Round 14, Girton visiting El Campo for what Fez constantly reminded us would be a ‘battle’ in which we’d have to ‘fight’. Unfortunately if there was a boxing match we’d have been the side that ended up on the canvas.

It was another hot day, the outfield was good as ever seen (no hay bales at all) and the Ditton wicket true (aside from one spot on the pitched that popped a fair bit when bowling from the Pavillion End).

Edward and David Shah both very kindly came up to the 1st team (and later fielded well), Longy returned for his first game since becoming a dad - Jamie, Jason and Mani the three not playing from the side that beat Granta.

Skip won the toss and, after some persuasion from various colleagues, won the toss and batted. Things started well, as Rob and Michael put on 60 for the 1st wicket, Rob in particular making the most of the excellent outfield. It was a real surprise when Rob mistimed one to be caught for 38, but AB looked in good touch and alongside McCann batted sensibly, taking Ditton to a solid position of 85-1 off 17 overs.

A new paragraph can mean only one thing. McCann once again had made a solid start but couldn’t convert, bowled playing inside one for 30 to be bowled. Not long afterwards AB top-edged a pull to depart for 23. The top three all looking good but making starts and nothing more. Things got worse before they got better as Skip fell for 4. Suddenly 85-1 had become roughly 102-4.

Fez and Longy stopped the rot with a really important stand of 76 for the 5th wicket. Fez was at his brilliant best, including a huge straight 6 dancing down the track against the spinner. When the seamers can back later on Fez made the most of the extra pace on the ball, peppering the boundary throughout the last ten overs of the innings. Meanwhile Longy perfectly understood his role of keeping out good balls and dealing mostly in singles to give Fez the strike. The partnership was important in ensuring we would have a substantial total to bowl at on a 200-par pitch. It was ended when Longy was leg before in the penultimate over for 17, the Yorkshireman left visibly frustrated. Paul Colwell joined Fez for the last knockings, which saw Fez blast some more boundaries to finish on 69 not out, an excellent knock. Ditton 191-5, a reasonable total that could have been much more after our good start, but then much less after our mini-collapse.

Jacko had been joking that he only gets wickets when opening with Longy, and the returning Yorkshireman once again proved to be a muse. Ditton’s all-time leading wicket-taker had two more to add his tally early in the Girton innings. The second was an excellent smart stumping from Paul, prompting Girton’s keeper-batsman to complement our Cat on his smart work. Jacko once again provided control and was our best bowler. Meanwhile late in his first spell Longy had a wicket, leading to do him doing the classic rocking-the-baby celebration in honour of Matilda, and at 40-3 after 10 overs we were on top.

Unfortunately keeper-batsman and opener Dyer batted well and finally found some stable support. Meanwhile, in the words of Paul Colwell, we bowled 3-4 good balls an over, but also two hittable one’s. Given he’s had the best view of our bowling for years he is well-placed to judge. I don't have the figures infront of me but they cannot be particularly pretty. The 4th wicket partnership was worth approximately 125, and coming at more than a run-a-ball. Skip, Fez and AB all had a go with the ball, whilst Girton ran us ragged in the field. Fez’s metaphor of the day was that this game was a ‘fight’ but unfortunately despite no shortage of effort we were getting knocked out in slow motion.

Eventually Ditton got desperate and McCann was brought on to ‘buy’ a wicket, and did so as Dyer’s partner ran past one and Paul C completed the stumping. By then Girton needed a very regulation 20 off 10 overs, and McCann was surprised to be given a second over after the 30 over drinks break, with this one getting absolutely murdered. George Colwell then bowled an over his which his dad described as the best of the day from a Ditton bowler, an excellent maiden to delay the inevitable, the last rights coming when Ed McCann was driven for 4 by Dyer.

Girton chasing down 192 to win with almost 8 overs to spare with apparent ease, a largely disappointing performance from us.The loss leaves us 8-6 this season, and we continue to be maddeningly inconsistent, We still remain 3rd despite due to this league being tight from top to bottom, again shown this week by Littleport defeating Cherry Hinton. 3rd would be the best ever finish in the history of the club, which is certainly something worth playing for.

Over away next, with no Skip for two weeks leaving us another hurdle to overcome.