Another fantastic evening of summer weather so good that not even the inclusion of Hawksley could ruin it bought us back to the Stapleton ground for the second game this season.

The initial signs weren't too good with Jon still out, the kit bag forgotten and me missing out on a dozen free krispy kreme doughnuts on the way to the match.

Unperturbed, openers Davies and Ashford strode out to the strip, reassuringly positioned at the far end of the green, well away from the car park. A typically steady start from Davies at one end was not quite so solidly followed at the other end by Ashford who was given a controversial lbw by a HOBs umpire from the ominously named 'Number 13' (check out the scorecard - looks like we were playing a team from the village in The Prisoner). Due to the lack of club kit Trahar was forced to take on the mantelpiece* of wielding The Lambinator. Trembling and sweating with the task before him, Pete nervously navigated the long walk out to the middle, gingerly holding the hallowed blade. He need not have worried, he proved himself to be a worthy master, quickly knocking off a few of his now trademark straight legged boundary drives. The Lambinator proved once more, however, to be fickle mistress, having Pete caught for a sparkling 21. Skipper Stu then strode out to bat managing to poke 6 six runs before being bowled by 'Number 3'. Davies meanwhile was steadily racking up the runs at the other end. Hawksley was next to skip up to the middle, knocking a couple of boundaries off before taking a ball to the ribs. Unperturbed, he notched up a few more runs before being caught on 15. New recruit Harris unsheathed The Lambinator, but proved a less worthy master than Trahar, being clean bowled for 2. Fillingham rounded up the innings with a solid partnership with Davies who finished on a highly competent 64 not out, bringing the HOBs total to 151 in conjunction with the ever consistent HOBs batsman, Extras.

With a lofty total in place and a small boundary on three sides, Barrett and Hawksley opened the bowling. A good start from Hawksley saw opening batsman number 6 (Patrick McGoohan) caught by Davies for 1. Fishponds number 3 Batsman (Number 10) proceeded to create a useful partnership before HOBs Resident Antipodean removed the opener's stumps for 11. Consistent bowling from Anth saw two little ducks (number 22) go quack, caught by Fillingham for 0. Two fat ladies (number 88) waddled into the crease to start what was to be a lifeline for the Fishponds Team. Davies and I took a wicket each (straight bowled and LBW respectively) before Hawksley took a tasty run-out. With Fishponds close to the run rate and Clarisa Dickson-Wright and Jenifer Paterson still on a steady flow of runs, William 'Hoover' Thomas made a superb return from injury to clean up the final three wickets, finishing on a superb 3/6 from 1.5 overs and sealing HOBs' 16 run victory.

*See Rio Ferdinand