Dan Hough and Prabhu Dhev got us off to a decent start and did well to see off the new ball. Unfortunately, once they both perished, the rest of us in the middle order failed to deliver and back up the start we made. Things were looking grim when Hough was dismissed for 34 but thankfully Dom Thamby (23) came to the rescue with a more than useful knock that gave the innings some respectability.

Whilst defending a small total it’s crucial that we start well with the ball and in turn make early inroads. Dom Thamby was unlucky not to get early wickets with a few near misses. Firooz Ahmad on the other hand had one chance dropped in the slips but he struggled for consistency and before we knew it Brondesbury were 40/0 off 7 overs and on course for a comfortable win.

Ali Jennings really gave us a glimmer of hope. I though he bowled exceptionally well against decent top order bats and much deserved more than what he got in return. Kan Uppal offered us something different and got the ball rolling with a decent caught and bowled. Credit to Dan Hough for trying to shuffle the pack and doing everything possible to eke out a few more wickets and make it nervier for the hosts. There was a moment where I thought this could get into squeaky bum territory, but Brondesbury managed to comfortably knock off the runs. We gave it everything but ultimately there we not enough runs on the board for our bowlers to defend. One important positive we can take was the standard of our fielding. There were one or two blemishes, but I felt we fielded well as a unit.

At the end of the day any form of defeat is difficult to take but there are some positives in the latter half of the game which we can take into next week against Uxbridge. In terms of our man of the match, I suppose its fine pickings to decide who stood out given the mannerisms of the defeat, but the standout was our very own club secretary Mr Daniel Hough! I thought he showed great application and gave us a masterclass on how to open the batting. He epitomised how an opener should approach an innings in any given format and let’s hope we see much more this coming season. It's a shame that the rest of us in the middle order couldn't consolidate his hard work but lessons have well and truly been learnt (one being do not get trolleyed the night before a game!). Credit must be given to Brondesbury for running out as deserved winners. I'm sure we will see a much-improved performance in the reverse fixture.

To finish up on behalf of all the players who played I would like to share my sincere condolences to the motorcyclist who passed away in a horrific accident on the North Circular. May he/she rest in peace and hope the other party involved has a speedy and safe recovery!