I knew this week would not go as smoothly as last week when I received a call from Dave Cattell at 10.30am telling me he had a bad back and couldn't play….

In his words: "Don't worry I'll get someone from AP [Alexandra Park - the oppo] to play for us. Oh, and I'll umpire."

Surprise, surprise, at 1.40pm I am on the mobile - how did we ever get a team prior to these things? - searching for a player. I am trying the usual suspects:

Gareth's excuse: "I'm Patrick Vieira's best mate".

We later find out Mr Vieira put his thumb up to G-man as the Arsenal double-winning parade went around Highbury Corner.

Alex Boggia's excuse: "I'm with Gareth, who is Patrick Vieira's best mate".

Ringo Tailor is waiting for his wife to turn up from Wembley?

Oh well, we'll play with 10. Or will that be nine, as it's now 1.59pm and Dave Reed still hasn't arrived from work in Harrow. We are just about to take the field with nine when Ringo rings back to say he can play - if someone picks him up. Cattell is despatched.

You will appreciate all this has happened before a ball is bowled. But wait. There is more pre-match drama to tell.

Smiler Herlihy has turned up to find that AP have smashed a ball through our toilet window and has then proceeded to f**k several members of their team off and work himself into high state of anger. (For those who know him, and those who don't - the type of anger only Smiler can generate.)

So we take the field with nine, still no Reed, and Tailor on his way. AP must have been thinking the game would be easy.

Dom Pilgrim opens Sundowns bowling - as usual down the hill - and takes his customary few balls to get his rhythm.

After beating the outside edge several times, he produces a peach of a delivery to bowl Wynt.

At the other end, in the absence of Cattell, Mark Naisbitt has taken over the "Richard Bathard up-the-hill" end. He is bowling tightly, and an edge by Lea sees him run out after a good throw from Herlihy.

Herlihy is still fuming over the aforementioned window incident, and this is compounded when, not once but twice, Dom, straining for a quicker ball, pulls it wide to land firmly on Smiler's ankle (very apt nickname today).

I believe Steve Golding was told to "f**k off", although no one is quite sure why his anger is angled in this direction.

Tailor first, and then Reed, eventually turn up and we have a full complement by 2.45pm.

Unfortunately this seems to make our fielding worse, with catches going down during the afternoon by "Vertigo" Golding, "That's mine" Jani, "Reliable" Reed, "I don't believe I dropped it off my own bowling" Naisbitt, Dom "the umpire was in the way" Pilgrim and even skipper "he didn't touch it" McGowan.

Ringo is next to claim a wicket, with Jani atoning for his earlier blunder by hanging on to a swirling catch at cover point.

Reid and David are now quietly putting a partnership together for AP, and Golding again goes wicketless in his spell.

Dave Reed picks up David (25) with a nicely floated ball that McGowan agilely takes (at the second attempt) to complete the stumping.

McGowan once again turns to Medlock, with AP on 120 for three. 150 will be a tough total to chase on this wicket, and AP look like cruising past.

But 24 balls, two wicket maidens and five wickets later for Medlock and AP's total is 125 for nine.

For the second week running, your correspondent has nabbed himself five wickets, this time conceding only two runs (I must give a mention to Steve Golding's fine diving catch in the gully to secure the fifth).

Dom Pilgrim is brought back down the hill and finishes off the AP lads by clean bowling Latif. They are all out for 125. A right result considering the poor fielding and how things stood 20 minutes previously.

As usual, McGowan is more interested in his tea, and is into his third cuppa before he realises that he has to sort out the batting order.

Luckily, the first two pick themselves. The "I only bat number two" Smiler, and the recalled Vernon fresh from his family pursuits on the Wirral the previous weekend.

These two get Sundowns off to a solid start, with the score reaching 35 before Herlihy falls for 13 (has this been an unlucky day for the clubs senior statesman and honourable fixture secretary?).

Golding comes in next and he and Vernon move the score to 49 before he falls, bowled by I Latif.

Meanwhile Andy V is compiling a solid innings at the other end, including a couple of rasping fours through square on the offside - his new lightweight frame allowing the execution of a shot he previously found nigh on impossible.

Keep up the good work Andy, before the summer binge starts to ruin your batting credentials!

V is eventually out for 30 with the score on 62. Jani strides to the wicket, and has some lusty swings, without the success of last weekend. He departs for a tortured three.

While all this has been going on, a nervous Paulo Manzi (golden duck on debut in his only innings so far for Sundowns) has been practising, and taking tips from the still "mad-eyed" Smiler.

Whatever Smiler's wise words, they worked. Paulo was soon off the mark with a three. With Medlock now at the other end following Jani's short foray, Manzi moved confidently to 11 before playing the ball from AP's Peter David onto his stumps. Who says God doesn't work in mysterious ways?

This brought skipper McGowan to the crease, to continue his unbroken partnership with Medlock from the Hatfield game.

These two wily old dogs kept the score ticking over as Sundowns moved ever closer to their target. AP bowler Bose was despatched, first by Medlock into a garden for six, and then, into another garden via a garage window by McGowan for the same result.

The game carried on, as a most unhappy Chinese man demanded someone pay for his garage window. Luckily we had ACAS, in the form of Vernon, and the situation was diffused - if left unresolved.

Déjà vu, I think, aptly sums up the rest of our innings: Medlock, 20no, McGowan 33no - including a fine six to finish the innings.

Once again we were victorious, two in two.

AP proceeded to lock themselves in the dressing room, appearing in the bar well after Vernon (guard of the remaining tea) and Medlock (dodger of the guard) have consumed Pat (the tea lady)'s (yes everyone gets a mention on this website) left-over tea-time treats.

Once again it's time for beer and tales of the days exploits.

On to the day's winners and losers;

The Winners:
Well surely yours truly (again), five for two and 20no (and his son watching for the first time…welcome to cricket Luke).

The Skipper, one stumping, 33no.

Andy "slimline" Vernon, 30

Paulo "signed on an Italian passport" Manzi avoiding a king pair

Dom "pacey when it hits Smiler" Pilgrim two for 19 from 11 overs

Gareth Williams - now Patrick Vieira's best mate

Sundown Specials - received £200 from our sponsors Ollies bar.

The Losers:
Smiler, broken window to sort out, sore ankle and unlucky-for-some 13.

Jani, just three and a dropped catch

Ann Whitbread, still no sex until the skipper gets out!

Tune in next week to re-live the encounters of Sundown Specials v "old rivals" Pymmes and to find out if Ann Whitbread has charmed "the skip" on the strength of his being out for his Saturday team.

© Tony Medlock 2002