Just a few weeks ago we were lamenting a pretty dismal attempted run chase against Hythe & Dibden which saw the club exit the Hampshire Slam at the group stage. Or so we thought. Much to everyone’s surprise we then received the good news that we have been given a place in the play-offs. The strange thing is that no-one is quite sure how or why we’ve had a reprieve. Having finished second in our group we may have sneaked in as best runners up. However, it does seem as though several clubs from various evening leagues and cup competitions around the county have also been admitted at the play-off stage, so one school of thought is that we have qualified as a result of winning the NFCCA Presidents Cup. Unfortunately, few, if any, of the players who played in that cup final would be eligible to play in the Slam, having played for our First XI in the Southern League, and with several injuries and unavailabilities, it’ll be an eclectic mixture of Third and Fourth XI players who'll venture to Fawley on Sunday afternoon for matches against two other clubs.

If we’re confused about our entry credentials, we’re equally in the dark about the clubs we’ll be facing. One of our opponents goes by the name of ‘FYEO’. We know they won the 2023 Southampton Evening League Division One title, winning six matches and losing two. The competition has been running for many years and once boasted a smattering of Southern League stars. Neil Trestrail’s Matchmaker team were one of the leading sides back in the 1980s. The name FYEO has been intriguing our members, not least Mike Halliwell who claims he used to scribble the acronym on envelopes when he wrote home to his sweethearts during the Great War. Others have suggested it may have something to do with a certain gentleman’s establishment in Southampton High Street. Wobbly Wharton has even volunteered to do some research into the matter. If there is indeed a connection to the aforementioned club it will certainly give a new meaning to the term ‘dancing down the wicket’. Of course, it may just be a reference to the Bond film For Your Eyes Only, so it will be interesting to see if the opposition rock up at Fawley in Aston Martins, or drop in by parachute or abseil from a helicopter.

We also don’t know much about our other opponents MStars, except that they won the 2023 Gordon Grace T20 Friendly Cricket League, pipping Netley Sports by just eight points.

Despite not really knowing how we got there, with a trip to the finals day at the Ageas Bowl at stake it’s sure to be a great day’s cricket at Fawley Cricket Club on Sunday. Our first match commences at 1.15pm against the loser of the FYEO v MStars match (which kicks off at 10.30am). We then face the winner of that match at 4pm. All support would be much appreciated as we try to make it to finals day for the second year running.

Team: Trevor Phillips, Mark Gannaway, Mark Ross, Darren Paxton, Ollie Dixon, Simon Nuding, Guy Hainsworth, Winston Loveless, Liam Riley, Ben Rayner, AN Other