Our third league match of the season saw us face Bushwackers at the YMCA. The corresponding fixture last year produced much controversy, I won't go into that again however I must add that Mr Goodenough wasn't playing tonight and surprise surprise the game was played in a very friendly but competitive manner with no incidents to report. Strange that.

Bushwackers elected to bat having won the toss and it didn't start well for them, a suicidal run ended in Adams throwing the ball to Fillingham for a simple run out. Smith claimed 2 wickets for 15 from his 4 overs, a stump splatterer and a cloud brusher that PR Serjeant did very well to hold on to looking straight into the sun! Barrett also got one to go through the gate and the Bushwackers top 4 were all back in the hut for a combined score of 16.

This brought their captain and some giant to the crease, the captain playing lovely off drives, the giant slogging everything with all the grace of the Honey Monster - effective though! Davies finally bowled the giant but not before he'd scored 43 and their captain finished unbeaten on 64. There was one more run out with credit going to PR Serjeant.

Set 136 to win it was important the Old Boys got off to a good start and Davies and PR Serjeant didn't disappoint. After Phil was bowled for 24 Smith was in next and was lucky to survive his first ball, a Chinese cut that somehow missed the stumps and ran away for 4. With the score at 87 from 12 overs Henleaze were cruising towards another victory with most of the hard work done however, a couple of tight overs, the loss of Davies (21) and Smith (33) and the run rate started to creep back up with just 13 runs scored from the next 4 overs.

36 needed to win from the final 4 overs saw all sorts of horrible shots, run outs, play and misses, miss fields, you name it, it happened but unfortunately for HOBs we were 5 runs short come the end.

We well and truly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and not since Lisa Leemon rebuffed my advances at a Horfield C of E junior disco circa 1987 have I felt this low. Next up Chepstow away, yes that's right, we're playing against a whole town!!! God help us!