As you know, Saddos is a social cricket club, so while maximum effort on the pitch is the order of the day, enjoyment is paramount - we like to win winningly, its taking part that counts, the only crime is to take things too seriously. "Social but not casual"could be our motto. That all goes out the window when we play Fishers. No doubt about it, this is a match with a bit of an edge, the desire to win made more urgent by heavy past defeats at the hands of what has seemed a ruthless, win at all costs machine.

On to the match, which took place against a suitably warlike background of an Avro Lancaster flying overhead and archery further up the Verulam school playing fields just up Sandpit Lane. It was a fine evening but recent rain had made the pitch slow and the outfield grassy. Combine that with some accurate opening bowling and the going was tough, but openers Peter Church and Tim Winfield soon hit their stride, Tim biffing enough fours to backward square leg to be able to retire on 26. Runs accumulated but wickets fell steadily, and a three-figure total looked in doubt. That is until the advent of captain Peter Cook, who while acting as umpire earlier had sternly reprimanded a bowler who questioned his no-ball ruling for an above-waist full toss. "Now then, we'll have none of that," said Peter. "Now get down and give me ten." Peter was clearly a batsman with a mission, his eye glittering like the ancient mariner. Conscious of the need to up the run rate, he evolved from a self-professed nurdler into a sort of hybrid nurdler-basher, or gnasher if you will. A brace of fours to the longest boundary enabled him to retire on 25 and the Saddos reached the respectable heights of 104.

What happened next is the stuff of trauma counselling. We might need to contact Roger Federer to see how it feels to blow a two sets to love lead. We had them on the ropes, seven wickets down with ten an over needed from the last six overs. Some pinpoint bowling by Phil, Tim, a studs-sorted Ian et al had pinned them down. With two wickets each from the tight bowling of Jim Franklin and Jonno Hook the Fishers bench looked decidedly dejected and the OTT Ponting style whooping seen earlier with each wicket they took had been replaced with a muffled grumble. A great catch by Peter Cook from a high swirling ball, and some determined fielding from Roger, who valiantly pursued a ball onto the adjacent archery range, egged on by his so-called friends, keen to see local paper headlines of 'Bullseye! Arrowhead for runaway cricketer!' enabled the pressure to be kept up. The Fishers spirits were blown away, epitomized by the smacking away of a ball in a fit of pique by the departing batsman after being clean bowled by Holmes.

They had to hit out and unfortunately had one batsman left who could as he added 30 of the sixty runs needed. 11 needed, 2 overs left. We lost by two balls, but really should have had them. Pints of Doom all round.

All we can do is seek some perspective. Jonathan Hook earlier gave us a book review of Matthew Syed's Bounce, in which the former champion ping-ponger says it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become expert at something. At our current rate of 20 hours nets per off-season, we should be at the very, very top of our game around 2511. Bring on Fishers then!