We struggled to raise a team, it being Sunday and with several players away in Cornwall and Barbados. But Sunil of the GTs, ever generous, gave us three players –major players too, all of whom shone.

I won the toss on a lovely day, in a 35-over match. I elected to bat, as we have won all our games when we bat first. We opened with our guest player, Ivan Mulford and a new V&A man, Richard Adamson. Richard looked the part when he whacked a 4 and less so when he was out next ball. But when he learns the vagaries of the pitch he will excel. Ivan was a wonderful batsman, technically correct and versatile. He scored at a brisk rate, accompanied by another GT man, Mark Baring, a powerful hitter. Mark had had one hour’s sleep, having partied in Warwick, yet was seemingly unaffected by being sleepless, and plastered. Together they hammered good bowling. Mark was eventually bowled for 40 and Ivan was caught in the deep for 56 invaluable runs. In came Tom Bird. And out again, well caught off a mighty hit to midwicket. Dino, also of the GTs but a sometime V&A player, came in and the run rate slowed for a while. But he held up his end as instructed. Andy Fraser, having graciously agreed to play because of our dearth of players, despite disabilities and old age, whacked a big six and then equally graciously retired caught, to allow a younger man a turn. This was Richard Ashcroft, a new recruit, who scored a couple of handsome 4s in his innings of 11. The ever youthful Peter Linthwaite strolled in and hit a 4 off the last ball. Dino was on a more than useful 42*, his four 4s would have been more had not several blows stopped two inches short of the long boundary. We scored 188, ‘not enough with the short road boundary and no bowling’ said Andy.

Lunch was catered by myself in the absence yet again of Sarah. It was deemed ‘adequate’. Tea was not. ‘No cucumber sandwiches’ said Andy. ‘A disgrace.’

We had only one main bowler, Mark. This was a problem. But to compensate he bowled beautifully and bowled their best batsman and enticed a caught behind. Ivan bowled the other end and if he did not seem so threatening he stalled their run rate with accuracy. And in his 7 overs picked up three wickets! All bowled. He had three very decent LBW appeals turned down, and one indecent one upheld. That put paid to their skipper, Miles Martin, and it is a testament to his geniality that he did not flinch or grouse at the surprising decision.

The only other controversial moment came when Andy Fraser of all people appeared to have run out their excellent wicketkeeper, another Andy, by throwing down the stumps from square leg. A replay would probably have shown it out but Stonor stubbornly refuse to invest in new technology.

The GTs seemed to find ways of getting themselves out. Ross got two wickets in one over, one was played on, one properly bowled. He would have got a third but for a missed catch at cover. But other catches were held, the crucial one by Mark in the deep dismissed their top scorer. Peter knocked off the tail with two excellent wickets, one ball would have bowled Hobbs, a lovely lofted spinner that enticed the error. The last wicket fell to Dino, a skier to Tom well held at square leg.

They were all out for 125. To be frank we did not deserve to win, with limited bowling and with three guests from the GTs who all contributed hugely. At one point in their innings they seemed to forget that this was a limited overs game and their slow scoring put pressure on later batsmen.

But it was a jolly day in sunny weather, the kites soared and the GTs are excellent company. Mention must be made of Mrs Zarattini who did the Sarah Jenkins role in the kitchen most efficiently and cheerfully. This was a bit of a Bird match, there were Birds N, A and T playing, none of whom distinguished themselves overly. Birds N and A did not bat, and Bird A cannot really run or bend or throw, but, as Andy Fraser (who played with him 40 years ago) pointed out ‘Tony did not run or bend or throw then, so there has been no real loss of form’. How many of us can say that.