After a very wet week or so, which saw the YMCA resemble a boating lake rather than a cricket pitch, the weather had brightened up over the last few days meaning that the HOBs could do battle once more. The outfield was reasonably dry although slow but the wicket was like a sponge with almost every delivery likely to keep low making scoring runs difficult. If you're reading Mr Groundsman - a heavy roller should do the trick next time!!

Tosser Smith and the Gremlin tosser went out to the middle to have a toss off, Jon tossed a head and decided, for a change to field first. To be honest, I never see the point in the toss (apart from being able to call Jon a tosser) as we always want to field first and the opposition always want to bat first. Anyway, on to the match……..

Opening HOB bowlers Brown and SJ Smith were reliable as ever, putting the Gremlins' openers on the back foot from the first ball with some pacey deliveries. We didn't have to wait long for the break though, in the fourth over, with just two runs on the board and the batsmen starting to get irritable, SJ Smith steamed in and delivered a ball that came off the bat and looped straight into his hands. The very next over saw Brown collect the wickets of batsmen 3 & 4; both for ducks, the first saw SJ Smith performing a superman impersonation, diving full length at mid-off for what will probably be 'catch of the season', the second, a text book delivery that smashed into the top of off-stump. 3 down and just 7 on the board and it didn't get much better for the opposition, JS Smith claiming the next wicket in his first over, Jo 'The magnet' Smith holding onto a skied shot fielding at mid-on. Gremlins were struggling, 24 for 4 from 10 overs. The only batsman to trouble the scorers was Niko's future father-in-law who took a particular liking to Anth's bowling, fuelled by thoughts of what Niko might doing to his lovely daughter, he smashed his way to 36 before finally being caught by Davies in the covers from the bowling of Adams.

With overs running out and the score on just 55 Gremlins needed to chance their arm but some great bowling and fielding (and a little help from the soft wicket) saw SJ Smith take his fourth catch of the match from Davies, Adams clean bowling their number 7 with a ball that kept low, a runout from Davies and from the bowling of Jon, the bearded wonder Niko ' I caught one!' Zographou took an unorthodox catch at deep mid-wicket.

So, just 74 needed at fewer than 4 an over, an achievable target, even for the erratic HOB batters………..or maybe not. Things didn't start too well and they certainly didn't get any better. In fact, it got a damn sight worse by the end of the innings!

Ashford, playing in his first game of the season, suffered the embarrassment of a first ball duck, shortly followed by opening partner Clements and then Zographou; although it was worth the entrance fee (if you had to pay one and I don't think anyone would) to see the joy on Niko's face when he scored his first runs in cricket. Anyone would think that he'd just scored a double hundred but in reality he'd run 3, a useful 3 and in my book a run is a run is a run is a run (even though that's 4 runs!!???)

Pearce and Fillingham steadied the sinking HOB ship with some very cautious, no nonsense batting, the soft wicket making runs difficult to come by. The ship was still pissing water however and the bottom practically fell out when Pearce finally lost his patience and missed a straight one, bowled, but not before making a very useful 14.

The Smith Bros came and went, one bowled, one caught and suddenly HOBs were 39 for 6. Davies joined Fillingham in the middle and instantly stepped up the run rate with a quick fire 19 before he was also undone by a delivery that kept low. 14 needed from the last 24 balls.

Joel Brown the next man in…………and out for 0, a wicket maiden, 14 from 18.

Just 1 run from the next over, things suddenly looking very fraught, 13 from 12 and for the first time in the innings more than a run a ball was needed.

First ball of the penultimate over; Fillingham out for painfully slow scoring 12, hooking one down the throat of the man at mid-wicket. An Adams' boundary gave the old boys hope, now needing 8 from the final over.

Some quick running between the wickets saw Barrett facing the final ball with 3 to win and with every Gremlin on the boundary it was going to take something special, sadly it wasn't to be, Anth run out coming back for the second.

So, Gremlins win by 1 run, a thoroughly disappointing evening where the loss wickets at the start and at the end, together with a slow scoring middle order cost the HOBs dear. Only 5 Hobbers could manage going to the depressing ses pit we call the Kellaway Arms - and they only stayed long enough to award the man of the match to Mr Samuel Joachim Smith AKA Lord Jo of Redland for his excellent bowling, fielding and four catches (we won't mention his batting).

There's always next week……….