There are many scenic grounds in Leicestershire. There are some slightly odd ones too, anyone who has played at Barkby with its trees inside the boundary will testify to that. There is though nothing quite as macabre as a wet afternoon at Broomleys. Driving into the ground you are confronted with club crest, a witch on a broomstick. (Having said that she probably considered a ‘looker’ at a local nightclub). You then turn down the track to the pavilion and drive by the local cemetery. Considering all that along with skies more threatening than a caveman’s breath after a beer and mammoth burger night and you get the picture. For the second week running full a day’s play did not seem likely.

The rain was falling in a light drizzle, and it stayed that way all afternoon. Indeed only failing light, a fall in temperature and the lure of the bar finally drove the players from the field just after 6 PM. In that time a mostly young Kibworth side had shown up well against strong opposition.

Broomleys batted first. At this stage the drizzle was minimal and ranked more as an annoyance than anything. However the grass varied in length from Action Man ‘crew cut’ on one side of the wicket to Lodge Twin hiding undergrowth on the other. Depending on your particular batting strength you could either get full value for your shots or watch the cherry slow right up, if this wasn’t particularly fair neither was bowling with a ball that soon felt like a bar of soap. It was an afternoon in either case for just getting on with it.

The Kibworth bowling was pretty good for the most part but the ball just kept falling short of fielders or just wide, in truth it soon became obvious it wasn’t going to be their day. Despite assurances that the home batting was actually pretty weak after the first five the boys from Fleckney Road just couldn’t get at them on a surprisingly good batting wicket.

With the rain now upgraded to the ‘pain in the backside’ level Broomleys finished on 236 after their allotted 40 overs. Bowling honours went to Harry ‘Windy’ Miller who took two wickets, one with a well disguised slower ball and the other an LBW shout against a home opener threatening to carry his bat The gusty laughter from the sidelines when the finger went up betrayed the fact he was on 99. How he must have chuckled to himself on the way back to the pavilion.

After tea the rain has cumulatively reached half way up a ducks back but still not enough to call it off. The match itself dragged on for another 11 overs in which John Bleby and Imran had looked pretty comfortable, however common sense prevailed, hands were shook and the players headed for the dressing room.

For the second week running Kibworth has duly chased leather, had a token effort with the willow and then done the front crawl back to the pavilion. The British Summer, eh? You have to love it