HOB's second match of the season was at The Rudgeleigh Inn - HOB's substitute home ground and only a mere eight mile stone's throw from our normal YMCA venue.

Following an extremely narrow 3 run loss against Fishponds, we needed a robust response and started off well when our newlywed Captain Pandya-Smith as he is now known, winning the toss and electing to bat. MP Clements and Mr Fillingham purposefully strode out to the middle - a slightly less purposeful but steady start ensued, Matt out for a solid ten including a cracking 4 to mid on. Old man Clem was eventually clean bowled and Ash put on a very useful 14 before being caught quite rightly trying to hoik one down the ground. Goldenarm Adams added a quickfire seven before being bowled.

This heralded the introduction of Will and Jo who decided to crank up the run-rate setting to maximum. Having recently returned from a three week honeymoon bonkfest, Jo then embarked on a thirty minute Rudgeleigh smash attack, cracking balls to all corners of the ground. Particularly eyecatching was a massive six, swatted away off his equally massive legs. Jo was ably assisted in this blitzkreig by Will Thomas who made a classy 19.

The only downside to all the boundaries was the disappointing loss of around half a dozen cricket balls - the grumble of assorted Hobbers, knee deep in nettles duly filled the air and they waded around the boundary undergrowth. Jo eventually holed out for 34, Jon unexpectedly falling quickly afterwards. Ed Davies and Phil Sergeant came in to steady the ship though and ended the innings well, both unbeaten on 18 and 11 respectively. This left the HOBs on a respectable if unspectacular 125/6 off their 20 overs.

The Gremlins innings had Smith and Anth Barrett opening the bowling aggressively, both looking tight and threatening. Jon's head starting to sweat profusely and go purple as he reached the end of this allotted overs - always a sign Jon's bowling well and giving his all - although in normal people it's often a sign of an impending heart attack.

These two yielded 3 wickets between them and in 8 overs conceded a paltry 17 runs. Wickets continued to fall steadily throughout the opposition innings, as well as Jon and Anth, Andy Barry, Will and Tom 'the jobless wonder' Lambshead getting in on the action. All the bowlers did well with Davies and Phil Serge keeping things tight at the end.

We fielded relatively well and had them all out for a meagre 74 in 19.3 overs - a good all round effort with special mention for Fillingham behind the stumps who made two excellent catches, one to dislodge Niko's dangerous father in law, Bryan Paul. Pick of the bowlers was Anth Barrett for an impressive 4-0-7-2. For Gremlins, these were figures which raised more eyebrows than an MPs expenses claim.

Man of the match however went to the freshly Indianised 'Pandya-Smith', adding some explosive Tendulkar-like shots in his first game of the season. A good win for the HOBs with the first league game of the season around the corner. I wonder if preparations could be hampered by Phil's Newquay-based stag do in between which starts tomorrow…boozed-up beach cricket anyone?