3s 2 from 2 completed games, bowlers combine to skittle MHV

A short game's a good game, as they say, and the 3s bowlers and the 'interesting' pitch at MPB combined to generate a 4.15 finish with another 30 points in the bag for Ahsan's side.

Cricket at commercial sites is an expensive business now, with pitch hire for the club to bear, and parking fees for the players and officials to bear, so the hourly rate was on the scale of a decent City commercial lawyer, though our guys were happy enough to head off to make 4 hour long preparations to watch the football later that evening.

No surprises that the MHV skipper chose to bowl first on winning the toss and one wily old bird bowled a lovely spell of swing and seam from the top end. George, Eklavya and Ahsan as the top 3 again got the difficult end of things, but helped by a healthy smattering of extras, we reached 60-1 in the 21st. X made a patient 23. Billal, one of last week's star turns, carried on in the same vein, though he lost his oppo Simon to a self-induced run out. Never mind, Thiru also exercised a lot of patience as they rebuilt, before Billal fell for 39, and minor contributions by the lower order took us up to 130 all out in the 43rd.

New new firm of Felix and Steve took the new ball - and the result was the same as the old new firm, and even the old old firm, as F&S each took a wicket in their first over, both bowled. Wickets fell remarkably regularly with the new ball, and when both took a blow after 6 overs each, Felix had the tremendous figures of 4-17 (a neat slip catch by Simon, the rest DIY jobs) while Steve took the supporting role with 2-19. 38-6.

While X's first two balls were swept for 4, a minor switch in line from middle-and-leg to middle-and-off brought dividends with yet another clean bowled; he pinned the protesting Flavell bang in front, not outside the line at all; and Nikeal tightened up his line from last week, gave it even more air, and got his rewards with 2-6, a nice bowled and a comprehensive stumping by Clive. Those of old enough to remember would compare it more to one of Rodney Marsh's demolition jobs than Bob Taylor's pickpocketings .... 54 all out, game over, I thank you. Going well fellas.