FARMING CRICKETER: Lochard Ainslie, owner of the Mill Cricket Ground, at his beautiful oak lined cricket pitch on his farm outside Bedford. The trees were supposedly planted with acorns brought to the country by some of the children of the original 1820 Scotish Settlers.
The Mill Cricket Ground
GPS: 32°38’13” S 26°08’34” E
Watch as teams from schools such as St Andrews Prep, Kingswood and Yellowwood battle it out for the Bedford County Schools Bat (BCS Bat).
Entry is free and the games start at 9 am.
There will be live music at the Mill and pub during the day.
WATERING HOLE: After a day in the sweltering hot heat which sometimes hits the region, a cold beer served in Lochard's stone pub is most welcome.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS: As is traditional in a sport like cricket, players bring the friends and family along to watch the game.
HOME GAME: The Valley Aphids play a home game to a visiting team from Port Elizabeth.
CONVERTED SPACE: The old mill, which was built in 1834, was used until 1983 and is in excellent condition with the original yellowwood beams and floors still in place. It was recently converted into a pub - with a matching yellowwood counter of course.
SEATING ARRANGEMENTS: Fallen tree trunks have been adapted to provide seating for the spectators.
CLUB BADGE: The Mill Cricket Cround is home to the Valley Aphids.
WATERWHEEL: The waterwheel of the old mill and its water flue are still in place.
STONE TABLES: The tables outside the old mill were made out of rocks found in the surroundng countryside. It took a considerable effort by Lochard and his men to move them to their present location.
ORIGINAL GEARS: The original workings of the old mill are still in the mill and were in working condition when the mill was used for the last time in 1983.
Penciled on the walls are detailed dates from the 1860s and 1890s giving the number of bags delivered by farmers from the surrounding farm who dropped their wheat off to be ground.
Upstairs the mill has been converted into a small B&B establishment for visiting cricketers in order to generate funds for the Bedford Cricket Club.
The club, which used to be housed at the pavilion in town, moved after the seats were stripped and stolen and the change rooms were in such a state it became an embarrassment to host visiting teams.
It was them decided to create a new cricket field and Lochard Ainsley offered a piece of land on his farm, Spring Grove.
All the farmers pulled together and helped with the leveling of the ground.
One farmer even supplied enough bulli to create a proper pitch.
Seating for spectators is provided by the clever use of the trunks of yellowwood and sneezewood trees which have been strategically placed in the shade of the ancient oak trees.
During the Bedford Garden Festival the cricket ground is open to the public and thirsty visitors can quench their thirst and purchase a luncheon.
2013 will see the ground open from 11am till dusk and visitors will be able to enjoy a cold beer, gin and tonic or a glass of wine as you munch on a roosterkoek or boerewors roll.
You may want to even sample some of the home-made biltong and droewors which will be on sale.