Everyone at Hoddesdon Cricket Club would like to wish our President, Peter “Cranker” Grant, a very happy 80th birthday today, Wednesday the 12th August, 2026.

For generations of people associated with Hoddesdon Cricket Club, the name Peter Grant has been synonymous with Lowfield. To most, though, he will simply always be Cranker – one of those wonderful club characters whose contribution stretches far beyond anything that can be measured by appearances, runs, wickets, committee meetings or years of service.

Cranker Pictured At This Year's President's Day At Lowfield

Peter has been part of the Hoddesdon family for many decades, initially as a player before going on to become an enormously important figure behind the scenes. He served the Club for many years as an active committee member, helping to shape its future, supporting countless projects and playing his part in ensuring Hoddesdon remained at the heart of the local community. His contribution has never stopped when a committee meeting finished either. Cranker has always been one of those people prepared to get involved, offer advice, lend a hand and do the often unseen jobs upon which community sports clubs depend. Whether it has involved the ground, events, fundraising or simply passing on decades of experience and knowledge, Peter's fingerprints are all over the Club we know today.

Away from cricket, he has also devoted considerable time to Friends of Barclay Park, helping promote, protect and improve a place which means so much to the people of Hoddesdon.

There have been plenty of memories along the way. One wonderful snapshot from the Club's past saw Cranker pictured at Lowfield with the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers in November 1995, when the great West Indian visited Hoddesdon during discussions surrounding a possible second Club tour to Barbados. It is the sort of photograph that illustrates just how much cricketing history Peter has witnessed during his extraordinary association with HCC.

Peter (left) Was Present At Lowfield For The Visit Of Sir Garfield Sobers In 1995

Cranker has also formed friendships through the Club which stretch back more than half a century, and that perhaps says as much about Hoddesdon Cricket Club as anything else. Players come and go, teams change and generations pass through the pavilion doors, but people such as Peter provide the continuity which binds all of those eras together.

Chairman Ian Munday described Peter as a driving force at Hoddesdon and remarked that few, if any, people have given more to the Club over the years.

Hoddesdon Chairman Ian Munday Praised Peter For His Contribution

“On behalf of everyone at Hoddesdon Cricket Club, I would like to wish Cranker a very happy 80th birthday. Peter has given an enormous amount to this Club over many, many years and his contribution simply cannot be overstated. He is part of the fabric of Hoddesdon Cricket Club and Lowfield, and generations of members have benefited from the time, effort and passion he has put into making the Club what it is today. More importantly, he is a great friend to so many of us and a true club man in every sense of the word. It is a privilege to have him as our President and I hope he has a fantastic day celebrating such a special milestone. Happy birthday, Cranker!”

That is some tribute, but anybody who has spent time around Lowfield will understand exactly why it was made.

At 80 years young, Cranker remains a hugely valued member of the Hoddesdon Cricket Club family and, fittingly, our Club President. His humour, loyalty, knowledge and enormous contribution to HCC have earned him the affection and respect of countless members past and present.

So today there is only one thing left to say.

Happy 80th birthday, Cranker!

We hope Peter has a fantastic day celebrating this magnificent milestone, with our love, thanks and very best wishes from everyone at Hoddesdon Cricket Club. Here's to you, Mr President – and to many more happy days at Lowfield.