A club member’s wedding might have depleted Chesterfords team for Saturday’s game at Hockerill, but the day’s perfect couple turned out to be Chesterfords’ makeshift opening pair, Paul Philips and David Lightning, who quickly and chancelessly knocked off a 177-run target in just 27 overs.

Hockerill’s youthful second XI chose to bat, but were immediately under pressure as opener Sander pushed Pullen’s second ball of the innings to the short midwicket trap. After Thake, who had found prodigious seam movement from the start, clipped the top of Noonan’s off-stump, King (35) held the innings together with a series of well-directed boundaries, only to pick out Dowrick at point with a rare loose stroke.  Thereafter, as wickets tumbled, It was left to number 7 bat Nayim to take Hockerill through to a respectable 176; his 62 started with two forceful drives and continued with a series of muscular blows over the heavily guarded leg-side boundary, ended only by a fine off-cutter from Pullen (4-36).

Chesterfords started slowly enough against the swing of Bird and the accuracy of Foster. With a series of well-timed shots finding the field, it threatened to be a long, hard grind on a warm and humid evening. However, Lightning’s improbable six off a waist-high full toss marked a sudden gear-change. Philips (83) grew steadily in authority with a series of glorious straight drives and lofted hooks, and having passed his maiden league 50 of the season, he accelerated away from Lightning, whose half-century arrived a few overs later and just in time for Chesterfords to seal an early victory.

Let’s hope that, back in Great Chesterford, the new Mr and Mrs McHugh were having half as satisfying an afternoon.