It rained. Usually the report would end here, but Offenham are a touring side and they had come down from Worcester expecting a match, so we played anyway. We played at Monkton Combe, not the ground that we play Monkton Combe on but the lower ground, by the road to Limpley Stoke. It is very attractive, when it doesn't rain, although the pavilion is a bit rudimentary. Still, we were grateful to have a pleasant ground with a passable pitch - passable being all one could hope for on such a day.

Since only seven of the Offenham team had arrived it was decided that we should bat. Equally baffling to bystanders was Duncan's decision that Gregory should open the batting with Owain; but whatever his theory was, it worked out quite well. Things were a bit slow to start with. Both opening bowlers were accurate, and neither batsmen is much ofa strokemaker. Then there was a run-out, Owain being the victim. Analysis is still continuing, but certainly there was a run and had Owain realised he was in danger he could have got home. But in practice you do not expect, at this level, to be run out at the bowler's end by a direct hit from backward square leg, and he may consider himself unlucky. Kevin may not: he hit two fours and then holed out at mid-on. Paul was given out LBW: again opinions are divided, but Paul's explanation of where his feet went does not correspond entirely with what the rest of us saw. Then again, what matters is where the ball was going.

This was not a good start. Three down, and Gregory wondering what was going on as the innings for once crashed aroun him instead of the other way round. Duncan got a good ball, but played an unreasonably expansive shot to it: four down. Only now did the rot stop. Richard played sensibly. Offenham, who were a bit short of bowlers, put one of their two wicketkeepers on and he obliged with a series of wides and no-balls. Gregory ground on, reaching 6 (one of them an overthrow) by the end of the 17th over and making a firm case for this year's Bill Owen Award for Tedious But Annoyingly Effective Batting. He was finally bowled by the seventh ball of the twentieth over, for ten.

A change of tempo was needed, and Luke supplied in in his characteristic style. Unfortunately it didn't last very long, and Johan and James achieved nothing; but Richard did do something, Toby supported him for a little, and Rob had a brisk and well-judged swing at the end, taking us up to 114.

After a rather impressive tea, provided by Duncan and Rob, we went out to field in the rain. We hadn't made such a bad score under the circumstances. But the rain got worse, and Offenham did have one batsman who could time the ball. Had we got him out early we might well have won; but Kevin could hardly bowl at all and Duncan could only bowl off a few paces because of the sodden footholds.

After a rain break we did have a chance, Gregory dropping a fairly hard catch at short mid-wicket; and he then dropped a rather easier one in the same place. That mattered less, as the batsman was out next ball. James, bowling over the wicket where it was drier, was the bowler in all these cases; he had earlier removed the other opener. Gregory, compulsorily round the wicket, bowled reasonably but didn't seem dangerous: Rob struggled with the wet run-up, and our chance glugged away. However, Duncan followed the Offenham example and put the spare wicket-keeper on; in this case Paul. He bowled rather well. More radically still, Luke was given a bowl at the other end. He didn't do badly either; and when he did put one outside off, Paul casually caught a fast-travelling edge, head-high and left-handed at slip, as if it was only to be expected. Johan and Gregory, leaders of Catch of the Year up to that point, may as well give up. Luke returned the favour, catching the good batsman in the deep as the rain got harder; and we were all convinced that Paul had had another wicket, caught behind down the leg side; but the batsman stood his ground, looking a little sheepish perhaps, and the umpire, who couldn't really be sure, had not much choice about giving him not out. By that time it hardly mattered: they needed three to win.