They used to say that in Manchester you could get every season in one day - rain, snow, fog, sunshine and possibly even a typhoon if you waited long enough. The pitch ano conditions at Boyes Lane for today's encounter with Kerala offered much the same variety. The seventy or so overs the game lasted featured seam movement, sharp high and low bounce and swing that was at times close to unplayable.

The Kerala team, so called because they all hail from that part of South India, were a cheerful bunch and so the match was played in a very cordial but competitive atmosphere. Common skipper Ben Watts opted to bowl first on winning the toss, clearly banking on a strong hand of bowlers to make a dent in the visitors' batting lineup. Tim Ndwora opened the attack, steaming in from the top end like an enraged battleship and quickly making the batsmen hop around. As would happen throughout the afternoon there was a great deal of playing and missing as the ball passed the bat with regularity, keeping the close field alert and interested. Young Giles Odling partnered him with the new ball and put enough deliveries in the right places at a lively pace to ensure that Kerala could not proceed at their preferred pace, which looked like twenty an over. They are certainly a team that like to go at T20 speed and it was a credit to the Common attack that they were suitably retrained for the most part.

It was the youthful Odling who made the breakthrough, pinning the opener plumb in front of leg stump and from then on the home attack made regular inroads into the Kerala batting despite giving away more extras than they might have wished. The star of the bowling show however was the evergreen Nigel Champion. Bowling a full ten over spell off the reel, Nigel dropped straight onto an attacking line and length at a lively pace, moving the ball off the pitch and occasionally offering enough swing to ensure that no batsman could take any liberties with him. Added to the occasional low ball, Young Champion bowled extremely well and fully deserved the excellent figures of 4-23. A blinding caught and bowled by Tim Ndwora and a cheeky 2-0 off one over to clean up the tail from Sam Purkis saw the visitors all out for 157 after 30 overs and back to the pavilion for an early tea.

While thoughtfully munching their sarnies, the Kerala boys were unsure that they had sufficient runs on the board but in the event they had just enough. The beginning of the Common reply coincided with the appearance of a looming black cloud which made the ball zip about alarmingly. Both home openers fell early caught behind. The Watts brothers tried to steady the ship and set about playing straight and late. This worked for a while until Jamie fell and then Sam Purkis, offering his usual mixture of watchful defence and muscular battering, contributed a hard fought 20. Sam was out to an all but unplayable ball which nipped back sharply and keep low and Callum fell victim to a sharp piece of fielding which saw him run out by a direct hit.

All this time skipper Ben was playing with an impressive blend of tight defence and judicious attack, moving to 39 before his luck ran out in these very testing batting conditions. Tim Ndwora, batting at number seven and showing every one what an asset to the club he is going to be, stroked an impressive 31 before another high quality ball (pitched outside off, sharply in to hit top of off stump) sent him on his way. His partnership of 39 with the stubborn Nigel Champion had briefly offered Common some hope of victory but all to no avail as the home side,s reply ended on 130.

So, no reason for despondency. This was a tight game played in tough batting conditions and this defeat brought no shame with it.