After the injuries and cancellations of the previous few weeks, it was good to get back to just playing cricket again. Thursday night’s opposition at Babbacombe were The Maltsters, from The Maltster’s Arms in Tuckenhay. A fine spot, if I may say so – many’s the time the wife and I have stopped there for a spot of lunch.

We were put out to field, and immediately it felt like our bowlers should be put out to pasture. James went for nine in his first over, and Kev conceded double that with his first five balls before Jonno Lloyd top-edged to Aaron in the covers. He’d made 21 off just 10 deliveries. We thought this was a fast run-rate until the Cavaliers batted. No, seriously.

The run rate slowed after Jonno was out – how could it not? – and we began to have some success. Criddle and Chambers both edged through to the keeper to give James his first wicket and Kev his second. They were to be our only successes for a while though as Quentin Thwaites, Joe Hockings and Tim Massey all scaled the heights of the 30s before retiring gracefully. It wasn’t until Si’s second over, his first going for a most unCahill-like 15, that we got another wicket, with Meds taking a good catch just after Si dropped a caught-and-bowled. Chip got one to grip just enough to flick the bails off Terry’s wicket, and Maltsters finished on 176-5.

The top of the Cavaliers batting order had an unusual look about it, with Dion followed by Aaron and Russ, with Rich at four. Dion took a single off the first ball of the innings, but it was to be 15 balls and three wickets before we got another. First Dion was bowled by Hockings, then Russ went in the same way, and it took Rich to steady the ship and see the second over out. Aaron took a swing at the first ball of Gornall’s second over and was bowled as well – 1-3. Fortunately the next man in was Chip, coming off scores of 12 and 27, both unbeaten, in his last two games, and given Rich’s score of 26 against Shaldon last time out we were optimistic that we would get a partnership at last.

Both played well, with controlled aggression, and although there were no real fireworks the run-a-ball partnership was about as good as we were going to get under the circumstances. Both players retired with the score on 53-3, just after reaching the 50 partnership.

The fireworks really began as Si set about the run rate with a fantastic innings. After a dot ball to get his eye in, he slogged the bowling all around the park and made 25 from just nine balls – a great innings and one that only Si among the Cavaliers could expect to produce. He was bowled by a relieved Tim Massey, just one big hit from retirement.

We finished on 96, not a bad score for us. Our slow and steady improvement continues. Maltsters were great opposition, really good fun to play, and we hope to play them again.