The Jolly Boys Cricket Club

For the first time this season Dave loses the toss. So naturally we're fielding first !

Now comfortably back in the swing of things "Cockney" Stu has opted to open the batting with Tom.

But what's this ? Nature-tastic mate !

After much careful stalking (not to mention zooming in - ed.) our intrepid reporter has managed to capture the source of all the nearby twittering. It's one of a pair of great spotted woodpeckers that have nested near to the wicket !

"Which is all well and good but you've missed all the action out on the wicket, you fat oaf" says Tony.

In other words I've not got any shots of Stu making a splendid 7 which has excited young Shannon so much that she's obliged to do an impression of "Daddy, this is what my hair would look like if it was made of fire".

So in goes Ogs. But the soon after comes back Ogs with an uncharacteristically short stay at the wicket. So the Jolly wickets have started falling. The doom mongerers amongst us are now starting to wonder whether we'll manage to get through our 18 overs ?

But our fears are soon kept in check as Stuey Holloway steadies us wuith a fine performance. Here he is early on in his magnificent innings of 26 (retired).

And the sun may have his hat on but he's very low in the sky as can be seen by Tony's shadow which is lenghtening off into the nearby trees.

A long shot of the Jolly base camp under midge central showing the big grey clouds that were starting to sweepe in. Luckily though the stready wind was keeping the flying bite machines firmly anchored to their perches.

Well the variable light is playing havoc with the camera but at least the sun is still going strong (for Grud's sake will you get back to reporting on the game ? This isn't the 7 o'clock weather report -ed.).

Which brings me back to the action where Tom and Stuey have had a great partnership with Tom making 23 before being well caught going for glory !

Whilst Dave is enjoying the view from third umpire he's now itching to get involved in the action.

WHich he did scoring a very creditable 16 before being well caught. So now it's time for Baz and Tony to keep things moving along.

Or not... as Baz is caught for 3 having mistimed his shot so mournfully returns to midge central.

So with having to pad up I miss getting any shorts of Dave Stoddard batting but it's now time for yours truly to face his first ball of the season. Naturally Ogs is ready with the camera expecting the Golden...

But it was not to be as I not only manage to get bat on ball but, thanks to Tonys Al-Qaida style running, get a couple of runs too !

So all that's left is for Tony to hit the winning 4 followed by us retiring to the Old TownHall where local wildlife expert Jol confirms our sighting of "a great spotted woodpecker, which people often wrongly call the greater spotted woodpecker".

Where Si has done us proud with, not one, but TWO trays of butties. It really doesn't get much better than this. A game of cricket, a win, a pint and a sandwich ! (good grief, either you really are as simple as you look or you have so little ambition it's worrying - ed.)