GARETH RODERICK is back. In the County Championship game against Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire at Bristol it was clear how much he had been missed.

He gave substance and resolution to our fragile batting, scoring a chanceless 96 in the first innings. Without him we would have floundered again.

No-one would have begrudged him the extra four runs he needed for his century. Let us hope this charming and engaging young man scores prolifically as the season progresses. We need him in the team scoring runs.

Gareth has not yet resumed the captaincy, Phil (Colonel) Mustard remaining in charge as Gareth is gradually settling in.

His reassuring presence at the crease is more than sufficient at the moment.

And congratulations to Graeme van Buuren who bounced back from a golden duck in the first innings to pass 4,000 first class runs in his 88 not out to see us bat bravely through the final day and earn a well deserved draw.

Nottinghamshire fell into a well-laid ambush at the County Ground. Playing them at Trent Bridge two weeks ago we had been routed by their formidable pace attack. Neither our first or second innings lasted more than 60 overs.

To ensure this did not happen again, a low, slow wicket was produced at Bristol. So low and slow, in fact, that at various times during the game the visiting fast bowlers dispensed with slip fielders and had close fielders in front of the wicket.

Throughout the game scoring was at a funereal rate.

But there was much more interest off the field with the Old Players’ Day, a special question and answer session associated with the Benson and Hedges Cup triumph over Kent in 1977.

Mike Proctor was duly the focal point of many events.

Penny and I were fortunate enough to share a table with him at the Grace Society lunch and are proud possessors of his new book “Caught in the Middle”.

There is one paragraph that shows the true dimension of the man. I quote it in full. “As I settled in at Gloucestershire I would get enquiries from other counties at the end of every season offering me more money to move there.

“I considered myself a loyal guy, though, and it didn’t even enter my mind. Gloucestershire were looking after me just fine, so I wouldn’t even entertain them.” Thanks Mike for that and so much more. See you again at Cheltenham.

I have enjoyed watching the ICC Champions Trophy, especially hearing the commentators from overseas.

They are recently retired former players with new and interesting insights into the modern game.

My friends at our favourite Cirencester restaurant will be watching avidly also. They are keen Bangladesh fans and their team could still qualify for the finale.

This will set them up for the “Tony Adams Curry Cup” final, a game shortly to be played at Coates (July 2) when a team of waiters from Cirencester take on Tony’s XI.

There are two sessions, one before lunch and one after. Drop in about 3pm and you may see David Seaman, Ian Wright and Lee Dixon. Tony has a wide range of contacts and this is an enthusiastic and spirited game. One warning – if Ian Wright is batting watch out for your car windows. He does not bat for long but he can give the ball a mighty thump.

This column has been known to stray from the sporting world and to comment on life, the universe and anything.

Now is the time to do it again. Prime Minister Theresa May is currently under fire for lack of judgment. Readers of this column will not be surprised at this because several months ago I flagged up the astonishing fact that her favourite cricketer was Geoffrey Boycott.

That should have been a warning to everyone that she is capable of making errors of considerable magnitude. How much better it would have been if she had picked Michael John Proctor.

An astonishing statistic has reached me. Cirencester Cricket Club are giving coaching to about 100 children under the age of 10. This requires investigation. More next week, when I shall be writing from the shores of Lake Garda.