Sticky wicket and a couple of bits of agro, but 30 points in the bag

On a track that seemed strangely dry and hard, the toss was a good one to lose, but after being inserted, I wasn't too disappointed.

With Rob Stirrup, Dave Wing and Piers all not about, it was left to the skipper to open again with the elder Khan. Matin continued his consistent run of form and is now challenging Darshan on the duck board after flicking one straight to square leg. Naz soon follwoed after deciding to have a go before having a look to see what the bowler was doing and skied one to point.

The Hyde skipper opened the bowling and could best be described as liquorice allsorts with no ball the same as any of the previous. At the other end the bowler was one of the best we had seen at a third team level and it took a big effort just to keep out the number of yorkers bowled.

After working so hard at keeping the better of the openers out I was then gutted to throw my wicket away at the other end trying to hit a long hop into orbit and inside edging onto my stumps. Pete then joined Joe in the middle and both looked comfortable before Pete missed a slower ball and was hit in front (although he believes that he was triggered by Naz!)

Lee made a scratchy 4 before Joe passed his 50, only to depart soon after to another LBW, again feeling it was a bit dodgy (although Joe thinks every LBW he has received this year has been dodgy). Despite the frequency of the no-balls, the opposition were getting frustrated and at one point accused of outright cheating about no-balling the bowlers as they never no-balled! We let this pass and with Dan Penny and Chris Potter making useful contributions down the order we got to 152 all out.

On another day that score could have been worth about 180-190, so it was definitely defendable. Lee took the old ball to see if there was any movement as there had been at the end of our innings and saw two edges go through the slips with Dan Penny unlucky at first slip off the first ball of the innings and the second bisecting the gap. A shower then put an end to any swing we may have got so the new ball was taken soon after.

Lee's worst ball of the innings then picked up the first wicket with the long-hop getting stuck in the wicket and the opening bat could only watch as the ball looped over his bat and hit the top of off on the way down.

Two wickets in two balls for Lee swung the game our way with the second of the two unplayable after angling in to middle before swinging away and clipping the outside of off.

Chris Potter was unlucky at the other end, beating the bat on a number of occasions without any success to show for it. Dan Penny replaced him and despite only being able to bowl at half pace, was soon in the wickets, bowling the number 3. Lee picked up his fourth (all bowled) before being given a breather. Dan Penny picked up two more including the annoying git on their side who hadn't stopped talking the whole of their innings.

What followed next was just outright bizarre as the number 9 walked half way down the wicket as the bowler was bowling every delivery. Some innovative captaincy then ensued with Lawrence statioing himself at a silly leg slip position to collect the ball to try to effect a run out. However with Naz unable to bowl the correct line the idea was shelved. George picked up a wicket at the other end, but with the number 9 farming the strike we were getting more and more frustrated.

I then dropped a fairly straightforward catch at point before Lee removed the number 9 with his fifth bowled of the innings. The skipper then brought himself on for some cheap fantasy league points picking up his second 1-0 of the season and the win.

A good win overall which leaves us 36 points clear of fourth