Those who played in the Sunday 1st XI this season could be forgiven for remaining unaware that, at last year’s AGM, I had once again been given the dubious pleasure of leading this happy band of campers. A combination of holidays, hangovers and hapless derogation of duty meant that I was in attendance for but a handful of matches during the year.

Lacking such a talismanic figure at the helm, the team understandably drifted between inconsistency and incompetence, and in doing so frequently exhibited the better qualities of stand-in skipper Robert Evans. Those of you who have met Robert will know what I mean, and will I am sure be encouraged by the news that he does not intend to stand for the captaincy next year.

Not that every match went awry, of course. We progressed further in the Evening Standard competition than in recent memory, defeating a Kew team who – clearly remembering the passage of last year’s fixture (cf. my 2005 report) – sportingly failed to turn up. Similar resounding victories were recorded against other absent opposition later in the season.

When the other side did decide to show, things became a little trickier, especially in those damned Sunday league games where five bowlers are required. Cunning plans to extract extra overs from Shaun Cousens through an elaborate system of false beards and moustaches generally proved unsuccessful, and on occasions I was even reduced to bowling Rob Ford. Rob’s continued presence in the 1st XI remains a mystery to all who have seen him play, although rumours that this is in some way connected to his chairmanship of the Selection Committee are surely misguided.

As I sit writing this, Magners in hand and rose-tinted spectacles perching precariously above it, I recall two stirring derby wins which merit mention. In the sweltering heat of late June, a pitiful Egham XI were left to rue the decision of their foolhardy captain to offer Ashford first dibs on the batting paradise that is Vicarage Road. Two names for the future, Arafat Butt and Ali Syed, took no prisoners as they shared a stand of 164 on the way to forging a total of 289 from 45 overs. The hosts in return crumbled in the face of the raw pace of Lee Cousens and Gavin MacDonald, and the slow-medium dob of Riaz Khan.

Two months later, away at that other shining example of Surrey groundsmanship that is Chertsey CC, Wendell Sebastian hit something like 900 as Ashford broke all world records in passing a thousand runs in a single innings (the Magners may be kicking in here…). Dukes reported record profits as Chertsey’s five-year reserves of cricket balls were dispatched to various parts of the South East of England. When he brings his game head, he can bat that lad.

So it is that I draw to a close my résumé of 2006, and with it my seven-year tenure as Sunday 1st XI captain. I will now be spending Sundays learning the fine art of fly-fishing, a pastime which I am assured requires considerably less patience that dealing with Safdar Butt on a selection night.

Thanks to all who have played and helped out with Sunday cricket, and many congratulations to James Knill and his 2nd XI for their triumphs this year. Adieu.