‘Champenois’ beat England at cricket

England’s cricketers may have regained the Ashes but the country’s sparkling wine producers tasted defeat at the hands of their Champagne counterparts this week.

Held on 18 August, the “informal” “Battle of the Brioche” organised by Pol Roger saw players from Three Choirs, Hush Heath, Ridgeview and Nyetimber among others take on the UK representatives of Pol Roger, Charles Heidsieck, Taittinger, Henriot and other leading Champagne houses.

Although England is used to regular embarrassment at the hands of various cricketing opponents, it should be noted that the “Champenois” team did not contain a single real Frenchman on it, which spares blushes somewhat.

The game is in fact reminiscent of the one and only time cricket has been played at the Olympic Games, which was in Paris in 1900.

Only two teams played, Great Britain and France. Played on 19-20 August, the British team was represented by the Devon and Somerset Wanderers and the French team by the French Athletic Club Union – comprised almost entirely of Britons then living in Paris and largely working at the British consulate.

The Wanderers won by 158 runs.

A full scorecard from “The Battle of the Brioche” will feature soon on the drinks business alongside pictures from the event – db is reliably informed though that Pol Roger’s Paul Graham got four runs.