Doubt had been the buzzword of this fixture. Reigate's manager had been in touch to explain that afternoon school matches meant that he thought that a good portion of the Priory team might not make the start time, and so it was agreed that they could bat first without the need to do a toss. And then there was the weather, which had looked iffy for a few days leading up to the match. From lunchtime onwards, messages were pinging about from parents in different locations with tales of hurricanes, feet of snow-drifts and flooded roads. Somehow South dodged them. Smithy beavered away until 4pm, when a big cloud-burst did hit. However, 15 minutes later, the sun came out, and so did the message that we were to play. Three cheers for Smithy, who always believed that we would get a game.

In the event, all Priory players were on site before the start of the game, which began with Reigate batting first. Dilshaan was his usual economic self, and indeed claimed the first wicket on the sixth ball of the innings. Jai then claimed the second victim in his first over with a good catch by Isaac and there was trouble at 11-2. However, Max and Shreyas controlled events, seeing off Ben and Tom C's two overs each. Progress was steady, at a run a ball. Tom K and Isaac partnered up to bowl the next stint, and the batmen's runs were starting to flow in a well judged partnership. Joe and Sam C had one over each and Max reached his retirement score. Well batted. Shreyas was run out, having done the captain's job of shoring up the innings.

This brought Mark and Freddie to the wicket, and with Mark especially pushing up the run-rate until he holed out to Jai on the boundary from the returning Tom, who had caught the captain's eye with two excellent overs and was awarded a third. At the half-way point, the visitors had set 120 for victory. The manager's team-talk centred around the persistent need to rub out the wides, which are this team's weakest area. The exception being Tom C and Dilshaan, who both bowled extremely well and they were congratulated for this. The skipper took on the team talk and asked for a volunteer to open the batting. With everybody uncharacteristically quiet, Robin volunteered Isaac, who was less than willing!

It was pointed out by one of the parents that these two teams know each other very well, with the many of them on both teams having been at prep school together, or been at the same rugby clubs (Reigate and Dorking) or ending up at secondary school together. So there was an added frisson to the opening over bowled by Charlie (Dorking Reds outside-half) to Robin (Dorking Whites outside-half). Honours to Charlie, as Robin was only able to take two off the over. Isaac, like a man who had found his calling, then took 12 runs off the first over by Mark. Robin clipped the first ball of the third over - a straight ball off his legs - nicely, but managed to pick out the only fielder on the leg-side, who, after a quick juggle, claimed the catch. Charlie had his man for the second year running. Freddie joined Isaac and they set about the bowling of the next five overs at around 8 an over until Isaac missed a straight one from Mark to record 13 at well over a run a ball. Freddie, as is becoming customary, bossed the early innings, sharing an excellent partnership with Jai until he retired at 30. Joe joined Jai and the two of them brought us to within 10 runs of victory with plenty of time left. Joe was very smartly stumped by Woody, which brought another Dorking rugby man, Coxy, to the wicket. He and Jai were able to knock it around sensibly for ones and twos until the 120 was reached in the 18th over. All the players left the field in good spirits, having seemingly enjoyed themselves in the chilly semi-darkness. As a wise man said: much better to be here than on an X-Box.

Pleasing aspects from the home team's perspective were that Isaac has found a batting position where he looks positive and confident, which seems to have been borne out at the cup match the following day; Tom C is becoming a very tricky slow bowler and is as accurate as any bowler we have seen this season; the team has produced more and more batsmen who are both destructive and consistent; the boys are starting to stream themselves into specialist roles of either batting or bowling. Despite this, Harry has areas of bowling and fielding to work on. However, the team - in fact the entire squad - has faith in each other's abilities, and, returning to the theme of the day, never doubted themselves. It's great to see.