Paul Cox, a past Needingworth wicket keeper developed the disease and now fortunately has been scanned as clear. His efforts along with club captain Ian Armstrong raised over £2000.

Thanks to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire for giving it a plug on my behalf.

I last played for Needingworth in 1997. In the club house I spotted my name on some winners shields which took me down memory lane. The Needingworth of today play at a much higher standard than I remember so it was with some reputational trepidation that I went into bat. A four off the first ball steadied the nerves and I went on to make a reasonable score not out.

Playing in a team of youngsters, except for Ian of course, was a pleasant change. I managed to take a catch at point. I then took a wicket bowling although I felt sorry for the chap I got out given how my bowling was up to its usual rubbish standard.

Despite it getting chilly later on it was fun and for a good cause.

Well done to everyone.

During this Lib Dem high point each election was seen as a chance to increase the number of seats won.

Today things feel very different. The teams of Lib Dem supporters criss crossing the county seats have not happened this time. In fact it looks as if outside of Cambridge Lib Dem candidates are operating very much as individuals with little or no support from anyone else.

Now, this could be because the Lib Dems have run out of supporters, all increasingly fed up with the spin and untruths of the party. Or a decision to pull back from the county seats to focus on Cambridge is the order of the day. With Cambridge elections next year, with the very real possibility of the Lib Dems losing control of the city, it feels like they are fighting a rear guard action.

This will be particularly important in 2015 when the Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert is up for re-election. I think he is likely to lose his seat given he seems to be backing an increasingly ideology based set of policies.

Julian Huppert does not support the upgrade of the A14. He does not want the police to have the tools they need to police our county. He seems to support legalising drug use. His party is very pro Europe and seeks further handing over of powers to them. This all feels like Julian is out of touch with real people and increasingly sounding like a shrill ideology based theorist.

Phil Rogers has carried out some excellent analysis here. If he is right the Lib Dems could be wiped out. http://philrodgers.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/the-county-elections-in-cambridge-ward-by-ward/

This afternoon I took time off from my own division to go and help James Hockney fight the Waterbeach seat. James is very well thought of locally and clearly understands the local issues.

I was very surprised to hear that the Lib Dem candidate was waging an unpleasant negative campaign. Michael Williamson, the previous Lib Dem councillor is standing down this election. I always got on well with Michael who I always considered to be on the sensible side of the Lib Dem party at Shire Hall. It looks like he is distancing himself from the antics of the prospective Lib Dem candidate. He needs to.

I think James has proved himself to be a fair, honest and hardworking local politician and I expect to see him in Shire Hall on the 3rd May.

This afternoon,I took a call from Bob Neill MP who is the Vice-Chairman (Local Government) of the Conservative Party. He was interested in how things were going in Cambridgeshire and was pleased with the feedback I was able to give him.

“I am totally delighted that the A14 massive expansion may not go ahead. SUCCESS ACTION”

This comment is so daft from so many different perspectives I don’t know where to start.

How can a responsible politician in any way be pleased about the numbers of individuals being killed, the huge numbers of people injured and the many millions of pounds this overcrowded road is costing the people of Cambridgeshire and beyond?

From a commonsense perspective it is mad. From a compassionate perspective it is cruel. From a business perspective is is extremely damaging.

It seems that only a Lib Dem perspective can justify such a ridiculous statement. How anyone could vote for an individual with these views is beyond me. Amazingly, Cambridge City Lib Dems also think like this and have refused to support the current initiative to get this road upgraded.

If you can help promote this event that would be great. Tweets and retweets especially welcome.

I used to play for Needingworth many years ago and am looking forward to a guest appearance for this excellent cause.

The easiest way to donateis to visit the website Beating Bowel Cancer on www.beatingbowelcancer.org and there is an easy online donation option or calling 0208 614 3853 for a verbal transaction.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1286627/Ed-Balls-forgets-Tory-Oxford-dressed-Nazi.html

Student days: Mr Balls at a university party in 1986, dressed in a Nazi.

Ed Balls was accused last night of airbrushing out his Tory past to try to salvage his campaign for the Labour leadership.

In an interview designed to shore up his support, Mr Balls, the standard bearer of the Labour left, declared his passion for the party was inspired by a hatred of Margaret Thatcher’s policies when he was at university.

‘I started studying [the economy] in 1983 when Thatcherism was at its peak – and I realised immediately that I wanted to show you could run an economy in a way which delivered social justice,’ said the former Schools Secretary.

‘All through my university days and my career I’ve been driven by the desire to prove that Labour could run the economy well.’

But it seems Mr Balls, an outside bet for the leadership behind David and Ed Miliband, is having difficulty with his memory.

While he was studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Keble College, Oxford, far from being utterly wedded to the Labour Party he was in fact a member of the university Conservative Association.

The secret Tory past of Mr Balls, who was Gordon Brown’s most trusted friend in the last government, had lain undetected for more than three decades.

It was revealed by Philip Hollobone, the Tory MP for Kettering, who was a member of the same Oxford Conservative Association between 1984-87.

‘I was the secretary of the Conservative association and I can tell you without a doubt that Ed Balls, who no one knew back then, was a paid-up member,’ said Mr Hollobone. ‘I imagine he is more than a little shy about talking about it.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1286627/Ed-Balls-forgets-Tory-Oxford-dressed-Nazi.html#ixzz2Rvctark1

I made the point that whilst I am not an expert on planning I do have the largest democratic mandate, representing all 680,000 people of Cambridgeshire. I made three points.

Firstly, I believe that the will of Parliament is not being heard. Government is clear. A key plank of its policy is localism which means decisions being made at the lowest practical level. In this case, local people, the parish council, the district council, the local county councillor and local MP don’t want the wind farm. Local opinion should carry significant weight or we create a democratic deficit.

Secondly, the planning system is being brought into disrepute. What is the point of the planning process, which embeds democratic accountability at its core, if the decision can be overturned by a planning inspector? This seems out of step with localism.

Thirdly, I explained my Cabinet felt it necessary to not allow any further wind farms on the 33,000 acres of county land because faith in the planning process had been lost. We are elected to represent the views of local people and their voices must be heard.

Some fine words from Steven Barclay MP and Cllr Steve Tierney both who are very passionate about the local area.

Interestingly, a Lib Dem candidate for the county elections also opposed the wind farm. Common sense prevailing at last or perhaps a good understanding of where the votes are to be found?

Well worth the drive to Wisbech.

This combination of public and private finance has meant this scheme has survived and is thriving. It is unusual because the warden checks on people in their own homes rather than sheltered accommodation.

I want to see if we can use this model or working elsewhere. It was fantastic to talk with some of the vulnerable people who we say are our priority. Cost effective schemes like this help to keep people living independent lives and save us money, as the alternative might be residential care.

This scheme is managed by Age UK.

Interesting comments from a number of people that the Lib Dem candidate has irritated them by trying to claim credit for the work of others, including the Parish Council. I tried to look surprised but ………….. it happens all the time. Still it is nice that it is being recognised.

This afternoon, in one of my villages, I was on the wrong end of a very cross lady, complaining about the council. It was only after about five minutes that I realised that is was the Parish Council she was cross with and not the county council. Phew. We ended up having a laugh and a joke. She felt she had got it off her chest and I felt relieved.

Lots of people wanting the old days of Mrs T to return. Immigration raised a couple of times but not as much as I expected. Most people know we are in difficult times and appreciate we are trying to stimulate the local economy and look after our vulnerable.

Electioneering in the sun is so much better.

Our lovely grandson Oliver came to stay the night. At two and a half years old he is a live wire. Playing hide and seek was great fun. I keep getting told, by his mum, that he doesn’t sleep that well. Not a bit of it. He was asleep in bed at 8 and I had to wake him up at 8 the next day. It must have been all the tales of electioneering that did it

Still, it was a lovely day, sunny, warm and no sign of rain. Very odd. Usually it only takes the sound of stumps being hammered into the ground to unsettle the weather.

Fielding for 40 overs was hard work. It seemed to go on for ever. I enjoyed diving around, stopping the ball for about 20 overs before it started to hurt.

It was good to meet up with friends who I have played against over the years. Lots of banter.

Playing against Granta is never easy. They had one new signing who will clearly make the first team. He put our bowling to the sword scoring an impressive 88. Chasing a big total is always a challenge and today the 257 seemed huge.

As I went out to open the batting I felt aching all over. Still, cricket is war and the battle needed to be won. After some dodgy shots I got into my stride and hit 85 before being caught. It should never have been that many as I was dropped three times, twice on the square leg boundary by the same person. Cheers Chris.

We eventually ran out a close second. The score was too much for us. A really great game of cricket.