Beardtongue

Roots & climbers

Dacha

Cloud Roll (Repost)

While I'm in animation mode, here's one I did a few years ago to accompany an ambient audio project I recorded under the name 'Placebo Audio'.

Don't watch the birdie

Easton Cowboys C.C. Saturday XI v Churchways C.C. 1st XI


With Angelo reportedly by the side of a motorway somewhere having lost his car in a plume of smoke and Kalu inexplicably AWOL, there were a few last minute tweaks to the Saturday XI to play Churchways at Frenchay: Hats off to Wilko and Justin for stepping in and maintaining the fine pedigree of a side still daring to dream of promotion.

Rain arrived around the same time as the opposition who, having won the toss, took a further half an hour to make their minds up while the drizzle fell, eventually deciding, rather peculiarly, to bat.

Budge hared down the hill, theoretician Garner up it, initially strangling the left and right handed batsmen as they tried to get to grips with the swing and vagaries of the pitch. A couple of boundaries raced away across the customarily fast outfield before Ev snapped up a catch in the gully off Garner to make the breakthrough.

It was DaveB whose ornithological interests were first aroused when he noticed an additional fielder on the square, snacking on grass seed. Unaware of the heavy penalties for twitching, the small white and red streaked bird (Crested Zebra Finch?) was soon surrounded by several large white and red streaked humans and sensibly rediscovered its power of flight when Rog 'Birdman of Frenchay' tried to pick it up. Fines for all involved.

Ev replaced the skipper from the top end and commenced bowling one of his most miserly spells to date (eventually going for only nine runs from his eight overs) removing the second opener thanks to Wilko at slip, who later pouched another chance off Garner to have the opposition three wickets down around the time of the drinks interval.

A freak occurrence won several Cider Moment nominations when a ball from Ev passed through the batsman and clipped the top of the bails but left them intact. No glue was found to be present.

RobT ensured that he hit the stumps more directly to bowl Churchways' captain cheaply, then took a catch off the bowling of your correspondent who'd been allowed to skip in down the hill. When Rog trapped the highest scorer to date LBW with a fuller ball, it looked like the opposition might be restricted to not much more than a hundred.

Disconcertingly, the lower order batsmen had other plans and the run rate that had been at below three an over rose significantly as the boundary was found regularly and chances and half chances went to ground. Alan took a catch to ensure that the tail didn't wag too violently, Roger bowled the No.7 and after 40 overs, the opposition No.8 remained unbeaten on 45, from an innings total of 154-8. It was still a modest total for Frenchay, by a side whose strengths purportedly lay in batting

Tea was served by butlers under Garners direction, hand-delivered from Fortnum & Mason's and comprising only the most intelligent deceased animals, a fine wedge of stilton and grapes. Possibly shocked by the absence of cakes and muffins (as many understandably were) DaveB didn't open the batting but walked about looking confused as Wilko and Ev went out to face the music just before six o'clock.

The innings started slowly but all was well until Wilko, having reached double figures, wafted at a wide one and looped the ball up to deep point. BenP joined Ev and by the 17th over the score was a healthily poised 55-1, both batsmen looking in fine and stylish form, glancing, cutting, driving and pulling an array of shots out of the bag. At the halfway stage it had moved on to 68-1 but soon after, Ben pivoted, played back and was adjudged LBW by the presiding Garner for a very useful 33. Alan, sporting a fetching pink hat this week, walked out to bat as the evening drew in.

Having bowled out their overs, the fairly economical opening pair was replaced by an oddly rotated assortment with which the batsmen had few problems. The partnership accumulated runs until a shout of 'great shot' was a little premature as Ev cracked a full toss, allegedly a trap, to the mid-wicket boundary fielder and was out for 28. The same bowler soon got one through DaveB, whose earlier ornithological interests now extended to duck territory.

Justin, now rested from valiant keeper tumbling duties, was a confident late entrant at No.6, intent on seeing it through, joining Alan who appeared composed and capable, whatever lurked beneath. The hundred came up with a wide around the 30th over, the required run rate now up to five after a couple of maidens.

A couple of boundaries in quick succession soon put a dent in the target, but it was getting increasingly dark and there was rain in the air. With seven overs remaining, 27 runs were required. Two runs came off the next over and the rain became heavier. Churchways had little fight left but Alan, on cue, had plenty, lofting a six over long-on for a Cider Moment and bringing victory closer. A total of twelve came from the over, leaving just thirteen needed from five overs: A piece of cake - missing from earlier. The rain eased, a rainbow glowed through a murky sky.

Four overthrows won the match for the Cowboys on the first ball of the 38th over, the batting partnership undefeated in a six wicket victory, Justin not out 20. Alan was voted Man of the Match for his innings of 44 not out, Ev's bowling, batting and catching had been commendable too.

Scorecard

Sweet

Harvester

GQT

Q: When's the best time to harvest Cox's Orange Pippin ?
A: Before some bastard nicks 'em.

Wrung again

Wrington C.C. 2nd XI v Easton Cowboys C.C. Saturday XI

The Saturday bunch headed out past Bristol Airport to Wrington. For those unfamiliar with this particular North Somerset parish, a quick look at a Wikipedia entry from last year, allegedly written by a Cowboy who was absent from the match this weekend, would have told you the following:

"Although a lovely village, Wrington cricket ground can be susceptible to it's own little micro climate and suffers from showers and floods and all types of weather and geological conditions, although earthquake and volcano have not occurred in the last few seasons, they are arguably the only reasons left to postpone games. These events normally happen at times of crunch matches and when promotion hopes are high. sometimes they only occur against formidable opposition. they are very localised events, cricket continues most saturdays and sundays in a lot of the surrounding area without a whiff of bad weather, flood poverty or pestilence. My advice to the visitor is to watch your cricket at another village ground if you're after a fair days cricket, if you're a travelling cricket team to have your whits and wellies about you as they'll be up to all shenanigans on and off the field. umbrellas at dawn!"

The doors to both dressing rooms were plastered with freshly printed sheets of paper detailing the nuances of acceptable and unacceptable sporting language, gesture and behaviour, adding to the tension inherited from previous encounters and Wikipedia hacking, although in reality, there were no problems for those who didn't go looking or question umpires' decisions.

After Joe lost the toss, the Cowboys found themselves batting first on a slightly damp and pockmarked wicket, under a slate grey sky. DaveB and Ev faced the new ball and worked hard at keeping out the opening attack, negotiating the variable swing and bounce and finding it difficult to hit the ball off the square. In fact, it was one of the slowest starts to an innings all season and after ten overs there were only fifteen runs on the board. More importantly, there had been no damage from the opening salvo. Oh! Dave's out, caught forcing the pace.

Kalu joined Ev in the middle and after initial caution, the runs started to flow more easily. Ev was then bowled by the first change bowler, bringing BenP to the wicket and together the unbeaten pair from last week built a steadily accelerating partnership, running well and finding the boundary with pleasing regularity. After putting on more than fifty, it all ended in tears when Ben was run out for twenty.

Iggy was caught early on, one of some thirty - or more - catching opportunities presented by both sides throughout the afternoon, much less than half of which (mostly the difficult ones) were taken. Alan came in and provided the perfect foil for Kalu, both looking in cracking form as they welded another partnership against a slightly thin bowling attack, before Kalu was bowled for thirty.

With five wickets down the run rate was now a healthy three an over, climbing rapidly as Ange took full advantage of the balls remaining, finding the middle of the bat and clouting a top score of 34 in quick time as Alan stroked stylishly from the other end. After Ange was bowled, Rog was run out cheaply trying to scamper and maintain the positive momentum against an opposition who by now were snapping at their own heels. Garner went in to hold Alan's hand for a brief while until the end and the well paced collective innings concluded after 40 overs on an above par 166-7 with Alan 26 not out.

After a good though perhaps tactically heavy tea, which wasn't as your correspondent initially suspected laced with ketamine, the Cowboys took to the field, Alan in a fetching / fineable orange 'Mani' hat. Swifts flew inches above the ground, darting about successfully catching insects, utterly unlike the fielding display soon to unfold.

Although one of the regular opposition opening pair (the leading run scorer in the division) was absent, the other, their skipper (also highly productive this season) wasn't. Budge and Garner opened the bowling and apart from rare exceptions kept things tight but couldn't make a breakthrough. That's the trouble with bowling well and making the ball swing. It wasn't until Ev replaced Budge that the young opener was out caught.

>> Note to self: Data absent
>> Insert Appendix detailing all catches taken and dropped; go easy on Rog and Iggy, praise the skipper.
>> Those who didn't stay in The Plough until closing time will be less likely to be suffering amnesia.

Replacing Garner, your correspondent forgot to let go of his first delivery then noticed that he could have run out the non-striker by yards. He didn't, more concerned with the possibility that he'd forgotten how to bowl. He was soon taught an early lesson by having a reasonably good ball clattered to cow corner, where the Friesian spectators chewed. (Other non bovine spectators included Jeff and SteveO - the latter may have some photographic plates of the occasion.)

Not long after, the pinioned new batsman messed up a drive and Budge had a second, tastier catch. He plucked a third after Rog overcame initial radar difficulties and the batsman favoured the aerial route. Kalu beguiled with flight and accidental googlies, earning respect from batsmen falling behind with their run rate and prompting the fall of the next wicket, when Garner swooped to pouch a rebound from Iggy's slippery hands, and in so doing was a worthy winner of the Cider Moment.

The opposition skipper remained, steadily accumulating, reaching his half century as his partners came and went. The Cowboys' skipper rotated the six bowlers expertly, showing a fine head for mathematics. Field positioning was crucial, as was Ange's diving behind the stumps. Alan took a great catch on the long-on boundary, where he appeared little more than an orange dot in the fading light by the hedgerow.

Wrington, bar their captain, were crumbling, despite all the dropped catches, yet they weren't out of the game. Unperturbed by the ability to swing the ball, your correspondent bowled straight and hit the stumps. Budge's fourth catch off Ev at long-off was sublime, as the batsman threatened to chase a run a ball for the last few overs, then, achieving some kind of poetic justice, Ev aptly bowled the batsman who'd previously bowled him.

In the dusk, from some distance, the scoreboard was deceptive and it was unnerving to discover that 38 overs gone was actually 36. Their captain was looking like carrying his bat and possibly capable of achieving their target as Rog sought to contain him, but in the 38th over Ben made no mistake with a fine diving catch and he was dismissed for 73. Not even unexpected localised seismic activity could save Wrington now: Game over, victory by 20 runs.

Budge's catching and captaincy won him an equal share of the Man of the Match vote with the embedded hack who acquired a small clutch of wickets.

Scorecard

Coming up roses

Three mixes of Rose Smith's 'Life Changes' but still can't find the '2 Banks of 4 Dub Remix' !

Rinsed

Bath C.C. 4th XI v Easton Cowboys C.C. Saturday XI

Arriving at the Brownsword ground in Lansdown, the well-organised opposition appeared to be going through their exercise routines in the far distance. On closer inspection, they were in fact much nearer, but mostly tiny.

With Budge away at Eastnor Castle for the weekend, RT1 took the helm, lost the toss on what looked like a fine batting wicket bathed in sunshine and was asked to bowl.

The opposition captain, one of the few adults in the team, opened the batting with a very competent colt. Together they proved solid against RT1 and Ev's opening overs, finding the boundary several times across a fast outfield. Rob bowled a particularly tight line but it was Ev who was unlucky to have their skipper dropped to a diving chance at point when barely in double figures.

Disconcertingly, the same batsman developed a propensity for hitting a good length ball on off stump across the line, behind square to the boundary. After ten overs Bath were 40-0 and Ev's usual tight rein on the runs had been loosened, so RT1 decided to bring on a bowler who'd been spanked for eight an over last week.

Fortunately, the muscle memory or whatever kicked in and he bowled a tidy line and length which didn't get clobbered, at first, but then their skipper lashed out successfully across the line into a vacant leg-side field to the boundary. It was a risky but effective shot. The ball wasn't swinging and there was little movement off the pitch. In the 17th over he reached his fifty with a six over mid-wicket and the bowler was not amused. Two balls later he attempted something similar and was bowled to much relief.

Rog had replaced RT1 at the other end but not initially mirrored his economy. The new batsman hit an early boundary but the next over Simon covered ground to pouch a great catch - the Cider Moment if memory serves. Rog then immediately struck, trapping the remaining opener LBW and when he removed the incoming batsman in the same manner for a duck in his next over, the screw was starting to tighten on the opposition.

The next batswoman distracted a few Cowboys, not only for the rumour that she'd played at a national level and it fell to your correspondent to, er, tie her down. Eventually, in her attempt to break free, she clipped a ball to leg and was half way down the wicket before she realised that she'd been sent back: Calm proficient fielding and keeping ran her out by miles.

In six overs, the Cowboys had taken five wickets for thirteen runs and reduced Bath to 89-5. Kalu then came on to bowl and without getting much turn, took the remaining five, four of them ducks, in a spell of 5 for 10 causing the innings to capitulate to 113 all out in the 35th over. Given the regularity with which he is mentioned in these despatches, suffice to say it was a fine mopping up job, aided and abetted by keen attention to field placement and a couple of regulation catches. The fielding had been close to excellent, Gretch had coped admirably behind the stumps with a back injury and opinion was divided as to whether batting conditions or performances had deteriorated as the afternoon had unfolded.





Tea was taken just as the rain arrived and sandwiches were postponed as the covers were rolled into place. There were brighter skies in the distance and after an extra wedge of fine fruitcake the showers passed and the Cowboys' innings commenced.

The opening bowling appeared fairly friendly and batsmen Ev and DaveB looked comfortable until the latter fell on the offensive to a sharp catch in the covers, bringing BenP to the wicket. The score ticked along nicely, both batsmen looking in good form, playing straight and picking off the bad ball. The bowling was rotated frequently but rarely threatened and the fifty came up in the 14th over, just as it had for the opposition. The partnership was looking invincible when Ben imagined a second run which Ev had no chance of finding and was run out on n-n-n-n-nineteen.

Simon looked at home and capable of reproducing the bludgeoning witnessed in the nets, until bowled by the wicketkeeper who had taken her pads off to come into the attack. When Iggy was well caught in the covers the following over, that familiar nerve jangled for an instant, despite the depth of the batting to come, but with only thirty runs required, six wickets in hand and Ben and Kalu at the crease, Bath were about to be rinsed.

Ben brought up (not last night's curry) his fifty with a boundary having made the most of a good wicket in a near chanceless innings while Kalu got in on the act and smote three boundaries, both remaining not out and earning Man of the Match nominations for their respective superlative roles in the game as the Cowboys comfortably crossed the line in the 26th over.

Returning to the main ground in the city for a pint, the Cowboys reflected on the afternoon's play and as the match in front of them concluded, dared to imagine the possibility of playing in a higher division.

Scorecard

Ripening

Rich pickings

Fruity

Glad all over

Tunnel vision

Five Cowboys and a Cowgirl rode way out west to Pembrokeshire to play at a cricket tournament near Narberth and to return a trophy won last year. There was a bit of a delay rounding up the horses and saddling up early on a sunny Sunday morning and after hours of cantering through the Brecon Beacons they arrived late, five minutes after the cricket had been abandoned due to rain.

No matter, they were well stocked up and there was generous hospitality and a barbecue back at a farmhouse, set amidst a lush garden of surprises, with outbuildings and polytunnels to explore as the unrelenting drizzle continued. It rains so much around here that it's not unheard of to use a polytunnel as a cricket net.

KK Kicks

Whitchurch C.C. 3rd XI v Easton Cowboys C.C, Saturday XI

The Saturday XI played away against Whitchurch 3rd XI but neither went to Whitchurch nor recognized the team as being their 3rd XI. Arriving in good time at Peasedown St John with a bowler-heavy side, Joe won the toss and elected to bowl.

He and RobT opened the attack, both often beating the bat, the former tightly economical, the latter having the batsmen plum LBW, although unfortunately the umpire didn't concur. The following ball possibly wasn't LBW, but with Gordon Guilt sitting on his shoulder, the umpire raised his finger.

After shortened spells, Ev replaced Joe and last week's most successful bowler replaced Rob, but the Whitchurch top order fought back, finding the short boundary and accelerating the run rate to around four an over. In fact, your correspondent returned his worst ever bowling figures for the Cowboys, just a week after his best, but such is the beauty and balance of cricket. Innit?

Joe eventually broke the partnership off Ev's bowling by taking a great Cider Moment over-the-shoulder diving catch at mid-off and after Rog had had no luck with the ball, Kalu had a go, immediately causing problems and creating chances: He dismissed the No.3 & 4 batsmen both for 32, one to a good steady catch by Ev at long-off, the other to a sharp caught and bowled.

The ground fielding was at times a bit patchy given the good surface of the outfield: Later there were fines for unnecessary and sometimes unsuccessful use of feet and absent or less than well-timed dives. Still, Kalu tied the opposition down and compensated for runs lost elsewhere and the best was yet to come.

The last tool in the box, seventh bowler Garnier ceased his green woodpecker watching and whirred into action. In common with the straight hitting frequent in the innings, after a while the ball was bashed back into the nonchalant waiting hand of the bowler, exposing the tail.

It should be noted that not all bash-backs were successfully held; Justin being hit around the waistband at near point blank range, foolishly / wisely averting his eyes for a crucial second.

Kalu got his third wicket by bowling the batsman with a yorker / full toss, finishing with 3-17 from his eight overs, Angelo was rewarded for his safe keeping all afternoon with a snick off Garnier and the opposition weren't looking like they'd last the full 40 overs with seven wickets down and less than 150 on the board.

Garnier then took two wickets in two balls, one to an LBW appeal and one to Ev's safe hands, thereby presenting a hat-trick scenario. In what could be considered jug evasion the bowler then spewed the ball wide down the leg side, the anti-climax worthy of a Cider Moment nomination or two.

Ev mopped up the No.11 to restrict Whitchurch to a final 154 all out on the first ball of the 39th over, Garnier finishing with figures of 4-20 from six overs.

Tea was had, in a clubhouse now populated by refugees from another sport who had been giving vociferous support to the home side.

The volume increased as Justin and Grover opened the batting, getting louder still as Justin was soon out LBW, Grover toed a wide one for a catch first ball, Angelo succumbed LBW and Iggy - despite taking the attack to the bowlers and scoring three quick boundaries - was caught near the boundary. In terms of Cowboy collapses, 19-4 was pretty dire, fuelling the home supporters' glee.

Ev and Kalu were now at the wicket, both steadying the ship, patching the damage to prevent submersion or submission. The bowling didn't look anything special and it was vital not to lose another wicket to a bad ball.

Better bowling did come, but the pair slipped into their roles superbly and after early circumspection Kalu lashed out as Ev supported, defended and nudged. It was possibly the partnership of the season to date, cruising past fifty, always up with the run rate, taking the total towards and beyond a hundred as, not for the first time this season, home supporters were silenced and started to leave.

Kalu passed his second fifty of the month - and his Cowboy career - driving the field back with his expansive shots, enabling ones and two into the gaps and further frustrating the fielders, who had failed to take a couple of chances that had come their way. Some took their ire out on umpire Iggy, especially when he adjudged Kalu not run out.

The partnership reached a few runs past Nelson - to which Ev had contributed not much more than a dozen runs - until Kalu got a very audible nick behind for an excellent and very useful 83. Or did Ev go first for 19?

(Time for confession: Your correspondent forgot to take the scorebook out of the safe / picture frame to the match after his performance last week - for which he was naturally fined - and therefore some of the finer details are unclear)

At around 130-6 with just under ten overs to go, it was left to Joe and Garnier to maintain the advantage and steer the Cowboys home, which they did determinedly, with good running between the wickets and shot selection.

It had been a good game, better for the Cowboys than for Whitchurch and largely thanks to Man of the Match Kalu.

Scorecard

Down river

Invasion

Staples

Highly favoured

Midsomer Norton 3rd XI v Easton Cowboys Saturday XI

As your correspondent left the house on Saturday morning, Geoff Boycott was on the radio wittering on about how cricketers have their favourite grounds where they always seems to perform well - hokum, hogwash and superstition of course, yet it was hard to forget having scored a maiden fifty at Midsomer Norton last summer, as we crawled along in the traffic jam out of the city on another Mendip jaunt.

Joe won the toss on a muggy, overcast afternoon and opened the bowling, more panther than rabbit in his smooth approach and delivery, yet still wicketless after his opening salvo. RobT hopped in from the other end, on the button from the start, making the opposition work for every run.

Disappointingly, despite good efforts, four catches went down in the first ten overs and although the score was well pegged back, the opening batsmen prevailed until Rob made the breakthrough, trapping one of the openers LBW.

There followed a sixty run partnership for the second wicket and although the run rate seldom got above three an over, with wickets in hand, the opposition had built a foundation for a solid total.

Ev replaced Joe from one end and kept things remarkably tight while RobT bowled out his eight overs and gave the ball to Garner, who finally got the second wicket a few overs after the drinks break by bowling the No.3 batsman. Your correspondent replaced Ev and struggled to stop the runs leaking until a straight one kept low and he bowled the remaining opening batsman.

Shortly afterwards, the captain was heard to tell your correspondent that he was going to pull him off and in the shadow of a double entendre he took the ball for another spell. It was round about now that the batsman smashed the ball hard at Ev, whose hands only served to funnel the ball into his groin. As he regained his composure, the umpire enquired whether there was one ball left and another Cider Moment was born.

In his final over, Garner clean bowled another batsman to have the opposition foundation a bit cracked at 96-4 with eight overs remaining. Your correspondent returned for a spell from the other end and as Midsomer Norton hit out, Ev reached high for the sky and plucked down a ball that was destined for the boundary with his Inspector Gadget, Cider Moment nominated hand. Their skipper was the next to go, bowled by a fuller ball, but then as Ev returned for a spell from the other end and tied the batsmen down, the tail wagged and thrashed a little, taking eleven runs from your correspondent's penultimate over, for which there would be retribution, once Ev had taken a wicket in his final over to put the score on 125-7.

Hands up who likes bowling the last over of an innings? They're usually a bit of a challenge and sometimes quite eventful. The third ball of the over was mishit (if you read the word another way, it's still quite accurate) and Grover, blinded by the sun, miraculously clapped hands when the ball arrived in them: 133-8. The batsmen had crossed, the one now on strike had only previously played one scoring shot, hitting Ev for six. He got a thick ballooning edge on the next ball, which looped in Iggy's proximity at slip and as the bowler barked and beseeched, Ian duly obliged and took a great catch at full stretch.

The guttural bovine celebrations for a five wicket haul were met with both incredulity and congratulations, somewhat overshadowing the arrival of the diminutive last man at the crease and another little matter. The field came in but it hadn't dawned on most, including the bowler, what special opportunity that the next ball presented, but when it passed the bat and hit the stumps someone was alert enough to notice that it was not only the end of the innings but a hat-trick.

Besides the accuracy of all the bowlers and Gretch's blemishless record behind the stumps, the long grass in the outfield had taken the momentum out of the ball and restricted the runs considerably. 134 was an achievable target, but only if a few batsmen were prepared to stick around or go over the top.

Back at the main clubhouse, next to the picture perfect wicket, the tea table groaned under the weight of all manner of fayre. Some were too thirsty to wait for the tea to brew for long enough, others got absorbed in the Test match on the telly.



Ev and Grover opened up, safely negotiating half a dozen overs of tidy bowling from left armers until umpire RobT was convinced that Ev had snicked a ball that he hadn't and upheld the hopeful appeal. The score crept along slowly, assisted from the outset by a smattering of wides. The long grass was no help to BenP who often played fine shots for little or no reward. When he eventually tried going over the top of mid-on the fielder made a good backwards tumbling catch: After twenty overs, the score of 53 was identical to the opposition's at the same stage, for the loss of one more wicket.

Alan got his heed down well and tore up and down the wicket, taking Grover along for the ride and making him dive for the line. They both occupied the crease, nudged the score along and sent fielders chasing until Grover was bowled for a valuable 27 and Alan was executed in a similar manner in the bowler's following over: 74-4 in the 28th over, sixty runs to get in twelve overs.

Enter first Iggy, then Kalu. With that much power under the bonnet, would something blow? The pair exercised restraint, surviving a few near misses and initially making do with singles and well run twos. The required run rate still hovered at around five an over, with eight overs to go and five remaining batsmen not at all sure whether they'd be called upon.

On reaching double figures, Kalu had played in the long grass for long enough and went aerial, clearing the boundary ropes for maximum points. Iggy found the boundary too, missed the fielders and struck powerful blows to silence the home supporters. The previously economical opening bowlers returned to have their figures spoilt, Kalu lofting a seemingly effortless six over long-on, which later earned him Cider Moment nominations, scattering the field to make more singles and twos possible.

The 36th over went for ten runs and it was all over, the glory and crowning moment only slightly spoilt by an elderly gentleman driving his car straight through the victorious batsmen and other cricketers as they attempted to leave the field of play.

Kalu rightly received Man of the Match nominations for his accelerated approach, scoring 36 not out from 26 balls and joining Iggy for a sixty run partnership in less than eight overs, but some chancer who got a hat-trick he didn't know about, six wickets and a fine for exceeding four runs per over ran away with the Man of the Match award at Midsomer Norton for the second year in a row. What was Boycott saying?

Scorecard

Hotter than July

The physics of flying

When I was sixteen, the boy I sat next to at school had a pilot's licence. He was a member of the RAF section of the school's combined cadet force and very good at physics. I was a Royal Navy cadet and could swim.

Our physics teacher, who wore a ridiculous deerstalker hat and smoked a pipe, had no tolerance for boys like me, who didn't understand: He'd fly into rages at our inability to answer his interrogations or produce anything less than perfect homework.

Consequently, to save my skin, I used to copy from the exercise book of the boy next to me, without his knowledge, after he'd placed it in the teacher's pigeonhole. He wouldn't have let me copy it if I'd asked, out of both principle and fear of the teacher's wrath. I took every precaution to avoid being caught by either.

It was an alphabetical friendship, borne out of being made to sit in order of surname most of the time. Outside of the classroom we didn't talk much and when he was off learning to fly I was messing around in boats. When it was no longer compulsory I left the cadet force but he stayed on, intent on a career in the RAF. Naturally I gave up physics and he carried on with it. We left school on different paths and never saw each other again.

In 1995 I saw a photograph of him in the TV section of a newspaper. I'd been out of the country for several years and was unaware of what had happened in June 1994. It was no surprise that he'd become an experienced, well trusted RAF pilot, but to hear of the accident and loss of so many lives was shocking.

The posthumous charge of gross negligence didn't seem right, even before I'd heard the facts. I'd never known him to be negligent of anything, unless you count allowing sneaky cheats like me to copy his homework when he wasn't looking.

Finally, this week, after all these years, an independent review has overturned the MoD verdict, after previously suppressed evidence - which has long been public - concerning malfunctioning Chinook software which the pilots had expressed concerns about, was allowed to be considered.

I'm left pondering the consequences of unswerving obedience and why I didn't have the courage to tell the physics teacher that I just didn't get it.

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