Well it had to happen one day I suppose...

Sundowners finally lost a game to Enfield Invicta. I'm not sure how many years we have had this fixture (I'm sure the editor will confirm... Not right now I can't! - Ed) but it has certainly become a fixture we expect to win. Perhaps we just got to cocky!

The story of the defeat follows:

Steve "Golds" Golding took over the captaincy for this week and his first defeat of the day was the toss. Invicta duly inserted us.

Faisal and temporarily retired club captain Smiler opened proceedings for us. Scoring seemed to go in fits and starts however our first 20 overs produced a steady 3 runs an over which should have been an ideal platform to launch an onslaught on this small ground with a lightning outfield.

With the fall of Smiler, caught off the bowling of Webb, the innings hit a period of stagnation. Faisal seemed to go back into his shell and new bat Andy Vernon struggled against some fairly negative leg-side bowling. V manfully tried to take the attack to Invicta but the harder he tried to hit the ball the less distance it seemed to go.

Faisal also seemed to sense the urgency required by the situation and stepped up the pace as he raced to 50 with a string of boundaries. He was eventually caught on 61.

Newcomer James Vassay, having showed his political colours to ACAS stalwart V on the journey over, now joined him at the crease. V being a white collar employee was deemed ok to share popping creases with, and James made a sprightly 14 before both he and V departed in quick succession.

The innings was brought to a declaration when acting captain Golds deposited a six over mid off in the 45th over. He deemed 198 to be a defendable total, and in reality it should have been.

A reasonable tea in our ever expanding guts, we lurched onto the outfield to defend our total.

Cat and Dom opened the bowling. Both bowled well but we failed to make a breakthrough until the total was in the forties. Cat profiting from a well held V catch.

Your correspondent and Ringo then came into the bowling attack. Once again we awaited several overs before Ringo induced Patel to loft one to James Vassay at midwicket.

The original Vassay, Luke, then had one over before the skipper considered we were in need of Cat's skills again.

Although a bit expensive I contributed (eventually) by bowling the dangerous Glynn who had just completed his half century.

Invicta had plenty of time to get the runs and a stack of wickets in had. Our only chance was to take quick wickets.

Despite the best efforts of Cat and a brief flurry of arms from Smiler we didn't have enough in the tank to sink our opponents, who completed the winning run with 3 overs and 5 wickets to spare.

If truth be told, and why wouldn't I, a fairly lacklustre fielding performance was at the heart of our inability to defend what should have been a competitive total.

Next week we have a home fixture against Walthamstow Horizintals, a team who provided the most extraordinary conclusion to any game I have played.

We look forward to Mark Naisbitt taking over the captaincy for this match as he looks to exorcise his cricketing and personal demons from this fixture.

Tune in next week for another riveting rollercoaster ride through Sundown folklore