The midseason league table had just come in revealing that HOBs had to win all their remaining matches convincingly to defend the trophy.

Having steered his team to championship success last year, captain Jo Pandya-Smith did not want to see the trophy slip away in his final year at the helm. It was his arse on the line and we all had to pull our fingers out!

We lost the toss and were put in to field. A tidy spell of bowling from the openers Smith and Barrett kept the score under control with 2 maidens a piece. While Smith failed to make his 100th HOBs wicket, Barrett's balls proved too tempting for the opening batsmen; they each had a nibble and paid the price.

As the game progressed, our captain was anxious to get more wickets. Straight bowling from Davies dislodged nervous batsmen but Jarman and Goodenough made a stand steering Bushwackers to 111 for 5.

And so to one of the dodgiest batting performances in HOBs history.

We faced a field of a lady and 10 gentlemen, confident of knocking off the required 112 without too much trouble. Too confident as it happened. Bushwackers' Goodenough proved true to his name dislodging dependable crease-stayers such as Davies and Barry, before showing Lambshead a short straight one which he immediately prodded down the throat of the lady at square leg, who grabbed hold of it appreciatively.

Panic had set in and the Bushwackers fielding was sharp holding onto anything that went in the air, even one or two that were hit skyward off no-balls. With a little luck though, HOBs batsmen were able to bring it home in the last over with a handy partnership by Thomas and Smith.