The day didnt start well as Ricky set up in a covered area only to be told we had to be outside without any shelter. The changing room provided for bag storage was, one assumes, the store cupboard as it contained a chest freezer, various football and cricket rubbish. Worse was to come as Ricky lost the toss and were put into bat on a wet, sticky, green surface. The ball was soon whistling around ears and down at ankles.

Gaurav hit a full toss for 4 and then scooped a later delivery into the arms of cover. What followed was pretty much the same for the next 20 overs. Players getting in and then receiving an unplayable delivery. Lekshay and Asim were scuttled by balls keeping lower than a mole, whilst Paul and Waheed were undone by extraordinary bounce off a length. Adeel gave the innings some impetus with good hitting and running, and perhaps the only other bright spark was the honesty of the Ricky batsmen and umpires. Batters giving themselves out was admirable and the umpires didnt succumb to a lot of moaning and inference that decisions were not being given for reasons other than cricketing fairness.

128 wasnt enough, on what was now a drying surface and outfield. The sun emerged. Joe produced an unplayable delivery take a wicket, and then so did Jack as his first ball pitched on a length and leapt at the batters throat. But our spinners couldnt get the same scuttlers that the Pinner bowlers could, and the 5th batter for Pinner took the aggressive approach and hit everything he could. A few dropped catches wouldnt have made any difference and Pinner cruised home.

A game that will be quickly forgotten