Rain. Thunder. Lightening

For the first actual game of the season Baboons turned up early and prepared the battlefield. Grass was cut, the wicket rolled. Boundary markers inserted. Sightscreens assembled and located correctly. The sun shone, well wishers were welcomed. All looked lovely.
The Motleys arrived and played a bizarre Lithuanian game. BG claimed he won. It might be true
Captain Tim won the toss and elected to bat on a lovingly prepared and beautiful looking pitch. Excess rain had not been allowed to reach it - surely it was a ROAD. A large score was anticipated.
As is usual with the Motleys the bowling was opened by Patchetts T and W. The bounce was not predictable. Sogginess was detected. Insufficient sun and warmth meant the pitch was still suffering from the rain of the previous week. An unhappy umpire was forced to give two very plumb lbw's. The bowler failed to locate the centre of the batsmens' bat because the ball did not bounce but deviated from off to middle, twice. The younger Gilbert played some nice shots but was soon caught, 16 for 3, or thereabouts. Gloom.
The new recruit, Matt, demonstrated a greaceful style and prospered with the determined Captain Bullement but was then undone by Simon-no-shirt, again by lack of bounce. Apparently the next batsman was Helliwell senior but no-one recognised him as several correct and proper defensive strokes were noted. Then - the big shot - sadly no contact with ball as it rolled along the ground onto the stumps. A similar fate then befell the co-creator of the pitch - Gilbert senior - who returned to the potting shed muttering about the poor quality of his pitch-preparing team.
Bullement was still there and grittily determined to continue despite a downpour or two and now joined by Grummitt junior who confused the Motleys by being left-handed. The pace of scoring increased as bowlers not called Patchett were deployed and Grummitt displayed a large forward reach and a charge down the wicket to get runs off the exceedingly slow Brown.
More rain and the match diminished to 32 overs each. This emboldened Grummitt to play a spendid aerial straight drive, sadly straight to a capable fileder who completed the catch. A Patchett!
Bullement was still there, passed his fifty to much applause and remained not out along with the joyful Hyland to the final score of 118.

Then a large black wet cloud settled over Ropsley playing field and emptied its contents. Faces became gloomy and a sad end to the game agreed as no result. The Green Man welcomed us, beers were drunk and plans made for the future. Plans that would hopefully include sun and a drier pitch.