After a week of weather forecasts that got progressively worse as the appointed day became nearer, expectations of the match actually taking place reduced proportionally day by day. What started off as a bright yellow sun on Monday's BBC forecast, had somehow - by a huge slice of metamorphosis, turned into a thick black cloud with huge rain spots falling from it by Friday! So much for expert forecasting - just make it up as you go along!

And after all that, the day was not too bad at all. Yes, we lost overs to rain, but the game eventually proved to be one of the closest ever - with the President winning in the last over.

The Chairman, Andrew Silsby rallied his troops in his usual Churchillian manner for first go at the crease against the tightly knit force of the President, led in combative style by captain Brian Summers. The canny Chairman selected his opening pair well. Into the lions' den went his two young blades - Liam Bates and Paul Jones, average age about 37, the ideal age for a batsman* (*Wisden 1954).

They did not let their leader down and between them put on a finely made sixty nine for the first wicket before Marcus Shelton extracted some unexpected lift from the pitch and induced Jones to place the ball in the hands of a grateful Jeff Connon and depart with 20 to his name.

Brett Hanson - thankfully relieved from toad-in-the-hole duties this year- came in at number three and made 25 before being bowled by Andy Luck, Liam retired with a classy 58 not out - pre-empting the Chairman's second retiree, all- rounder Chris Perry who constructed a sparkling 50 off just 52 balls. The writing was well and truly on the wall - a big total was on the way; this was despite John Pike's demise (bowled by Adrian Ward for 4) and the Chairman soon following - bowled by Scott Bailey from the Crispin for 13. (He wouldn't have missed it if it was a bag of pork scratchings was the general consensus!)

Simon Driver became Paul Clarkson's first Wollaston wicket when he missed a straight one but Mrs Clarkson's equilibrium was maintained when son David was skittled by the man from Beds (not " beds"!) - Mark Ralph - for 11.

At this points (29 overs gone) lunch was taken and a banquet was put before the players', vice presidents', sponsors', invited guests and friends,- whilst out on the pitch Neal Perry and his coaches organised a skills session for the juniors - watched closely by the mums and dads.

After this very pleasant interlude the President's men knew they needed to address the perilous position they were in. However, Man-in-Form Jamie Perry took control of the situation and along with Mark Carter (29) added 40 before the latter was run out after both batsmen found themselves at the same end and both rendered speechless. Jamie finishing with 19 not out to add to his previous day's total of 29 against Kempston.

This all added up to a mammoth 279 which was considered too much for the President Mr Barber, his lieutenant Mr Summers and the rest of the foot soldiers. But one thing you can't do is prematurely write-off a team marshalled by these two seasoned campaigners - a spirited response was certain.

One rain break had been and gone by the time the reply had started but the second damp interlude forced the game to be reduced - setting a revised target of 221 off 40 overs.

In a "cock-a-snook" attempt at the Chairman's young opening pair, the average age of the President's men entrusted to repel the opening salvo was racked up to about 44 so it was considered that the sharp single would be as rare as a Bahra short story*. (*Wisden 2007)

But they responded well. Experienced campaigner Paul Carter hung around before being bowled by David Ward for a son-matching score of 29, Marcus Shelton who had his chest bruised by some hostile Junior Clarkson bowling was eventually bowled by Simon Driver for an "entertaining" nine, and Andy Luck was caught absolutely plumb in front trying to sweep a rare non-turning delivery from David Ward that gave umpire Dave Ekins no choice but to raise the all important finger and send him on his way.

So it was now 78 for 3. The President was in a spot of bother, but a partnership of 66 between Mark Ralph and Darren King put the innings back on an even keel and it was a relief to the Chairman (you should have seen him clapping!) when Ralph reached his half century and had to depart, (he came back later!) to be replaced at the crease by Paul Bates who was eventually bowled by Mark Carter after making a steady six.

The Chairman, buoyed up by the exit of Ralph was so excited he brought himself on to bowl! Not to facilitate a change of ends as we all thought, but actually to carry on and bowl four more overs. However, it was a move that paid off. King was so expecting the usual fare of buffet bowling from the Chairman that he lost all concentration and when Mr Silsby got one to swing away in the air and nip back off the pitch it proved too good for the paper industry mogul and he was on his way for 23. In strode the lad from Sydney, big Jeff Connon followed by left hander Adrian Ward and together they put on a stand of 41 which included some comical running between the wickets - the highlight of which was an episode engineered by Brett Hanson. Read on.…

Hanson, who was at short third man and copping a fair amount of barracking from the opposition who were by this time lined up on the boundary edge willing on their batsmen, was in the land of toad and batter and dreaming of what "might have been". But his tactical brain was working overtime and accidentally on purpose he feigned a mis-field that led to confusion between batsmen running between the wickets. Somehow the two batsmen, who were born over 12,000 miles apart, were at the same end of a 22 yard pitch - not once, but three times! All off the same ball! It was pandemonium. Overthrows were coming thick and fast, the Chairman was mis-fielding, everyone -on and off the field- was shouting, and to round it all off, the bowler, Corporal Jones missed the stumps from 12 inches without a batsman in sight. (He put it down to an old shoulder injury).

This gave the batters (sorry Brett! I won't mention it again) the edge, and although Liam Bates eventfully bowled Jeff, and Chris Perry turned one a mile to dismiss Adrian, Scott Bailey, Paul Clarkson and Brian Summers took it to the brink where it only needed the born again (!) Mark Ralph to strike the winning boundary with 3 balls to spare.

It was a fantastic end to an absorbing game and credit is due to both captains for playing the game in the right spirit. No quarter given, but no liberties taken.

All it needed was the President to present the trophy to the winning captain Brian Summers, and thank everyone who had helped to make the day such a resounding success.

Special thanks to Savory Paper for sponsoring the lunch, the umpires Dave Ekins, John Hodges, Dick Underwood and Derek Thompson. Les Underwood for scoring and helping with the food, Neal and Lynn Perry for organising the juniors and generally working all day; Katie Shelton, Harriet Jones and Gemma Luck who worked so hard all day and the previous evenings providing such a fantastic spread; Emily, Sarah Carter and everyone who helped in any way including David Ellis who gave up his time to entertain us at the barbeque.

Everyone who helped in any way : Thank you.