Generally it is accepted that humidity is good for swing bowling, Wilby flew in the face of orthodoxy by opening with Glynne-Jones’s off breaks and (more conventionally) Crane from the other end.

Bookham had one opener who hit some huge sixes. Both opening bowlers managed to tie him up with balls that weren’t in his slot, but he still got the oppo off to a flier. At 60-odd off 5 overs it was clear that something different was required, and the double bowling change worked immediately with Azharul cleaning up the big-swinger through the gate. Wilby kept things tight from the other end. Azharul went on to pick up his 5-for with four catches, the best of which was Mead’s screamer at gully, hanging on to an ankle-height tracer bullet. It’s also worth mentioning Yanni’s take off a high top edge behind the stumps when he managed not to trip over the helmet placed on the grass behind him.

The fourth and fifth wickets were the last two balls of Azharul’s sixth over, at which point Wilby withdrew him from the attack, to general consternation. Selmi took over, bowling a nagging off stump line. He was unlucky not to take a wicket. Tailor bowled with his usual flight and turn, and was unlucky only to pick up a single wicket.

Crane came back and the first over of his second spell was an excellent maiden. Unfortunately, in his second over his back went. Wilby had to finish off the over, causing havoc with the scoring app. Glynne-Jones came back on and got loads of turn. He got two in two balls, the first of which was caught by the oppo player who was on as a sub for Crane. The hat-trick ball popped up in the air slightly, but not close to a fielder. Wilby brought back Azharul immediately, which led to something which can’t happen too often: two consecutive hat-trick balls. This one passed by anticlimactically, left alone outside off stump.

Wilby picked up one, before Azharul bowled the final over. The opener who had batted all the way through the innings selflessly went for a suicidal run off the final ball, allowing Azharul to continue to stamp his name all over the game by effecting the run out. It was a great all-round fielding performance and we did very well to restrict them to 201 all out after the start they got.

There then followed what was a first for me: tea courtesy of Subway. By the time we came out to bat, the humidity had dropped considerably and the sun had come out. Mead and Cosgrove started cautiously on what wasn’t an easy pitch. Just as they looked like they were starting to get in, they were out in quick succession. Raees came in, but soon had to retire hurt with cramp. Scantlebury, Selmi and Baveas all looked good while they were in, but then got out. The variable bounce completely did for Baveas with one that didn’t get up above ankle height.

Raees came back out after downing a couple of bottles of electrolyte drink, with Azharul as runner. He crunched several straight sixes before he was bowled for 38. Glynne-Jones set about taking the game to the oppo supported by Wilby (a quick-fire 17) and then Azharul. With the victory in sight, Glynne-Jones was LBW for 42 to another daisy cutter. Tailor managed to get a single off the first ball of the last over to put Azharul on strike. He absolutely creamed the next ball for what would certainly have been a four to tie the game, if the bowler hadn’t somehow managed to cling on to a blistering return catch. With Crane still struggling to even stand up he was unable to bat, meaning we lost by 4 runs.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable game with a tense finish as Azharul nearly pulled off a MotM batting display to follow up his MotM bowling. The oppo were keen to arrange a return match at DSG, and they were a nice bunch so we would be happy to play them again.

Match report produced by Andrew Cosgrove