THANKS to Richard Harris' witty script, this is superb middle England entertainment from a cleverly-chosen selection of flannelled fools. The village cricket setting for marital mayhem worked a treat on TV in the 1980s and 1990s and barrels into life again, based around the much-travelled 1979 stageplay.

Director Ian Dickens uses his batting line-up wisely. Strong summer season opening pair Robert Duncan and Sabina Franklyn knock the ball around neatly as club captain Roger and his long-suffering wife Miriam. The casting of ex-EastEnder Craig Fairbrass as Bob, the all-rounder torn between his ex-wife and current wife Ginnie (Glenda McKay), allows the TV and movie "heavy" to flex his muscles nicely with a well-paced comedy character. But the run stealers are Anita Graham and Ian Swann, in whom the stereotypes of sex-mad builder and petulant chef are neatly reversed. Graham earns applause as fur-coated Maggie, who only focuses on DIY inside and outside the bedroom, while Swann superbly pouts and preens as a cook with mean spinning finger.

Frazer Hines and John Rose add in the irritating levels of social oneupmanship as Dennis the carpet salesman and Alex the solicitor, and Claire Marlowe plays poor unfortunate Sharon, who makes the mistake of venturing into the cricket pavilion where prejudice flows faster than England boundaries against New Zealand.

Surprisingly, the opening night audience made the cast work hard for its laughs until Graham fed Swann like a baby with a wine bottle to make up for him being hit on the head by a bouncer. Catch this innings before it closes.

* Runs until Saturday. Box Office: (01325) 486555.

Published: 24/06/2004