The following are memories recalled by Roddy Atkinson, as recorded by Hanover Housing Association in their book 'Tale of the Century' published in 1999.

In 1980, when I was 19, I had the opportunity to spend nine months in Swaziland. My father worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and was on tour there.

One of the most memorable occasions was a cricket match between the British High Commission in Swaziland and the British Embassy in South Africa. The British Embassy team from South Africa played fairly regularly, a few times a year, and had memories of when my father and I had played for them in the past.

We were both out for no score and they were fairly confident, but my father and I were keen to set the record straight. The cricket ground where the battle was to take place was in Usutu, about an hour's journey from Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland. The Usutu cricket ground was a sunken oval surrounded by trees, like a small piece of England in Africa.

I had met the Usutu team at the Theatre Club in Mbabane. The Theatre Club did put on plays but was used more for the bar than its stage. Although I hadn't played cricket for a couple of years they persuaded me to join the team (I think they were a little short on regular players and a young bloke with no family commitments was too good to ignore!).

The British High Commission team was a little short on quality players (well, players at all, really!), and we were in desperate need of some help. I approached a few of my Usutu team mates and asked them if they would mind being honorary High Commission Staff for the day. The mention of free lunch and beer clinched the deal. I chose the opening bowlers and a middle order batsman to complete our team.

The day finally arrived and as usual it was hot. We all arrived at the ground with our cricket gear, most of our team played in a variety of white to beige trousers and a white office shirt with the sleeves rolled up and of course the compulsory floppy hat. We had to borrow bats, pads and gloves from the Usutu club. Finally we were assembled and ready for the off.

We won the toss and put the embassy team from Pretoria into bat. Our 'honorary players' from the Usutu team rattled through their batsmen in fairly short order. The opposition total was an unconvincing 60 and their players looked a little shell-shocked.

It was decided that my father and I should open the batting, after all we couldn't let our 'honorary players' win the game on their own!

Initially there was a look of hope in the eyes of the fielding team. However, unfortunately for them, their main bowling threat, the son of one of the staff, was injured and could not play. My father and I, who had batted dismally for the opposition a few years earlier, set about their weakened attack.

Within an hour we had already reached the winning total. Sportingly the captains played on to enable me to score 50.

We all left the ground to enjoy a few well earned ice cold lagers and a barbecue. In the afternoon another match was arranged to allow everyone else to have a game. Dad and I sat back and rested on our laurels. It had been a fabulous day made all the more special having played and batted with my father on the winning team