Stand up if you're one-nil up!

On a warm and humid Sunday the Mad Dogs once more answered Lord Osbourne's call to take up the cudgels against Seamus's Aussies. The first match of the Ashes Series was certainly not one of the epic down-to-the-wire affairs we've come to know and love. Instead it was an emphatic statement of Mad Dog magnificence!

Batting first under a bright overcast sky, Parry and Harvey survived two dodgy appeals to set a solid foundation at 1-32. Parry went on to retire at 25, after which Jon King (26 not out) and Billy Cutler (tragically dismissed at 24) stamped their authority on the attack. After a quick-fire eight Giles was clean bowled by JP, leaving Thalis and Quinn not out.

Urged on by Saunders we quickly took the field, where the Dogs once again stamped our authority on the match with some memorable out fielding from the mighty Frank Quinn and a sensational catch by Jon King at mid off. Cutler took three wickets, Parry and Watson one apiece, before Quinn smashed through the middle order with three wickets in quick succession leaving the batting lineup a demoralised rabble.

The first ball of the penultimate over saw JP bowled by what Kieth Saunders described as "the worst delivery I've ever seen take a wicket". But it was not until the next ball that the sheer transcendent beauty that is cricket was manifest in the shape of that man Quinn. The last Aussie batsman hit the ball towards mid wicket - an easy two. But Quinn had other ideas, leaping upon the ball like a cougar, throwing flat and low straight into Saunders' gloves hovering just above the bails.

Mad Dogs 129. Aussies 100.

After a fine schnitzel and salad lunch, McGregor and Goff strode to the crease. Two deliveries later Goff returned to the pavilion after a performance rightly described by Cutler as "Toilette!"

Then the tide turned. The Dogs batted like men possessed with McGregor (25), Saunders (26), Frank "hit a six" Quinn (30) and Watson (28) all retiring. Bourne (14) and Thalis (13) brought up the rear before falling to arch-nemesis, Chant. Billy Cutler (2) was our only run-out for the day.

Mad Dogs 4 Declared for 169, leading by 198.

"Crash or crash through!" was the cry from the Aussies. And crash they did. Two quick wickets set the tone, and even the absence of Parry - by this time sipping Gin and Tonic at Straight Hit - made little difference to the momentum. By the time Thalis and Watson had taken two wickets each and Saunders worked his usual magic - bowling the Aussie's only source of resistance for 16 - it was all over.

We returned triumphant to celebrate another great day's cricket only to find the Pavilion empty! The Aussies generously left us all the beer.

All in all a great day with a top bunch of chaps. Looking forward to the return ashes fixture in February.

Hurrah! Hurrah!

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