SPECTATORS, players and umpires alike at Herefordshire's Minor Counties match at Colwall were somewhat bemused when several players failed to reappear at the resumption of play after lunch on Monday.

Rain meant that the break had been extended, but when the decision was made to restart play one particularly important player had gone AWOL.

Aamir Farooque was half-way through bowling an over when the weather interrupted play and he was still at the village shop when the afternoon session started. Jamie Layton was brought into action to complete the final three balls of the absent bowler's over, much to the confusion of onlookers.