When the history of White Coppice Cricket Club is written, Sunday’s landmark game against the MCC will be writ large as one of the highlights of the last 150 years.
The world’s oldest active cricket club – Marylebone Cricket Club – was captained by Peter Deakin, who is the only White Coppice player to have ever gone on to play first class cricket.
As well as being a celebration of White Coppice’s 150th anniversary, the game was extra poignant for Peter as his father Reg died in 2024 at the age of 92 after a 50-year association with White Coppice and the cricket club.
As well as the starting XI, White Coppice included Paul Dobson and Jim Lawrenson in their squad as joint 12th men, meaning they could act as substitute fielders but not bat or bowl.
Along with Martin Cuerden, Jeff Smith and Chris Maguire, the pair had formed part of The Magnificent Seven who famously played against New Longton in 2017 when a player shortage meant the club nearly folded.
The team also included legendary batsman Tony Moore, who scored 7,869 runs in 243 Palace Shield games between 2004-2022, including four hundreds and 65 fifties.
For their part, the visitors had accumulated 1,500 MCC games between them, with opener Doug Green making his 500th appearance on Sunday.
Before the game, Richard Bush’s wife Rachael presented the club with a stunning homemade cake to commemorate the fixture.
Groundsman Phil Dewhurst – with some help from his partner and his son – produced a fantastic wicket, which the MCC chose to bat on after winning the toss.
The visitors opened with Green and former professional footballer Matt Taylor, who went on to manage Exeter City, Rotherham United and, most recently, Bristol Rovers.
Taylor used to play on the White Coppice outfield as a child and go fishing in the surrounding lodges with his grandfather.
The 43-year-old dominated a century opening stand and went on to bring up his first century for the MCC, with 14 fours and two sixes. It was as good a knock as anyone could remember at Coppice for many a year.
He retired immediately after reaching three figures while Green also retired at 20.
Paddy Coughlin, who works as a surgeon, survived a close LBW appeal off Ryan Adderley but found some fluency on his way to an unbeaten 42.
Only Tony Moore and Joe Seager didn’t bowl as captain Maguire shuffled his pack in search of a breakthrough.
Ussy Akram (0-19 off six overs); Martin Cuerden (0-38 off seven overs with the only maiden) and Antony Dark (0-4 off three overs) bowled economically but Coppice failed to take a wicket during the 32-over morning session.
Lunch was provided by Carrs Pasties, which was followed by speeches from both captains.
Chris Maguire paid tribute to the players, singling out 1st XI captain Jake Smalley and Ibby Akram, for special praise.
Smalley was praised for stepping up as 1st XI captain and pushing to have two Saturday teams to improve playing standards while Akram is a qualified paramedic and saved the life of an opponent who suffered a heart attack during a match in 2023.
Maguire was followed by Peter Deakin, who explained his life-long love affair with White Coppice and presented the club with a commemorative plaque and cap.
He spoke about the history of White Coppice and the work of the MCC in taking the cricket message around the country and beyond.
During lunch it started to rain and Deakin and Coughlin took the score to 204-1 off 35.5 overs before declaring early with more showers forecast.
The only wicket was claimed by Maguire, only his ninth victim in 17 years at the club. After hitting a six over midwicket, Deakin tried one big hit too many and was caught at long off by a diving Richard Bush for 28 to spark wild celebrations.
That was as good as it got for Maguire, who was bowled in the first over for 2 by left armer Adam Syddall, who is Cheshire CCC’s leading wicket-taker in one day cricket.
Although he didn’t know it at the time an x-ray later revealed Maguire had fractured his finger while fielding.
Fellow opener Bush pulled Jimmy Lee for four over square leg before being bowled by a bail trimmer that nipped back.
At one point, MCC had every fielder in the slips as Russ Millhouse (25) and Ryan Adderley (38) rebuilt the innings.
Millhouse hit veteran spinner Rex Purnell for six, who exacted immediate revenge by getting him caught behind.
As the rain started to fall Deakin insisted his team stay on the field to try and get the game completed.
Ant Dark hit two more sixes in a quickfire 24 but the fireworks came from an unexpected source – Joe Seager.
Watched on by his wife and three children, Seager batted like a man possessed and sparked near hysteria in the crowd with a swashbuckling innings of 25, including four fours.
Akshit Jagnani, who did his best impression of DJ Calvin Harris on the PA system, had the ground rocking to the sound of ‘Freed From Desire’ by Gala, with the lyrics changed to ‘Seager’s on Fire’.
Seager was eventually bowled by Lee for his highest ever score for Coppice and was given a standing ovation as he made his way back to the clubhouse. It was a moving moment.
Jeff Smith was the last man out to hand the MCC a deserved 36-run win – but this was a game in which there were no losers.
It was apt that as the players left the field the heavens fully opened and turned the square into a swimming pool within seconds.