tRPC Client on NodeJS server keeps complaining that no fetcher has been configured

Hey, I want to create a tRPC setup where I have one server (works fine) and then a client which is created on another server.

I create the client like this:

import fetch from 'node-fetch';
import { createTRPCProxyClient, httpBatchLink } from '@trpc/client';
import superjson from 'superjson';
import type { AppRouter } from '@my-server';

const trpc = createTRPCProxyClient<AppRouter>({
  links: [
    httpBatchLink({
      url: 'http://localhost:3333/trpc',
      fetch: fetch as any,
    }),
  ],
  transformer: superjson,
    
});

export default trpc;

It keeps complaining with this error:

TRPCClientError: 
"fetch" has not been found globally and no fetcher has been configured. To fix this, install a fetch package (like https://www.npmjs.com/package/cross-fetch), instantiate the fetcher, and pass it into your HttpLink constructor. For example:

import fetch from 'cross-fetch';
import { ApolloClient, HttpLink } from '@apollo/client'; 
const client = new ApolloClient({
  link: new HttpLink({ uri: '/graphql', fetch })
});

I've tried using cross-fetch as well with the same result.

Using version 10.27.3.

Grateful for any hints 🙏

wow thanks! Nearly went insane here.
I have the option to update the Node version to 18, so I'll go that route.