“A beautiful breezy spring Sunday afternoon saw Elstead Sunday XI’s second match of the season and their second Elstead Derby in as many weeks; first the Sharks and now the tennis club, erstwhile team-mates facing each other once again.

This, a second early season showdown between Barry Young and Pete Lincoln promised to be a closely fought affair, following Lincoln’s defeat the previous week, not to mention in the same fixture last year.

As usual the Sunday XI’s opted to bowl first and at the appointed hour plus 30 mins, with nearly all present and correctly anointed with Barry’s scarce sun cream, the game commenced - with one borrowed fielder in the form of the tennis club’s top Coach Ollie Kirk. It was not until sometime after latecomer Nick Taylor showed up, it was realised that there were twelve in the field and, for the day at least, it would remain the Sunday XII’s.

Witherby opened the bowling, yielding just one run from his first over, but Tennis Club batsmen Lincoln and Godalming star Sam Tunbridge played fast and loose with 18 off Michael Stiff’s first over. Witherby continued to bowl well, keeping the runs down, while Stiff’s relief - latecomer Nick Taylor - removed Sam Tunbridge in the fourth over, much to the relief of the Sunday XII’s. Witherby and Taylor put up a good bowling partnership, keeping the runs down, but wickets eluded them.

Disney took the next wicket – Sean Fishburn in 7th over and, as the sun emerged from behind broken cloud, Ben Lee’s solid bowling overcame Scott Tunbridge. The ball turning onto the middle wicket and, for the first time in the history of Elstead cricket club I am told, losing a bail – much later to be found some 10 metres behind the wicket!

Pre-drinks it looked to be going well for Elstead, with the tennis club on 67 runs off 20 over’s.

While Young’s, Little’s and Luke’s pies fell from the blue sky Olli Kirk and Nathan Thomas notched up a rapid 93 runs between them, with Aussie rocket Thomas retiring on 56 not out, with four emphatic sixes off Luke’s last over – the last of which was belted into the large oak tree on Peat Common only to drop plum onto the windscreen of an ill-advisedly parked Suzuki Vitara, with predictable results.

Prior to this a rare moment of delight, for this writer especially, came when Little bowled 2nd team captain ‘slogger’ Chris ‘Chopper’ Holland with a predictable high, slow ‘pie’ ball bouncing through Chopper’s legs. It seems it is only us Brits that lose all sense of self control in the face of pies, and it takes an Aussie to truly remind the locals that they live on a cricket green!

Following Thomas’s retirement, damage already done, Ollie Lincoln and Rupert Keith were both caught off Walker’s balls; Keith by Figg after a flamboyant reverse sweep. The 40 over’s drew to a close with Hutchinson and Thomas called back as twelfth man. The final tally, 236 for 11, with Taylor top wicket taker on 4 wickets.

Following another predictably sumptuous tea courtesy of Bridget Lincoln and Rachel Young (thank you both), Young and Disney opened the batting for Elstead with a mountain to climb. This was skipper Young’s first ever opening bat as all of his team wanted to wait for their lovely tea to go down! (Ah bless) And to his delight (Gentlemen) Rupes had put opening bowler Ollie Lincoln to fiz some down at him.

A torrent of wickets followed in quick succession - Young run out on the Aussie’s 5th ball, Munden LBW off Ollie’s 2nd over and the usually implacable Witherby bowled facing his third ball before from the unstoppable Aussie, Nathan Taylor (does he even play tennis?) – two wickets in his first two overs.

Figg and Disney had Elstead daring to hope, hitting several fours, until Disney was bowled by Fishburn for 17 runs in the 13th over. At less than 50 runs the mountain was looming, but those more optimistic Elstead XII souls, (generally those that had had a couple of pints), still felt there was a chance. Luke seemed to steady the boat and in the 14th over hit his first four of the game. After a cracking 19 runs (top scorer) Figg’s luck dried up on being bowled by yet another pie from Keith.

The rapid decline continued with Taylor caught by Lincoln facing his sixth ball off Keith’s bowl, Stiff prematurely ejected by Ollie Kirk, Ben Lee caught by Nathan Taylor and Little bowled to Chopper’s revenge. Only 14 year old Charlie Bird remained not out – well done Charlie!

Final score – 77 all out, off 22 overs– the mountain was too high after all…