Surprise nice weather throws Sundowners off course

This was not a typical Sundown Specials curtain raiser by any means. Normally, at this stage of the season woolly jumpers are the order of the day as northeasterly winds play havoc with the expectant hands of the slip fielders.

Also at this stage of the season one would normally expect to find Messrs Reed and Naisbitt performing a connoisseur's critique of the latest porn offerings. Not this year, however. Hardly a cloud interfered with a sapphire blue sky as temperatures soared into the 70s and not a Naisbitt or Reed was to be seen. Who knows what the future holds for these two veterans?

Those readers who had absorbed the minutes of our AGM and presumed Steve Golding had been elected skipper, may have been confused as Smiler went out to toss the coin. Apparently, Steve was to set the field placings and Smiler would do the rest. I digress. Smiler lost the toss and Hatfield elected to field.

Smiler and I opened the innings and set off at a steady, if by no means spectacular, rate. Some 73 was added for the first wicket before Smiler fell stumped off the erratic bowling of Fletcher.

Barry joined me at the wicket, immediately smashing Fletcher through mid-wicket before holing out to the veteran and apparent "character" I Cumming. My own innings had hardly been chanceless having been dropped once at first slip and once by the "character" and having survived an action replay type stumping attempt.

Having reached 48 and clearly conscious of the expense of a jug, I entered the "worst shot of the season" competition (and I fully expect to win having chipped the 12-year-old Faulkner to midwicket).

My former roadmate Clive now entered the fray and smashed a quickfire 40 not out including a huge mid wicket 6 to take our total up to a respectable 190-6 dec having been partnered along the way by debutant Alex Heathcote, who made 16.

Following an impressive tea, it was important for Sundowners to take some early wickets. Our two openers Dom and Ringo did just that as they tore the heart out of the home team's top order. Ringo-the-Swingo was particularly impressive as his figures of 3 for 7 off 7 overs indicates. It could, however, have been more.

Indeed it should have been more. Part of the fun of amateur cricket of course is trying to predict which one of your team-mates is going to be the first to drop a dolly....

...and this year's award goes to Jan Krypner who, at one stage as the ball - which had been smashed back at bowler Ringo - had looped up benignly off the veteran Indian paceman's open palm, had looked like the first catcher of the season.Alas without any manual intervention gravity was the winner.

Worse was to follow on the catching front. Debutant Drew Michael may be a super sleuth - and indeed Scotland Yard's finest - but on this display he would have struggled to catch Sars in a Chinese brothel.

As the Commodores sang "Once, Twice, Three times"... he dropped it "but we love him." Following this we struggled to break down the oppo with Golds taking a couple of wickets - one of them spectacular if a little controversial.

Steve bowled to the aptly named Cox who, on the second bounce struck the ball hard and low to Golds left hand side. Steve threw himself athletically to ground taking a superb catch low down.

"No Ball" cried Cox, "it bounced twice". "It's got to be more than twice", chorused the Sundowners as we sent him back to consult the book of "rules".

Sadly, we couldn't remove the last couple of batsmen and they finished 108 -7. All in all a good performance from the lads and a promising start to the season.

Winners and losers
No losers this week just winners all round. But a special mention for Ringo - M-o-M.