"Here, Barrie....you play cricket don't you..?"

So came the shout from my editor (I can't so the southern accent). Yes, I replied. Good, you're going to face two overs from Oswestry's professional.

Not a problem I said.

I was wrong. It was a massive problem and I'm just delighted there's one picture where I get bat on ball.

Rituraj Singh is a 27-year-old first-class fast bowler from India, and finished last season playing for Goa before coming over to replace Sadaf Hussein at Morda Road.

And he admitted he jumped at the chance to have his first experience of English conditions, having played Down Under.

"It’s always lovely to play on these decks and you learn a lot. You try to gain lots of experience from it, improving your skills on English tracks," he said.

"It’s nice to come and explore what the UK has to offer, both for the cricket and beyond, especially the conditions.

"I’m here with my wife Nehal and we want to want to enjoy the experience of being here, not just the cricket though I’ve always wanted to play in the UK. It’s a nice place for a fast bowler to play.

"Everyone has been genuinely lovely and welcoming in England – especially people within the club at Oswestry. It’s nice to be around them.

"The cricket lads have got me out to see a lot of Oswestry, and I went down to Cheltenham to do my coaching certificate. The grounds I’ve played at already are beautiful too. It’s a beautiful place to stay.

"My first impressions of the standard is that it’s really good. When it comes to club cricket, the standard of play is much higher than it is compared to clubs in India. I’ve had experience of first-class bowling here with bowling in the nets at Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

"But it’s been very good so far.

"It’s great to play with Joe Clarke – if he does get near the Test team for the India series, I’ll be looking to give him any help I can. He’s a class act; he’s a nice pro to play with and against."

Anyway, niceties over, off into the nets I go. Rit, bowling off three-quarters of his run-up, has promised me he won't bowl short balls and I take him in at his word.

First up, he drops it short of a length and I try to get forward. I'll always remember the noise of the ball as it rushed past my ears.

"Bit fuller Rit...," I shout. He laughs and starts his run-up again. I get bat on the ball – somehow – and may have even got a run in a real game.

And that was the end of that. The next two balls fly past the edge of my bat while the third make me realise the cleverness of wearing whites and not shorts as Rit slips one down the leg-side into my leg.

I remember everything I was taught; I get my front foot forward to get bat on ball but Rit's deceptively quick pace is too much and I'm out lbw.

After that, Rit, who seems like he will fit right in at Morda Road, steps up a gear and rips out my off-stump with a classic outswinger, before changing his radar and bowling me through the gate to take out my leg stump.

All with a bl**dy smile as well!

After one last time of nearly clearing me up again, enough is enough I say. The moral victory is mine (i.e. he didn't get me out every time) but Rit proved his ability in never leaving the batsmen alone.

His assessment of this batsman?

"You were good – not good enough to nick it off but good," he said.

"In India we don’t attack the stumps when you play first-class cricket because the wickets are so tough to bowl on, especially for fast bowlers as it’s more conducive for spinners.

"We keep the ball there as it doesn’t swing or move too much and we wait for the batsman to make the mistake. If we get a green track, like in England, we pitch it up and let the ball do the work.

"At Oswestry, I can bowl short of a length and it will go through. But as a fast bowler, I can also pitch it up and attack the stumps to get the nick."

Now he's settling, he'll dismiss better players than me...