That is what English summer Sundays were invented for.
What a setting, what a game, what a tea, and it may have been that we experienced cricketing heaven.
The match was lively and well contested throughout against a proper team. Knebworth Park were clearly a batting line up and we did magnificently well to restrict them to 179 with a combination of good bowling and some superb fielding.
Marcus and Big Mike opened the bowling and the initial breakthrough came in the first over with Mat pouching a simple catch off Marcus.
Jim came on to restrict the run rate and the wicket gods somehow kept him away from celebratory high fives. Nick made further inroads before Mat Freeman and Jimmy Mitchell came on to clean up the innings.
Jimmy bowled straight and fast as usual and took a brilliant five fer in no time at all. He becomes only the forth player in the club’s history to achieve this feat.
The Rosaneri reply began in dreadful fashion with Mr Bell chopping the opening ball onto his own stumps. Ben batted nicely and really looked like he could goon for a big innings until disaster struck.
Bloater and Coxy both added to the Duck race and with 4 early wickets gone for hardly any runs the pinks were in big trouble.
Cometh the hour cometh the man and Sheridan stepped forward to rebuild and then make a very serious attempt at getting the game won. Marcus supported him very well in the initial rebuilding stages and then Jim took over in the supporting role as the Sheridan show gathered pace.
Shell applied deft touch and powerful hitting to treat the travelling fans to a real batting exhibition. He added 92 with Jim to create a 6th wicket partnership record before basically being bowled through tiredness.
Jim continued the race to the winning line, but inexplicably slashed at a wide one to snick to the keeper. Mat, Nick and Jimmy did all they could but the momentum had swung and the home team captain wrapped things up by bowling both Mat and Jimmy.
A grand effort, but another defeat.