No Scooter, no problem. Well, kind of...

If wins at Kibworth are rare (go back a couple of weeks) wins at Braybrooke are even rarer. Rumour has it Captain Crapbeard went through old scorebooks to find one and eventually gave up and sodded off to watch Soccer Aid instead.

This left usual Fat Keeper (who didn't keep today) in charge but he too had decided to dabble in the dark arts that male facial grooming had forgotten. He promptly said to Ollie Timms that should he get 3 wickets he would shave it off. The beard survived to live another day but....

Ollie opened the bowling with Henry Rosier and both went for only 25 runs off their allotted 8 overs. Think about it, on a ground where Fleckney couldn't defend 268 last year two teenage bowlers went for just 50 off 16 overs. Consistent lines and patience was the key and the appeal that gave Ollie his wicket was quite the best bit of theatre seen outside of the West End for a long time.

Fair play to Braybrooke though. Miten started with caution but was really cranking through the gears when he finally fell for 70. That well known strike bowler Chris 'Muscle Man' Hill bowled the perfect ball to almost get hit for 6 which allowed Leicestershire's very own Yak to take a well judged catch.

The bowling was genuinely excellent Seth was ragging it miles, Yak took 3 wickets and with a bit more luck could have had 5. 192 was a score the Fat Keeper was genuinely happy with and so he should be. A young team has done him and themselves proud.

Scoring 193 was not totally out of the question but it would need something special. Early signs were good but it wasn't quite meant to be.

Dunkers opening with Manraj and at 51 for 1 with power to add it was looking good but 2 wickets in 3 balls put the kibosh on that. Dunkers chipped a long hop up in the air , high enough perhap to endanger any passing ducks. The same duck that Mandeep was able to add to his collection from the past two weeks. Be in no doubt though dear reader, when his luck changes, and it will, a bowling attack is going to take a fearsome hiding.

The rest of the Fleckney innings was a procession of cameos, with two exceptions. Seth Styles scored 36 with an innings based on watchfulness, concentration and technique. Very impressive and hugely promising. The other innings of note , a fluent and majestic er 3 not out from the stand in skipper. On second thoughts scrub that.

Final thoughts? Braybrooke has won fair and square and young Abigail Handy with bowling figures of 8 overs 2 maidens 2 for 9 runs was magnificent but a (mainly) youthful Fleckney side had given it a right good go and enjoyed themselves hugely.

It's perhaps a little unfair of Ollie, well though he bowled, to suggest his performance was possible due to the absence of the regular captain. Mind you, we hear he turns 18 this week so he is clearly buying the first round next week, or he can walk home from the Langtons....