AUSSIES BEATEN

A special game to mark the holiday return of former Brigg Town batsman Simon "Chozzy" Church, who emigrated to Australia, was played at the Recreation Ground. It was billed as Aussies v Poms - and the England lads finished on top by 49 runs, having posted a very impressive 145.
Not that the scores mattered - it was an opportunity for Simon - once of Barnetby but now of Perth - to meet up with clubmates he played alongside in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Gig Smith, the long-serving Brigg all-rounder, came out of retirement at the age of...well, we think it's 68...and dropped the ball on a length immediately, plus batting in his old familiar style (favouring the leg-side), and even hitting a six!
Among Simon's ex-clubmates who turned out were Jim (Fred) Balderson, now with Alkborough CC; 'yours truly' and brother Simon Fisher; Gary M Smith (still opening the batting for Brigg first team); Garry S (Gig) Smith, ex-Brigg Town, Brigg Sugar, Elsham and East Halton; Nigel Beacock, who still has the odd game to help out Brigg 2nds; and Brian Markham, ex-Brigg and Nuform, well-known by many in North Lincolnshire cricket for his connections with the Intersport shop in Scunthorpe High Street.
Brigg regulars Tom Brock and Paul Harrison also appeared, although neither played in Chozzy's era with the club.
Barrie Briggs and John Blanchard (ex-Brigg) kindly umpired, and afterwards players and spectators visited the town's White Horse Inn, followed by the White Hart, for a bit of the old amber nectar. I distinctly remember seeing adopted Aussie Chozzy buying some Foster's lager, which must have made him feel a touch nostalgic for his adopted country.
Before the start of play, Simon presented all the members of his Aussie team with souvenir baggy green caps - a nice touch. It's a pity we couldn't have played a bit more like Ricky Pontin's men; some of us were more akin to Fred Pontin's!
But, as comedian Al Murray's Pub Landlord so often remarks: "It's been a year!"