Twenty-20 Cricket: Essex vs Wanstead

This superb event has been in the diary for a while. It's James Foster's benefit year, and as a one-time Wanstead player, the former England wicket-keeper came back to his old club with his current team for an exciting fixture. I booked tickets for me and the kids a while back, and crossed my fingers that we would get a break between hurricanes. Happily we did, though it was pretty windy throughout. Sadly Cook and Bopara were missing, but Owais Shah and, as you would expect, James Foster - would have been poor if he hadn't turned up - were the England Internationals on show, along with an Essex side made up of regular first team players and a few youngsters.

My previous attempts at sports photography are the London Marathon, which I'm not sure qualifies, and my kids' school sports days, which I am certain don't! No idea quite what to expect, I plonked myself on the boundary with a long lens on a monopod, surrounded myself with children, and waited for the action.

Essex batted first and made 161 in their 20 overs. Wanstead made a slower start, but some big hitting in the middle overs made relatively short work of the target, and we romped home with several wickets in hand and ten or so balls to spare.

Fozzy

Owais Shah hits out

Steve Singh, Wanstead's Aussie signing

Owais Shah

A keen spectator