Laughton and Mowsley Cricket Club.
That beautiful rural idyll of South Leicestershire, the quintessential illustration of village cricket and , when the wind whipped through on Sunday afternoon, a demonstration of what Siberia might feel like.
Ah yes, it was chilly.
However the welcome was warm, the opposition hospitable as always and the thrashing they dished out was administered with a kindness that made you feel good about yourself even though the scorebook didn't.
The Duckhunters took to the field and showed commendable effort. Mike Dunkley was throwing himself around like he had been fired from a cannon with only his native cunning and bulbous hair to slow him down. Ben O'Reilly warming to his task, charged around like a Rhino on a rampage. Heck, Captain Scooter took an absolute blinder at long on as hopes rose of a chaseable total, but it was not to be.
The home side launched an assault after drinks that took them to 261, albeit on a good wicket.
The Duckhunters glass ceiling probably around 100 below that.
Faced with a task that was in all likelihood beyond them Fleckney took the scenic route to close out the game rather than a probably doomed charge to victory. The aforementioned Dunkers scored a controlled 60, Furbs hitting 19 (and every fielder with irksome regularity) and Chris Hill a patient but highly commendable 30 not out as the innings closed at 142 for 3.
Thoughts of the pub afterwards overshadowed for some by a wish for a warm bath and a hot toddy.
So April cricket leaves us for another year without a tick in the win column. However as all keen Duckhunter followers know it's a long season and we always peak sometime around June for, oh, at least a week or two. It's coming, and when it does we will be there to report on it.
