On a pleasant St Albans evening, the Dads assembled early doors. Worryingly, no Alvin's were present but eventually seven of them turned up so the Dad's agreed to field. Captain Cook tossed the ball to Ian Holmes, who, with a controlled and accurate spell, which included a maiden over, restricted the openers to 5 runs.

Cook called on Stauvers who immediately protested that he had dislocated his right little finger (in what was laughingly called a warm-up) and asked if a Hospital visit was the most appropriate course of action. When his Captain replied "you should be alright", Stauvers popped his finger back in and took the ball. He wasn't alright and the Alvin openers duly clumped him around the park.

It became apparent throughout their innings that the Alvins could all 'bat a bit', with any loose deliveries flying to the boundary.

Next up, Hook, so often the talisman of the Saddo's attack, spent the first over finding his line and length, then pinned the batters to the crease with his second. This was a feature of the Saddo bowling, warm up first over, accuracy the second. All the while, Wilson, keeping wicket for the first time this season, used every part of his anatomy to stop any byes, off an unpredictable pitch deemed 'unplayable' this season.

New boy Jim Franklin, who looked to be equally at home on a rugby union field, was next up. Bowling chest high kickers, he would have restricted the batters to two runs from 12 balls had it not been for his mate Roger Barton doing a strange rain dance on the boundary to completely miss a ball.

In another piece of inspired captaincy, Cook turned to Barton, who proceeded to bowl flighted loopers, so deceiving the batter that he was through his shot about 5 minutes before his stumps were knocked over. Barton continued to bowl 'Himalayan' balls keeping the batsmen guessing.

Peter Church entered the fray, bowling his trade mark hard deck hitters (from a great height), gaining a valuable wicket for a miserly 5 runs. Supported by Phil Spencer, whose every ball was ever more pacy and ever more accurate, he skittled out an ominously classy looking batter. Then Phil took a return from Randall and seemed to rugby tackle all three stumps for a bizarre run out.

We thought we'd kept the best for last, but on came Tim Randall bowling slingers. His first wicket was a clean bowled. Next ball, the batter was caught in the deep, low down by Peter Church. Hat-trick ball induced a skier that was well taken my Jim mid-wicket.

Alvin's All Stars finished 87 runs off 16 overs, a challenging total.

The Dads opened with Winfield and Holmes. Winfield cracked an on drive for four. Holmes hit two boundaries, one a pull, one a straight smash. But the unpredictable bowling on an unpredictable pitch did for them both. Tim being bowled off a 'tempter' and Ian skiing one back to the South African bowler. Phil, next in, immediately pulled round the corner for four. Then he hit another four off a full toss. A straight six off the South African and a retired 'not out' was evidence that Phil seems to get better with every match.

It was at this point there was a realization that the Alvin bowling was far more erratic than the batting consisting of a mix of full tosses, beamers, wides, bouncers and cutters being hurled down the track. Dispatching the full tosses to the boundary was the ploy of the Dads.

Next in Church was his usual class act, mumbling to himself when hitting singles rather than boundaries. Still two boundaries came, one courtesy of a misfield, one an impressive drive to the long boundary, before a chest high smash was taken by the South African.

The Alvins had, by this time, drafted in a local jogger who stopped a number of Church drives and, it transpired, was pretty good with the ball.

Jim Franklin came in and faced some chin music before getting his eye in, lashing a full-toss to the long boundary. At one stage Church got a taste of his own medicine when he found himself face-to-face in his own crease with a hard running Franklin. Eventually Franklin was joined by Cook, who so admired one of his own defensive efforts that he was startled into action when seeing Jim hurtling down the wicket towards him. Jim then hit a number of boundaries before finishing the game, with smash for six.

The Dads won, reaching 93 off 14.4 overs. THIS WAS A DAY FOR THE DEBUTANTES.