Cricket is a sport that lends itself to anecdote and storytelling. Beloved in all its forms, from the humblest village green to the first day of a Test Match at Lords, it comes with its own routines and rituals, characters and culture.

Keen amateur cricketers and authors, Marcus Berkmann and Roger Morgan-Grenville take to the wicket at the beautiful Montgomery Cricket Ground at Lymore.  They share their own tales of a life in cricket, both as participants and writers.

Legendary cricket teas will be served by the members of Montgomery Cricket Club.  Please make a donation towards your cricket tea on the day, with all proceeds going to Montgomery Cricket Club.

Marcus Berkmann is the author of, among other books, Berkmann’s Pop Miscellany and Berkmann’s Cricketing Miscellany. He is a regular contributor to Private Eye, Saga Magazine and the Daily Mail (where he reviews books), and wrote a pop column for The Spectator before finally running out of ideas in 2014. He has written columns for the Independent magazine, TV reviews for the Daily Mail and sports columns for Punch, the Independent on Sunday and the Daily Express. He also writes and produces fiendish quizzes, and is a regular on BBC Radio 4’s Round Britain Quiz.

Roger Morgan-Grenville’s books include two based on his exploits as the talentless, but passionate, stalwart of roving amateur cricket club, The Winchester Hunters: Not Out First Ball and Unlimited Overs. After a career in the army, and at a small kitchenware company, Roger is now a full-time writer, based in West Sussex. His most recent books combine memoir with nature, including Liquid Gold: Bees and the Pursuit of Midlife Honey; Shearwater: A Bird, an Ocean and a Long Way Home, and Taking Stock: A Journey Among Cows, publishing in June 2022. He is also author of the acclaimed blog, Old Enough to Know Better.