Report by Joss Dare:
Do you remember when this fixture used to have a bit of spice in it? Where once trod the nasal Hereford Chameleons (knobbers!), the hauteur Butterflies (plonkers!) and the Mid Notts FAS (good at cricket, damn them!) there then came the Bunnies - in the distant mists of 1996, in fact.
As the protagonists have degenerated into decrepitude over the years, the fixture has, perhaps, become something of a sinecure for the annual rather than perennial cricketer. No such sneers this year, however, for this year Cliff returned to the fixture and the resultant sprinkling of "See You Next Tuesday"s brought things bubbling back to vibrant colour very effectively indeed.
That aside, the fixture was remarkable in that it was, I think, the first time that five Dares have taken the field together. Hal, Zoe and Jamie all contrived to make Cliff and Joss look as old as they obviously feel (all in good time, chummy!). Zoe Dare (carded in the team sheet as The Zoroaster for mystical reasons that are not immediately obvious at this remove), in particular deserves special mention for taking the venerable wickets of Hillers and Pesters - and also, for making it so apparent that Denty has an infirm a grasp of the whereabouts of his off stump as he does of his own sexuality.
As it was, Lt-Colonel Clifford Roderick Stanton Dare, RMR, MBE's 93* (or was it 97*?) and Stef Harvey's excellent 47 (or was it 53?) was to no avail as FAS ran out of overs just 16 runs shy of victory.