THE RAINBOW INN couldn’t get a team so cancelled at midday on Friday. Several phone calls later, your correspondent found a team called Winnadune (Anglo-Saxon for Wimbledon as any fule kno) in Surrey looking for an away fixture (they too had been let down) so it was a perfect match. They described themselves as ‘medium standard’ which was true. A mixture of veterans and youth, with some damn good bowling – particularly their Pakistani contingent – and one very good hitter. A very pleasant team they were, buying a jug in the pub after the game, always a good PR move if teams want to play us again. One of their regulars is a six-foot seven West Indian. Luckily he wasn’t playing.

There was a queue on Remenham Hill so kick-off was delayed until 2.40. The late start dictated a 30 over game. They won the toss, batted and started quite well but Smith (2 wkts.) bowled tightly as did new boy Olly Bett (1 wkt.) after a loosener or two. Their run rate never exceeded 4.5 an over. Their opening batsmen were stuck in traffic, their makeshift ones both succumbing to good balls from Roger and Olly. Wickets fell quite cheaply, despite some dropped catches (our fielding was actually much less pathetic than last week, Olly got a splendid run-out for example). There was some tight bowling from Jacot (3 wickets, none flukey), Will Clarke (1 wkt.), James Nixey (1 wkt) and Mooro who bowled their last man. Olly nearly caught and bowled their half-century maker, which would have been the catch of the decade. He was dropped a further 3 times. Their other major player, Imran, was bowled first ball by an inswinging yorker from Smith (‘unplayable’ – R. Smith). Fraser caught a catch. But normal service was resumed when he dropped one. More surprisingly, a ball went through Tom Bird’s cultured hands at mid-wicket, there being a suspicion that he was dreaming, possibly of a full-bodied Montagny with long appley nose and strawberry notes….Winnadune scored 135, perhaps not enough on a very good batting wicket with a short boundary.

Charlie Clarke, Will’s missus, and Mrs. Jacot acted as tea-ladies in Sarah’s irresponsible absence in Paris, and Charlie provided drinks in the field, and went to Henley to buy beer. Heterosexual union does not get much better. The batting order from last week was reversed to allow those who didn’t bat last week to have a go. Unfortunately this meant that Tom and Pete did nothing (but drop catches) and Chris and Adam did not bat. Next week’s captain (Roger Smith) please note.

Roger and Olly Bett opened and Olly was driving attractively when he prodded forward tentatively and was caught behind. James Nixey went in and he and Roger saw off some extremely accurate bowling, particularly 3 overs from Imran (who mysteriously never finished his allotted 6). Nixey had just scored a fine 4 and was pressing when he was out, but Roger had kept up the run rate with some firm hits, all in front of the wicket. Will came in and in a devastating over scored 24 (three 6s and a 4) to change the game around. It mattered not that he was out shortly afterwards, for Smith’s powerful hitting (four or five 6s) and Fraser’s elegant cutting and glancing

saw us home with 6 overs to spare: an impressive achievement because their little bowler Vizay was particularly menacing with his seam and swing. Smith scored his highest total for the V&A – 72 not out (previous best 69*). Fraser was not out 20, making his averages look rather good after his 120 last week.

So…two comfortable wins. Roger is captain on Sunday and will want to continue as we have started, so be prepared for his trademark huddle and pep-talk, before the anthem.