Chesterfield Barbarians 258-4, SCCC 170 (Layer 43, Root M 59). Useless.......Come back Sealy![[This report was a lttle windup for Sealy, who lives and breathes for this team]] One of the most depressing games i've ever played in. Things started off well, toss won and opposition inserted. Steady start wit hDavey bowling well amd a wicket snaffled early on.

While a believer in innovation, when Number 10" came in at 3, (remember him?) I'm not sure that Geoff's instruction to me to bowl longs hops so that he could hit it down the throats of three mid wickets was sound tactically given that he missed all three fielders and smashed 40 in 25 minutes. I'm perfectly capable of bowling long hops anyway without being instructed so to do so perhaps I lost it at that point and had to be sent out ot grass at fine leg. Anyway, this got their innings off to a flier.

At this point strangely aromatic smoke emanating from a fire at one of the houses at the top end of the ground drifted across the ground and it seemed to affect Geoff more than most as a series of increasingly bizarre field placement and bowling change decisions led to the Barbarians being able to rattle along at 5 an over for an hour or so.

Longers bowled pretty well but six on the leg side? Only 3 of us on the off, including me, so we leaked runs like a sieve. Anyway the fielding degenerated, starting at poor and ending up as pathetic. Heads went down. Seven dropped catches and not sure if anyone looked as though they cared really. This was dreadful. We all have our own theories about field placings and bowling changes but in the final analysis it doesn't matter what ten of us think, we have to get behind the one and do our best.

And bringing Billy on at the death and for 5 overs with two 16-stone Barbarians in full flow was a shade unkind. Mercifully he only went for 58 in those five and claimed a wicket, caught Dad, bowled Son. We enjoyed that moment at least. Not sure about Geoff bowling himself for the last two either. These went for 24 but we did get a smart runout.

So we ended up at tea, not talking and refusing to eat dodgy looking chicken legs. Good cakes though. Poor body language at our end of the table, raucous humour at the other end.

We started off well enough after tea with Geoff and Joe Root starting at a reasonable pace, but Geoff called Joe through on a ball that went straight to short extra, run out. I thought Matt was a bit more streetwise but no, he was run out by Geoff in precisely the same way, but only after a good 59. Geoff followed next ball to compound the sin, but this led to one of the more amusing incidents givne that Helen was watching and gave Geoff both barrels when he was still 20 yeards for the pavillion.

The innings degenerated as we fell hopelessly behind the clock and despite a few Angry blows at the end we ended up on 170. Ashy looked a bit bewildered at it all but at least he looked the part batting and on the field. Given the atmosphere, though, it was hardly surprising that he is not available next week.

Strained atmosphere in the dressing room, lots of meaningful looks and veiled grumblings. Helen still in full "protect my men" mode at the barby so a few more words exchanged and Geoff was asked to leave to calm things down a bit.

While all this was going on it was good to have a chat to Bomber in the bar. I was sure he could be talked in to a come back but after yesterday highly doubtful.

Sealy: no holidays in the season from now on, OK?"