Well, I must confess that as I sit down to write this two weeks after the match, having survived a brief bout of Ashes Fever, I'm having trouble remembering what actually happened, but I've stuck on my new The Duckworth Lewis Method album for inspiration and will try my best to at least get the spelling right…

After making the trip over to South Gloucester for the second game in a week, we arrived to see that we would be playing a bunch of youngsters, always a worrying thing which wasn't improved by finding out that seven of them were first teamers…

Frampton's skipper won the toss and elected to bat in the warm, muggy conditions, allowing The HOBs to carry on our fine tradition of batting in the dark.

John opened the bowling with a fine first ball dot. This was swiftly followed up with a creamy straight drive over the bowler for four from opening batsman Dickinson. Not a great confidence booster for the HOBs and not improved by another cracking four off Anth's bowling in the second over. Still, this wasn't to last, with John lifting the HOBs with a third over wicket, straight bowling Dickinson for 11.

Next man in Roylance made it to 7 before a cheeky catch by Ed in his favourite slip position from Anth's bowling. It looked like a great start for the HOBs against a team who clearly knew how to use the bat.

Frampton's next-in number 4, (Harding) and opener (also Harding) proceeded to set up a nice partnership before the latter was run out on 27 by our newly and colourfully named skipper after a howler of an over from usually reliable spinner Jimmy. I can't quite remember the score at this point, but it was not looking good for The Hobbers with a projected score of round about the 150 mark, but some tidy bowling and wickets from Anth, Will and Stu allowed Jo put a little faith in my bowling, allowing me a respectable return of 13 from 3 overs with Stu putting a gift of a catch down off my bowling (Stu, this is why I have to catch them myself) and Jimmy (dropping a sitter) saving a certain 6 in the following ball. The Framptons slowed down their scoring and finished up on a gettable 129-6.

The strength of the opposition's batting convinced Jo to put together a proper batting order for once with him and Ed opening. Ed's wicket soon fell for 10 before Andy knocked a typically classy 18 and was out lbw. I got sent out to the middle to ump at this point and watched Joe swiftly rack up the score to over 100 with Lambshead senior, ably assisted by some shocking bowling from R Carter. I was happily thinking that I'd not be batting when Frampton spinner V Carter (Sr.) chucked a few down around the wicket with far more aplomb than his son, having both Tom (16) & Jo caught, Jo for a sparkling Man of the Match 64. It was about this time that Frampton bought out their secret weapon, a quick by the name of Barlow (check out his figures!) and after Will was run out for a quacker, I was despatched to pad up in time to watch John get clean bowled from the boundary for 2. Stu and Jimmy also went for ducks, both caught, courtesy of Barlow's bowling and I strode out to join Ash with a handful of runs to get off 4 overs. I strode out with 8 to come off three overs, but as is often the case, my walk out was longer than my time at the crease. I picked up a duck, clean bowled by Barlow. It was left up to Anth and Ash to finish of the runs for the final wicket.

Both put in fine defensive performances to keep the final over from Barlow out and we reached the 20th over with 2 runs to win. A quick single from Ash brought the teams level before Anth smashed a four straight down the pitch using his famed special move, moving us 133 with a wicket to go, and yet another close victory for the HOBs.