Safe, by the skin of our teeth

In the end, we did just enough to stay in J3B. That is assuming that the league doesn't go through one of its periodic reorganisations. We lost, but so did March at Cherry Hinton so they occupied the 2nd relegation spot alongside Girton. Cherry Hinton went up as did Granta IV (will we miss them?).

For everyone who says it hasn't been a good summer, let me ask, when was the last time you remember a season where not one game was lost to the weather, not just by us, but in the entire league? A shower before the start of the home game with Fen Ditton and a downpour at teatime in March appart were the sum total of the bad weather.

So played 16 won 5 is the final reckoning and we avoided the drop by 2 bonus points. We picked up 59 in the 11 games we lost (37 bowling, 2 batting) which was 2 more than March.

As for the match itself we welcomed back George Speller after missing a few games whilst Neil Sparnon has headed off to Africa. Dave Scotcher was back after his sojurn to Ireland replaceing Alfie Newman and Dave Hale returned which meant Dave Simmons missing out.

Richard won the toss and we batted first on a lovely afternoon. The boundary was quite small as evidenced by the number of sixes hit during the game. George and Billy Haynes opened and kept the openers pegged down, George removing the first of them. There was a lot of chatter in the field as four bowlers had the chance of being the top wicket taker for the season. These wickets moved George on to 16 apiece, one ahead of Billy, 1 behind the Scotch and 3 behind Rob Kaye. The first bowling changes brough Adam Wright and Dave Scotcher into the attack and the runs started to come more readily. Some catches went down (around 5 in total) and heads started to drop.

Rob replaced Adam while Dave kept plugging away at the other. He finally removed the second opener but the runs continued to come quite readily. The skipper changed things around to make a breakthrough and it worked: Billy removed Comberton's young number 3 with one that kept low and pinned him in front.

It was then that George broked through with 2 in 2 balls. The first was the game's champagne moment. It was hit firmly in the direction of mid-on where it looked to all the world to be over the head of the backpeddling Scotch. He didn't have time to assess the moral dilemma: take the catch and let George equal his wicket total or drop it? No one would notice amongst the other drops. In the end his team ethic won the day and leaping like salmon on the waterfalls he plucked the ball out of the air, staggered back, rolled over and held the ball.

Andy East's juggling at short mid on was more comedic but not as effective.

George kept it simple the next ball by castling their number 6 to move ahead of Dave in the wicket stakes. With the field crowding the bat (or were the deep guys just feeling lownly) the hattrick ball took an inside edge and squirted past leg stump.

Billy removed another Combertonian to move on to 17 wickets but came in for some harsh treatment at the end. George picked up another wicket to move level with Rob at the top of the charts then Dave removed two ferrets (the ones that go in after the rabbits) to pip Rob at the post. I was chuntering away to myself at deep mid-off, held back from bowling and unable to respond to the challenge.

It ended: Dave 20, George and Rob 19 apiece, Billy 17 and Neil 15.

So we batted. Like many other performances this season there was a good start, and then a trail off to inglorious end. Chris and Alastair Breward opened up and after sizing up the bowling Chris started to pepper the boundary. Alastair didn't look comfortable and departed for 2.

Dave Hale joined Chris and the assault continued. Chris smashed two sixes into the adjacent tennis courts almost hitting the family of the Comberton captain who took this as a hint that it was time to change the bowling.

And it worked. Mr Samways first ball was a rank "hit me" ball which Chris did, unfortunately straight at long on who took the catch. This was the first of four for a player who - in his own words - is generally hidden in the field due so as not to attract the ball.

That established the pattern. A series of bad balls that were obligingly dispatched straight to fielders. George creamed two immense sixes the second of which was still rising when it hit the trees on the square leg boundary before he was removed by a slip catch.

Gabriel Fox hit a six - an indication of the distance of the boundary - and was, for a 2nd week running not out LBW. Instead, like the rest of us he was caught althouugh there was an element of doubt in this at least in his mind.

All 10 wickets were catches: surely a first for the club.

So we declined to 106 all out, losing by 91 runs. Would two batting points - to go with four bowling - be enough we wondered as we supped some excellent beer at the Three Horseshoes? Next morning at the results on the website were to show that they were.

Between now and Christmas we have work to do on the pitch (lads -- this is a great excuse to get out for a bevvy, don't miss it) the AGM and a Christmas Dinner.

Despite our struggles it's been another enjoyable season with individual moments to celebrate and enough candidates for the champagne moment to make chosing a winner difficult. We've welconed some new friends and lost some old ones (Norts did reply to the email I sent after the game so we know he is alive and kicking in Middle Earth).

See you all soon.