This one wasn’t fun to write. We go again next week with promotion still possible.

Before the game, the football thing was played next to the Hollies as we set the ground up. We suspect the live stream mic may have heard the majority of our warm up rituals. With Sean’s maths abilities truly tested putting the 30-yard circle out, we were good to go.

Duray had only won one toss out of more than 10 this year. You could be led to believe that his luck must level out at some point, but today you would have been wrong. Alas, Putney opted to bat owing to them only having 8 players with 15 minutes before the game was due to begin. We had wanted to bowl, so by this metric Duray succeeded in the outcome of the toss.

CRS took the first over and struck with just his fourth ball, a thin edge through the Max behind the stumps to remove the newfound opener - he had made 50+ when we played them earlier in the year.

Dom took the new ball from the other end and took the second opener for himself, trapping him lbw for 2.

The left-handed Putney no.3 scored a swashbuckling if streaky 21-ball 26 before he was caught at mid-off by Barron off CRS. It could have been a relatively simple catch, but he stepped into one of the many Hollies Valleys and almost fell into the ball, taking what was ultimately a pearler of a catch. He really can’t take easy catches.

Aman replaced Dom after 5 overs and peppered a length as per. After being hit for four through mid-wicket, he produced a worldie and dealt with leg stump with an inswinging yorker.

Azharul’s five overs did not claim any wickets, but threatened to do so. Barron had more luck, taking three wickets from his eight overs. Connelly dusted off his bowling shoulders for five overs at the end, restricting Putney to 192/8 from their 45.

The less said about our batting the better, with some notable standouts.

Sean was the first man out, an unconventional caught and bowled with a leading edge heating high into the sky but travelling the handful of yards to the waiting hands of the bowler.

Umar was soon after lbw, Max taking ample time to deliberate before raising the finger.

And so it continued, Plough wickets falling with regularity and variation in their softness.

The only constant was Leo Connolly, who batted exceptionally before getting a ball which rolled into the base of off stump. Aman provided some promising resistance for his 17 before he too departed.

CRS was the final man to go, the final deficit 28 runs.

We go again against Battersea Ironsides on Saturday with the hope of promotion still running strong - the 3rd place with the highest number of points across the four Surrey leagues goes up.

Go well, and Plough On.

Match report from Dom Scott