The PCC 1st XI set off to one of its favourite fixtures in good order after a strong win the weekend before.  However, although the familiar surroundings at Wooburn inspired an excellent performance in the field, Wooburn have a good side centred around 2 or 3 very good players.  These players are easily a match for anything we will face in Div 3 this year, and it showed.

Tom lost the toss (again!) and Wooburn choose to bat on a rough, but OK looking surface.  One very long boundary did not take away from the very picturesque surroundings, and after a vigorous warm up (well it was for me!) Tom and Smash opened the bowling.  It was a warm day, and lambs bleeted encouragingly….

Both bowled well, getting good movement, and the runs were kept down.  Smash, who muttered that he couldn’t buy a wicket actually was with his tight spell – for Tom.  Two wickets (both caught behind by Swaps) were off excellent deliveries (in’t corridor of uncertainty).  So, two tight spells punctuated by the odd poor delivery, that was smashed to the boundary.

I replaced Smash, and thankfully found a better rhythm than last week, and Raj enthusiastically came on for Tom.  His appealing before the ball arrives at the batsman needs to be looked at J but I was very impressed with his control of the ball – gentle movement on an excellent length.  Sadly Tom dropped their left hander (celebrating the catch!) to deny him his first (of surely many) PCC wickets.

I bowled one batsman with a delivery that I have missed bowling – pace and a hint of movement off the pitch.  The game was meandering a tad here, so Tom introduced Sha, and John Barron (who had fielded very well for someone who had already had a round of golf that day!) and Mr Britto into proceedings.  All three were a bit expensive – the 4ball in every over chaps – but Sha did take a couple of wickets, one another extraordinary catch (made to look easy) by my viciously competitive and noisy brother Nick (hmmm).

Our fielding was excellent, the in-team support generous and positive and the bowling effective.  I felt good about this.

So, after 45 overs, Wooburn declared on 176 for 8 (Tom 3, me 2, Sha 2 and one run out).  After an excellent tea (that girl was attractive, and I don’t care how old/young she was!) Nick and I strode out to open our innings, and then strode back pretty quickly!  Nick was bowled by a ball that kept straight (through the gate), but it was the banana pearler before that did him.  I was out caught at deep cover (poor shot), and Swaps shortly after.

It knocked the stuffing out of us to be honest, but Steve and Fas rebuilt (until Fas required a runner, then Swaps (the runner) had to retire himself!).  Our score rate was very slow, and this was a bit disappointing because we must be able at this level to take singles easier than this and keep the scoreboard ticking over.  Fas went, then Smash played a lovely little cameo – playing as straight as he has in the nets.

Raj gave me an appalling stare when I gave him out plumb LBW (the oppo were amused), and John sadly came and went quickly – as did Sha.  So, it was left to another debutant Jamil (a man with a fantastic physique – boxing - and a withering square drive) and Tom to pretty much take us up to a total of 107 all out.

I must mention Tom’s 6 – it was towering, straight and long (and instigated a conversation on the best 6s for the club later that evening).  I must also congratulate Jamil (Jim) on top scoring.  But we lost – and I hate losing, and there are areas we can all improve on.  Batting could be a lot better.

Perv