We began with a new fixture at Kingsley, a village side south of Frodsham, with a picturesque ground.  On his first appearance since promotion, Brian Cummings duly kept the juniors waiting.  However, after Charles Prior (1 for 7 off 6 overs) and Tom Gosling (2 for 29) had made early inroads, Cummings took the opportunity to display his silky skills with 4 wickets for 11 runs off 6 overs so as to bowl out Kingsley for 129.  It is often said that the sign of a good wicket-keeper is that you barely notice he is there until he snaffles another victim.   Peter Harthan, in making an accomplished debut, was just such an example, standing in for the absent Nigel Power. Opinion was divided as to who was the better wicket-keeper, although one wag suggested that, whilst we might lose more fixtures with Peter’s batting (3 runs off 30 balls), we might keep more fixtures without Nigel’s banter.  In agreeing to open the batting the debutant had assured his skipper that he had previously been an opener, until he had developed into more of a slogger!  Our innings had its usual sort of start, with an entertaining duck from Ashley Barnes, who then entertained us with a discussion as to the number of runs he would tell his wife he had scored (the truth was not an option).  23 was eventually the figure upon which he decided.  Simon Gorton did marginally better, scoring 1, but blamed this on the captain for having put him at number 3 in the batting order.  Brian Cummings perished in Bothamesque style, trying to get his leg over the wicket whilst hooking a short ball.  At 57 for 5, the position looked slightly perilous, but we need not have worried, as Will Rankin took control (or rather his new Newbery Uzi did) blasting eleven 4’s in a match winning 61 not out.