[Neil Pickup]

Well, I guess it's that time of year. Dust off the pads, clean the woodlouse colonies out of your jockstraps, and try your best to get onto the front foot before the ball squats off a length and yorks you on the second bounce.

As per usual, coaching and managing will be taking the lead this summer, and I suppose I'll be using this thread to talk out my selection issues to nobody in particular: the school team kick off a week on Saturday with a chance for some associate bashing against Merchison Castle, followed by a trip to Cheam and the defence of the Rugby School Six-a-Side.

It's a few weeks until the County/District balls get rolling, but in the meantime I have that rarest of opportunities - a match for myself: Sunningwell II v Chesterton II as I look for a club with a home ground whose background noise isn't the M40. I wonder what the summer will hold...