not not many other sports give you that either. So there's something unique and very special about playing in a team with your kids and enjoying their success. And um they weren't really given the choice, so when I got into cricket, they were kind of pushed towards the local club and you know, attended all the training, and luckily that you know they're both better cricketers than I will ever ever be. Uh and and have got an awful lot out of the game, and it's just so lovely now. They're very happy to come to the Oval with me. They know an awful lot of people there. I think the people there like my daughter more than they like me. So um, so she'll be with me again uh as much as she can be this coming season. What a wonderful way to to have good quality time with your kids and a day of cricket.

SPEAKER_01 24:57

And am I right in saying as well that your son, as well as a creditor, is an organ scholar? He is, yeah, yeah. I think I think Churchill was telling me that. And would he be interested in perhaps well, let's ask you the question now.

SPEAKER_03 25:09

Come on. So the start of this podcast there is a recorded piece of organ music. Would would your boy be interested in recording an organ piece of music which we would use for the start of this podcast?

SPEAKER_02 25:23

Oh, I'm I'm sure he'd be persuadable, Churchy. He's yeah, he's uh he's become the organ scholar at our our local church in Sanford Walden, and he's been doing that for a few months now. And I actually I think that's what he wants to go on and do as a career. He wants to be a church organist, which is a bit niche. Uh, but he he loves he works very, very hard at it. Uh so the cricket has had to take a bit of the back seat because he doesn't want to injure his hands now when smashing a cricket ball into his fingers. But um, but yeah, he's really he's really enjoying that.

SPEAKER_03 25:53

So I'm sure he'd be be persuaded to uh what we'll do is our people will meet his people and we'll have a discussion about that when the season starts. Um do you mind me asking? Just because of your great love of cricket, and and and I know you say you don't plan with the Twitter and and whatever else, but I I'm always amazed by sort of you do a job and and sort of a day job uh uh and you still find time to to do all the stuff you do and get to watch watch cricket as well. Um sort of how how how difficult is that balance, or is it just quite a natural natural balance now?

SPEAKER_02 26:37

It's easy. I think if you look at the time I post stuff, it is in the majority of in the morning before I go to work, yeah, or when I get back. Uh, you know, there might be an occasional reaction to something in the middle of the day when I stroll out to get some lunch or stuff, but you know, there's there's most of the time in it's it's in the morning or or in the evening, so it it it doesn't, it never feels like I'm you know chasing my tail or you know doing it surreptitiously at work when I shouldn't have it.

SPEAKER_03 27:06

But but are are are people at work or people that you've worked with, are they aware of the the other side of you? Have you ever had anybody go, hang on just a second here?

SPEAKER_02 27:16

Haven't I seen that that I am slightly terrified of that happening with with clients, and the only time it it appeared is uh I went to Lourdes a couple of years ago with a colleague and a client, and we were sitting in the the top deck of the grandstand, I think. And uh you know sometimes when I go to cricket matches, as you know, I go in full WT grace with the big beard, and uh very noticeable. That day I was very much flying under the radar, or at least I was trying to. And so we sat down, it was there was a sort of colleague on the on the far left, the client was in the middle, and then I was on the right. And as soon as I sat down, the guy next to me turned to me and said, Oh, new WGREMO PANS from 20 minutes. So I then had to explain to the client what this meant and why this man was talking to me.

SPEAKER_03 28:12

I bet they loved it though. I bet they loved it, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 28:16

So it was it was quite funny. Um, but yeah, there's a couple of people at work who are aware that I I I dabble in this, and um, I think they just find it amusing. Yeah, amusing.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

But so what how where do you see the game at the moment? Obviously, the stereotype is the the hardcore county fans are more of a fan of the longer format of the game, and I guess that's the same for me, probably the same for Churchy. Look, there's obviously the hundred auctions just gone, they're so much cricket at the moment. Where do you see the state of the game?

SPEAKER_02 28:52

It's it's a funny one because the the natural thing to say, and what I think what a lot of people say is the game's in a state of change. The game's always been in the state of change. If you go back 50 years, the game was very, very different and looked different, it was a different base to the way it is now. And you go back 50 years before that, and it would have been different again. The stumps were a different size, number different number of balls in and over. And you go back another 50 years, and it you know, the further you go back, it there's less and less resemblance to the game we know now, until you go back to the days of two stumps and a pop increase, and all that kind of craziness with the you know White Conduit Club and and John Nyron said the game is constantly in a state of evolution, it's constantly been driven by money. I mean, the development of lords and and all the nobility and the patrons, it was all funded by betting. That's what cricket was. It's always been a money sport. And so we are just in another state of change, and the game in another 50 years will look very different to the way it looks now. Who knows? Maybe all these franchise bubbles will have burst, and people might start to to go, actually, all this stuff that's being driven by commerce and high pace, and to to an extent AI, because that's going to come into everything. I would like something a bit slower paced and a bit more natural that feels a bit more authentic. So our our game is constantly changing. It's a broad church, so we're we're lucky because we can always get a bit of what we want somewhere. Um, I'm not really worried about the the future of the game as a whole. I think we just need to go with the flow a little bit. There's a lot of people who are very happy to tell you, particularly on social media, what they don't like and stop this and stop that. I try and focus way more on what I do like, and I think if we all promoted what we do like a bit more and shared the good experiences a bit more of our days at the county matches, uh people like to see other people enjoy themselves, and then they go, Oh, actually, that looks great. I'll maybe get into that. Um I I I try and focus on that rather than the negativity. The game's always gonna change. We can't hold back the change, but we can advocate for what we like, and maybe that's a better way to approach it.

SPEAKER_03 31:11

One thing you do like, and you've got a picture of it behind you as we're speaking to you, from that very ground, uh it it is the over the key or over. Um it's almost a second home for you, isn't it? And the people the people you know here as well now.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Yeah, it's a wonderfully special place, and um I I tend to gravitate towards that top deck on on a match day and start my viewing there. And uh there's a real community of of people that I've got to know by by being at the Aval. We've got a little little WhatsApp group. We call ourselves The Fenders Tail Enders. And uh there's there's there's a little group of us and all you know just just like-minded Surrey fans, really, who have got to know each other just at the club and and on social media. And actually, I was at uh I was at a little gathering at one of their houses a a couple of weeks ago, and it you know, you just start someone off and oh, did you see this match? Oh well, I know I saw saw that with my dad in 1960, and then someone else gets the autograph book out and you know, showing you all the the player autographs of Peter May and Ken Barrington. So it's a wonderful social place. I I genuinely think it's the best grand in the country. Uh and and uh I couldn't I couldn't have been made more welcome there when I joined as a member a few years ago. It's you know from the guy who opens the door to you in the pavilion to the guy that serves for you a cup of coffee and fish and chips, to the president of the club to Alex Stewart and and the players. And the players make themselves so available and so accessible.

SPEAKER_01 32:44

WG, as you know, we like all our guests to give our listeners some advice. That's kind of the the purpose of the weekly pod. For for any of our listeners, and we've we do have a few that email in that don't really get cricket, they they like listening, but they don't actually really un understand. How would you advise them to go about joining a cricket family, like coming down for the oval, for example? What's the best way of getting involved in in the community?

SPEAKER_02 33:09

I I think the best thing you can do is just pick a random Saturday afternoon and go see nearest ground, whether that's your local village or club ground or the oval if you happen to be in London. You know, don't say that you're gonna set a time limit on how long you're gonna be there, just go down. No expectations, just watch a bit of the cricket if it's particularly if it's a nice day. Uh and try and soak it in. And if you go to a a local club, you will invariably uh find someone that will try try and strike you up in the conversation. Because if it's anything like my club, they welcome anyone new with open arms and they're very interested to know, you know, have you seen cricket before, have you played cricket before? You know, you'll probably have your ear chewed off within about half an hour of being there. Um so uh yeah, I would just go along and try and you know, maybe find a quiet spot to initially to just go in and and soak in the atmosphere because I genuinely think it uh it is one of the best ways to unwind on a Saturday in the summer. And you can you know take a paper, take a crossword. Uh the ambience of it though, I think, is is wonderful, you know. Birds in the trees, blue sky, green grass, white men with um, you know, players in white rather with uh with a red ball and uh the aesthetic of that, uh perfect.

SPEAKER_03 34:31

Final question. Well, it's not really a question, it's more of a request again, if that's alright. Uh you you've very kindly done a couple of pictures of myself and Hector taking a couple of our pictures and put us in the right uh clothing for the Sunday service. Ecclesiastical things. Yeah, that's per they are they are unbelievably good. Uh would you would you continue to do that for us, please? Because we love them and we we've noticed quite a few other people love those as well.

SPEAKER_02 35:00

I'm very, very happy to. I think I think you said your mum likes them as well.

SPEAKER_03 35:04

Oh, my mum adores. Well, I think she always wanted me to be a vicar. So I think I think she's uh absolutely over the moon to just be able to see me in a dog collar, but no, they're fantastic. So if you wouldn't mind, we'd be very, very grateful.

SPEAKER_02 35:18

Well, uh absolutely I mean if it makes your mum happy, Churchill, then who am I for saying now? Thank you. I think you need to we need to up the stakes, you need to you need to get um you know the superior in Ian Bishop.

SPEAKER_03 35:31

We need him in the and we're we're working we're working on O Pope as well. That's the that that that's sort of the dream three ball, really. But um, so we cannot thank you enough. Um keep doing what you do, please, because it is magnificent what you do. And I think for anybody listening to this, I think the lovely thing with this chat has been just your love of the game shines through, and the fact you've made so many, so many good friends through cricket. I think for anybody listening to this, it will have been a real lift for them. Um, and uh, we will see you at the start of the season. Uh, we will meet up and um yes, tell t tell your son that we are definitely going to put an offer in that very happy to, and and you're right there, uh cricket just breeds friendships.

SPEAKER_02 36:18

And you if you want to go and find your community, you've got any passing interest in the sport, just go along because you will find your tribe and you'll be welcome with open arms.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

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SPEAKER_01 37:10

So there are our friends at Newbury Cricket, and now it is competition time, and thanks to our friends at Newbury Cricket, we have a very special prize that you could win. Newbury are bringing back a piece of classic cricketing equipment that is iconic for all cricket lovers. And you have a chance to win this special prize by just answering our cricketing question, and this really is something you want to win. But first of all, Churchy, what was last week's question and answer?

SPEAKER_03 37:37

So last week's question was where was Jacob born? And the answer was born. Barbados, the lucky boy. So this week's question. Are you ready? What did Brett Randall do this week? That was the first time it had ever happened in First. What did Brett Randall do this week? Which was the first time it has ever happened in First War.

SPEAKER_01 38:15

I was just gonna say, so good, the the Great Stoke Broad retweeted and commented. Okay, and do you know what that means?

SPEAKER_03 38:22

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SPEAKER_01 39:04

Right. That is the dump for this episode of the Sunday Service with Church and Wickets. We will be back. Of course, we will be back together next Sunday, the 22nd of March. So get that date in your download diary. Don't forget, send us your answer to the question and whose cricket book is this. And you can still get anything you want to off your chat cricket-wise by emailing sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or tweeting at sundayservice22.

SPEAKER_03 39:30

So thank you all for listening. If you've liked what you've heard, please rate and review it as it really helps others find the podcast because. And as WG RumblePen said, we all want to be one big happy cricketing family. And thank you again to WG RumblePen for joining us today. And of course, thank you to our friends at Newbury Cricket for all their support and their magnificent competition prize.

SPEAKER_01 39:57

Until next Sunday from the K Remo, this has been Hector Vickers and Mark Church Production. Have a magnificent cricketing week, everybody, and I'm actually just gonna have to say that Happy Mother's Day.