It was cracking the flags as the 1st XI welcomed Aldenham to The Rye. Skipper Extreme Heat Edwins lost the toss and, unsurprisingly, Aldenham chose to bat first. Once Sweltering Bennett realised it was British Summer Time and not Greenwich Mean Time and turned up, we were all ready to roast.

Desert Emerson was joined by Heatwave Harris to open the bowling, and Heatwave struck twice in his first over to give us a blistering start, one smart catch by Aircon Akhtar and one LBW. The openers continued a tight spell without further reward (Aircon returning to his more usual catch completion rate of 50%), and the first change pairing of Perspiration Pearson and Extreme Heat carried on the good bowling. Some equally good batting secured a 50 partnership for the third wicket, before Extreme Heat got the breakthrough, bowling Aldenham’s skipper with one that turned (yes, you read that correctly) through the gate. A right-hand, left-hand partnership caused us yet more running around in the field, and it took another change in the bowling with Sweltering joining the attack to remove both of the set batsmen, the unlucky bowler Perspiration taking a simple catch and then quick work from Jungle Jacobs effecting a stumping. Extreme Heat went on to complete his 10-over spell, burgling a second wicket with comfortably the worst ball he bowled and finishing with an extremely tidy 2-28 from 10. At the second hydration break, Aldenham were 126-6.

L Nino Norris made a welcome return to bowling duties from injury, and the two youngsters together bowled well but Aldenham’s wicket-keeper was really chancing his arm, combining with some sensible batting from their no. 8 to put together a decent partnership. The old heads were brought back, first Perspiration who still couldn’t find any luck, then Desert who eventually bowled the wicket-keeper (though not before he’d been hit for a massive 6). Dhrought Chandani then effected an excellent direct hit run out from mid-on and the following ball the no. 8 skied a pull shot which was well taken by Jungle. In the next over the innings was done, Heatwave persuading umpire Humidity Hearn to raise the finger again for another LBW and finishing with 3-35. 191 all out and what felt like a pretty good bowling and fielding effort, but with us still thinking of a few things that might have been to give us an easier chase.

Amber Warning Norris and L Nino opened up the batting innings, against some more probing bowling from Aldenham. Amber Warning slapped a catch to short cover for 10, bringing Boiling Braddon to the crease, who unfurled some typically strong shots to hit the second opening bowler out of the attack, but the other opener removed L Nino for 3 on his way to a spell of 10 overs, 2 maidens, 2 for 20. Boiling fell to the first change bowler for 17, and now it was Aircon and Dhrought batting together. The right-hand, left-hand partnership caused some problems for Aldenham as it had for us, and with Aircon in an unusually calm mood (possibly drug-induced) a partnership was gradually building. The second opening bowler replaced the first and found more success from the other end, removing Dhrought for 11 and then Heatwave for a duck. Only three bowlers had been used for the first 29 overs of the innings, and the score was 77-5 (first change bowler 10 overs, 1 maiden, 1 for 17. We needed another 115 runs from 21 overs, very manageable but wickets could be the issue.

The fifth wicket had brought Jungle to the crease, and he wasted no time in upping the scoring rate, taking just 11 balls to become our top scorer. Not wanting to be completely outdone, Aircon did begin to get going and we were beginning to feel positive again. This partnership more than doubled the score, from 62-5 to 128-6 when Aircon’s patience finally gave way and he was out for 27. Jungle followed in the next over, for a rapid 46 which dragged us back into the game – 130 for 7 with 10 overs left, needing another 62.

Perspiration and Sweltering were the two new batters, running hard and putting pressure on the fielders to add 40 in 7.4 overs, when Perspiration was dismissed for a nearly run-a-ball 28. 22 needed from 2.2 overs. Unfortunately despite best efforts Sweltering, Extreme Heat and, with 3 balls left, Desert, couldn’t find the boundaries we needed and we finished 9 runs behind. A great game of cricket, 15 points earned and much aftersun applied but we left with a lot of what ifs. Onwards to Flitwick away next week.