Why The Invalids had trouble getting to the Woolfs' wicket

The team was formed after World War One by veterans returning wounded from the Front. Over the years it has featured actors, novelists, professional players, politicians, private detectives and, when times demanded, women and children.

Sing Willow by Jeremy Paul (Book Guild) has produced an overview of a club that has upheld the true amateur spirit '“ 'playing hard in lovely rural surroundings and not giving a jot who wins'.

One such setting was at Rodmell, near Lewes, which the team found through Leonard and Virginia Woolf and the landlord of the local Abergavenny Arms.

It was said that the cricket square at Rodmell was okay, but the outfield was a jungle. Some players even had difficulty getting from the pavilion to the wicket.

It was rumoured that The Invalids once played a match when, after half an hour, it was noticed that no one was keeping score!

In 1950 The Invalids beat a Wisden's team at Lewes.

'The Mayor of Lewes, Ald HE Parrish, was presented with three Wisden cricket bats, each autographed by Denis Compton. The match was arranged to celebrate the centenary of the firm which was founded by John Wisden, son of a Brighton builder, who became known as the "little wonder'' of cricket.

'In reply at a pre-match luncheon, Ald Parrish said that it was hoped in a few years time that Lewes would have a county cricket ground, one of the finest in Sussex.'

Invalids batted first and declared at 136-9. The Wisden batsmen fared badly and were all out for 89.

Eight years ago the outlandish team played 'The Grannies' at Stonegate, near Burwash. The main hardship was finding the place! The Invalids' match manager had a car breakdown on the Tonbridge bypass.

Carrying three key players, he had to telephone Caroline Villiers-Smith, provider of lunch, who left her kitchen and managed to locate and transport the three stars to the village game which The Invalids

duly won.

On another occasion at Stonegate, 'Dave, the partner of the match-manager's daughter, collided in mid-wicket with Steve Hicks, the

leading runmaker, and was run out before he had scored, with his borrowed (but unsupported) box ending up gallantly protecting his right knee-cap.'

Well worth a read...