...on Saturday, I won the toss and elected that team GB should bat, though the Trades Description's bods may argue about it being called that. The innings started and closed in identical fashion with a comedy run-out. O'D skied the ball and called for a single which Barry declined as he could see the ball dropping directly into the fielder's hands - it dropped right out again and onto his feet, the process of which saw him kicking the ball in the direction of the striker's end, the end from which O'D had set off! The fielder calmly followed the ball, picked it up and completed the run-out. 

As for the closure of the innings, Dave had finally conceded that his nagging hamstring injury required him to have a runner. A few balls later, he clipped one to square leg and watched as his runner set off from point to complete the comfortable single. However, the non-striker started to move and then stopped, wondering why Dave had not moved from his ground, yet sure he had heard the call for the single. In somewhat animated gestures, Dave pointed out that his runner had completed the single and was now in the processes of trying to regain his ground which he failed to do. All out for 119 with 10 of their 40 overs unused, the most significant contributions being Barry's rapid 25, David Allen's promising 30 and a generous helping of 23 extras. 

Tea was ferried in by most of the oppo's mums (we had by the way, found ourselves playing Newdigate III at Pixham Lane instead of perennial drop-outs Brasted Chart - a fact communicated to everyone by either e-mail or voice-mail and yet still Pradeep went to the Brasted end of the A25!) and very nice it was too.  

So, defending what was only about 120 shy of what looked a par score for that pitch and outfield, it proved no surprise that Newdigate took only half their 40 overs to surpass our score for the loss of two wickets, one of which caused arguments over who placed Nick where to take the catch ("I told you to move to gully." "I'm at third slip, I told you Pradeep would bowl one in the right area eventually!")