Howzat For Openers

At home to newly promoted Nuthall, the Firsts made a winning start to the season for the first time, probably, ever.

Tinno lost the toss, but was delighted to be asked to bat, on a good looking but very dry track more like Karachi than Keyworth.

XX Dale set off in 2020 mode carving a run a ball 25, before LBW. The same fate befell Jay three balls later for a duck. Tinno meanwhile had barely got the ball off the square, and realised be should've gone to Specsavers, having forgot to put in his contact lenses.

Drurs joined a now clear sighted Tinno for a solid 120 run partnership. Tinno was scoring so slowly he needed to pinch the bowling off eight consecutive overs, but Drurs got his own back running Tinno's scoring shots so slowly he was almost lapped at one stage. This was cultured batting compared to what was to follow, with high left elbows and sweet timing, and both passed 50 off successive balls. We were well placed at 150-2 with 10 overs to go. The Chairman fell for 67 off 74 balls, while Geoff posted 82 off 120 balls.

The Bank Holiday crowd at the Field of Dreams was now swelling into high double figures, and we were bouyed by the arrival of KCC legend Dougie Bayford on a flying visit, to discuss at length our Ashes victory.

Rocket and debutant Tommy Randall came and went quickly in search of quick runs. Bobby arrived at the crease with his pre-season nets consisting of 18 holes round Stanton. We needn't have worried as his wayward hooks were perfectly suited to the late order slog, crashing 37 off 19 balls with four sixes. The Big Fella was out off the last ball as we posted 232-7 off our 45 overs.

Tea by Jude set the usual high standard for the rest of the season, special recipe chocolate fridge cake being the high calorie highlight.

In reply Rocket ripped through the Nuthall top order with a devastating spell of 6-24 off 8 overs to leave the opposition in a bigger hole than the Chilean miners at 37-7. It could have been even better if Tinno hadn't performed a one man Billy Smart's circus act, shelling two catches at slip off Andy Hiller, who quickly realised hitting the stumps was the only way to strike.

Bobby was itching to bowl at the tail and talked himself onto bowling - up the hill! Drurs dropped an absolute sitter off his mate, day dreaming about what to put in this report. This was just a blip as Day Hiller jumped to the top of the bowling averages taking 2-6, to seal a comprehensive 20 point win, as Nuthall were out all out for 65.