A very early start and I could have had an extra 1/2 hour. It was a very long drive but it was a beautiful morning. On arriving it was chaos at the Blue Coat School, Sonning, young players everywhere and no where to warm up. The pitch we were meant to use had been used the day before but fortunately and I felt very sorry for him, Geoff sorted it all out but as we thought might be the case, the pitch did not turn out to be great for a match of this level. 
The warm up went better than last week. The team talk focused on not getting carried away with last week’s result and today would be much harder. You have shown what you can do, go out and give that extra 1% and you can be even better! There will be peaks and troughs and lets fight when things are not going our way which they are bound too. Finally don't get carried away with the short boundaries and play straight and only drive when the ball is under your nose as the pitch is likely to be two paced.

Joe won the toss again and we bat. Two out of two and a good call as the pitch will only get worse to bat on. It is a great first over as Jim gets off his pair and then Harvey hits a 4 followed by an even better 2^nd over to their slow left armer. 14 off 2. Jim, with Langer’s bat, is hitting the ball in the middle! Then a maiden - what is going on! Harvev then hits an extra cover drive for 2 go on Harv puts those hands through the ball. He then plays back next over to the slow left armer, a bit close and plays on in the 6th over. Billy Rudolph back from the Somme bats at 3 and gets off the mark with a cut for 4. What is apparent with the early batting is whilst we are making good contact we keep hitting the fielders and we are still reluctant to take the singles? There is a change of bowling in the 11th over. Jim hits a 4 and bends his back to evade a short one! There is another change of bowling and their Offie comes on and Jim holes out to a half tracker to backward square leg just before drinks with the score on 43 in the 14th over. Enter Noah - did Noah get the Haribos out of my bag - that’s what I'm told Noah! No it was Harvev!!! Anyway Noah shortly holes out to gully/ backward point and it is 57-3. Joe Hagan -Burt bats at 5 and he uses his feet to the spinners which is great. We are still however hitting the fielders especially cover and the running suddenly starts to get a bit suspect.  65 off 20, not a great score but it is not an easy wicket to bat on if you take the pace off it. Billy hits a superb extra cover drive but the grass is so long it is only 3. Billy then chips to wide mid on for 4 – a great shot and very similar to the ones he played in the East/South District match. Noah then puts his foot in it – “Billy is going to get a ton”. Commentators curse?? What is going on! Joe plays to mid wicket there is never a run and is easily run out. Pressure from the dot balls? Ben Phillips next.  Billy, having played well, then disappointingly holes out to mid off (29 off 44 balls), 85-5 and Wardy in next in to try and stabilise things. Singles are the name of the game and we should try not to lose any more wickets but we are intent on trying to play a shot a ball! Phil hits a rare 4 through wide mid on. 92-5 off 29. Another slow left armer comes on. Take the singles!
At drinks at 30 overs we are 95-5. Phil hits a straight drive 4. Take the singles. All this time Neal is nervously waiting when 100 comes up in the 31st over. Change of bowler and the keeper is up. Harry sweeps hard for 4 but is then run out going for two. There are 10 overs to go. There was then a deep philosophical discussion by the players watching on how to shine a ball and as to which day was the start of the week- Sunday or Monday? Pethy said when God made the earth Sunday was the day of rest so it is Monday. Very profound. 119 - 5 with 6 to go. Bodders pad up as you are going in next. Berkshire have bowled well, good areas but we have tried to play too many shots, failed to rotate the strike/  take the singles and there have been just too many dot balls. Neal is finding hard to score but then decides to tee off with a straight 6 - hands through the ball and yes straight. He is then dropped next ball, which Nick predicted! Then he hits 4 and then 6 over cow. What a good over and some impetus. Will he do it to the seamer? 1 to mid on. 150 up with 4 to go. Neal hits over extra for 4. 158-5. The opening bowler comes back on and Phil uses the pace and hits over backward point for 4. 2 to go. 166 becomes 172-5 and with1 to go, Phil is then run out for 35 off 56 balls. We end up with 178-6 off our 45 with Neal 35 not out off 33 balls. Due to the outfield it is probably worth another 20 but are we 25-35 short- better shot selection, more singles and harder running?