Until halfway through the Canal Taverners innings - that is to say, a quarter if the way through the match - it was going well for us. Rob Branston, captain in Duncan Lee's absence, and Duncan Rance, bowled really well, and the only mishap was an attempted run-out which led to four overthrows. The batsman was out next ball anyway (the scorebook does not record who caught him, or much else about the match). Will did a similar good job at the other end of the innings. In between there was some wild stuff: Gregory and Adam were hit long distances and most of the others avoided the same fate only by keeping the ball out of reach. It wasn't one of our worst performances, and the short boundary gave us some hope of getting 140 to win.

The captain opened the innings, and ran himself out before he had faced a ball. It wasn't his call and there wasn't a run. His partner had, it is true, omitted to call at all. The throw was not gathered cleanly and Rob would have made it back easily if he hadn't unfortunately already given up, assuming the bowler would do the job. The innings never really recovered from this disaster, though Kevin and Betty both flourished for a while. Adam, too, played a couple of nice shots before getting something nearly unplayable. The other Rob was also run out, less spectacularly; Will made a few; and Duncan Rance ended the match as defiantly as he had begun it, with a six over square-leg. But he was bowled by the next ball.