On a lovely warm Sunday afternoon with only the gentlest hum of the HS2 works in the background, the opposition skipper delivered us our first curve-ball of the year by winning the toss and inviting us to bat.
Clearly, the Skipper felt that having had to spend 3 months in isolation with our families wasn't enough to torment for us as he asked the newly coiffured Chairman and Seb to open the batting!
Things got off to a flyer as the 2nd ball of the game hit the keepers helmet (Ohhh arhhh love!) and conceded 5 runs for the next 23 overs that proved to be the highlight!
As both sides adjusted to the new playing conditions e.g. sanitising your balls every 6 overs, the game stumbled along.
Eventually, the Chairman was out with the score on 75. Woody was quick to follow him, but not without firstly performing his rendition of River Dance having taken a full bunger on the big-toe.
Mr H Snr arrived and went with a goldie (thanks for bringing Ben along). Seb was also soon to follow after making good headway at the top of the order. This brought Ryan Ramprakash to the crease. Having eased himself into the mid 20's we awaited the inevitable, but hold on 'No' the big lad kicked on and very quickly went on to his first 50 for the club - well batted, and new nickname required!
In the meantime, the Chairman physically and metaphorically fingered the VC with a decision Stevie Wonder would have been embarrassed to give!
At the end the Skipper came in and with some lusty blows and helped drive the score up to a respectable 190.
Everybody had to supply their own tea, so if it was rubbish you know who to blame!
Where lockdown seemed to have had a mild detrimental effect on The Villages batting it clearly had had well and truly screwed us in relation to bowling and fielding. Bert sent down a reasonable first over, then the first of the Bee Gee brothers, Andy, bowled the 2nd. Thank christ air traffic is light at the moment as halfway through his 6 balls his radar switched off and he went into full Anti-Aircraft Artillery mode; 12 balls later "thanks, have a blow!"
Bert continued in a decent vein but the opposition openers were building a healthy partnership with both of them retiring with 1/2 centuries.
The Skipper experimented with around 87 different bowling partnerships during the match and at one point even persuaded the opposition that 1/2 the side were allowed to bowl off 19 yards. This resulted in Harrison Jnr probably being the pick of the bowlers!
The remaining Bee Gees picked up where Snr had left off - What must backyard cricket be like at their house!!!
At the end Snitterfield eased to the target with a few overs to spare, with the home side bowlers taking their only genuine wicket when the scores were tied - Ryan again!
There was much to be disappointed about in the overall performance, but this was easily eclipsed by the sheer joy of being able to simply take to the field once again
Roll on next week when we take on local rivals Hunningham.