The Jolly Boys Cricket Club

Well it's our first look at Soul Suite and what can we say ? They're obviously keen as, having all arrived early, they're already limbering. Another look also show that they've also got a youth policy too.

Botheration quoth the Jollys this may mean lots of keen running about... (lazy beasts you are - ed.)

After losing the last two tosses Dave has sent the injured Tom over to do the job. And what do you know he wins it with his first attempt ! (it's not best of three you buffoon - ed.)

So with such lovely conditions what can we do but elect to bat ?

And they're off, Darren and Ian purposefully stride off to open the battng. But hang on a minute wasn't Jol supposed to opening this week ?

Yes he was. But he's too busy with his commodity trading hobby to turn up on time so he saunters on to the field slightly late but having just shorted the Venezualan hula hoop market.

Mind you at this point the sponsors of the Jollys (Jols Commodity Traders Ltd.) would just like to point out that Jol scored 29 off 9 deliveries last week (so he can turn up when he feels like it - ed.)

And now look what's happened. Ogs has taken a leaf out of Jols book and has also failed to turn up on time. Mind you he's got an excellent excuse as he's obviously stopped off for refreshments.

But really gentlemen, it's a good job we're batting isn't it.

Thankfully out in the middle Ian and Darren are ticking along nicely and have started to indulge in some expansive stroke play (good grief some actual cricket related commentary - ed.).

Note also umpire Tom who is making the most of being unable to play by also heroically doing the book.

Back on the boundary the Jollys have been forced to abandon their usual vantage point under the trees by hordes of rampaging midges.

The combination of the last few days of rain, plus todays warm sun, seems have to created the ideal conditions for the little blighters as there seems to be even more, and more varieties, of the beasts than ever.

Out on the relatively midge free wicket the runs are piling up and Darren and Ian are batting magnificently. In fact they're doing so well that Ian is soon making his way back to the boundary having made his regulation 25.

And there's a man pleased with his evenings work ! (as are we, especially seeing that he also brought a crate of beer this week - ed.) Well done that man !

In fact it's a club record as shortly thereafter Darren too is making his way back to the boundary having joined the illustrious 25 and retire club.

So it's a new club record as both openers have managed to retire. Things are looking good tonight.

Or are they... out in the middle we've lost our first wicket as Stuey went for a cheap duck (hey at least it wasn't an abject golden like yours last week - ed.)

So now it's Dave and Billy who have got to try to live up to Ian and Darrens lead.

And live up to it they do as they begin a nice little partnership. But there's hope for Soul Suite yet as they manage to bowl Billy. Still he's added his 8 to the total so the score's ticking along nicely.

But we're not worried yet as Dave shortly thereafter joins the 25 and retired club.

So the crate of beer Ian brought certainly seems to have livened us up as this is turning into our best batting performance all season (it's only 3 games in you fool -ed.)

And having got in to bat Jol didn't hang about again. Here he is having firmly joined the "25 and retire" club having scored 133 off 1.27 deliveries.

Fact fans amongst you will be delighted to know that this brings his monthly batting total (all leagues, all competitions) to 2,483 runs off a mere eleventy four deliveries (you've been taking too much of an interest in Ians beer crate haven't you ? - ed.)

And in the time honoured tradition of Jolly Boys match reporting it's the end of our innings and an abrupt end of the report. As usual there are no pictures of Soul Suite batting, the pictures from the rest of our innings weren't up to much and I'm downing trypewriter as the pubs just opened.

All the remains is to say that our, completely out of character, inspired display of batting proved to be too much for Soul Suite to match so, despite a worthy effort, we emerge from week 3 with our second win of the season. Hooray for the Jollys !

Wowzzle ! Thanks to the total newfangledness of modern technology you can now view the total excitement of some genuine in game footage... It's just a shame about the whine emanating from the microphone on my Canon A620. Ho hum...