AUSSIE John Gledhill battered 81 on his debut for King’s Road – but still saw his team go Down Under.

Yet again The Road couldn’t make lightening strike for them in Sunday’s matinee performance against the Thespian Thunderers.

Instead the Orange Caps were blitzed by an electric bowling performance from spin bowler Simon and a shower of runs from Charles Robertshaw.

Ex-Badger Chaz was cast in the role of panto villian for the day and he fittingly managed to upstage his teammates by hitting 69 and bagging two wickets.

It was a barnstorming performance at the Battersea Park theatre of dreams.

Now – with just one warm-up game to go before they take on their bitter Battersea-based rivals – King’s Road are desperately seeking a morale-boosting win.

For the second match in a row the Orange Caps got the first act off to a shocking start – and again it was luck that went against them.

Opener Jamie Smith got a vicious lifter that exploded off the pitch. He tried to fend it off but the ball hit his glove and was caught behind.

To see Amir’s snaps of the match click HERE.

To see the match scorecard click HERE.

Unlucky Jamie walked straight away knowing he was out for a duck because the pitch acted up.

Leon Watson followed soon after, fluffing his lines when he was trapped lbw for six with a brisk one from first change bowler Simon.

John (BA, PhD), The Road’s rookie politics lecturer, looked the part at the other end though – and it was just what the doctorate ordered.

When newboy Simon Biffen walked in the pair were winding up to launch a fightback.

First ball Biffen showed his name fits the bill when he biffed ’em right back down the ground for four.

The burly teacher then did it again – and it looked like he was getting ready to dish out a primary school lesson to the Thunderers.

But Simon lasted just 14 balls before he failed an examination by his tricky Thespian namesake who produced another belting ball.

With John taking centre stage at the other end The Road still had hope of posting a decent score to bring the house down.

That was before wickets started to tumble all around him though. First up Dan Chaplin lasted just two balls and Jamie Keating was caught and bowled by Chaz for eight.

James Pritchard was dismissed the same way by Chaz – who was finding prodigious spin and bounce – for a duck.

And Captain Raju Mazumder – looking to score his first run of the season – then also went for a duck, controversially run out after a mix-up with John.

By this time the Oz battler was going great guns at the other end trying to keep the scoreboard moving. And when returning hero Dan Howard walked out he finally got some much needed support.

Dan – making his first appearance of the season – helped prop up the innings with some stout defence to get The Road to the 150 mark as John blazed his way past a half century at the other end.

On 81 though the game was up – John bashed one too many and was caught out. It was a cracking innings with 12 fours and two sixes hit off just 92 balls.

Dan followed eight runs later bowled out by Harry. Then Kevin Pittaway and Amir Alipour put on just four for the last wicket before Kev was bowled for seven.

At the interval, the luvvies were left with a modest target of 154 built mainly around John’s innings – it was hardly a hard act to follow.

To defend their total, The Road needed a dramatic comeback against the Thespians, like something out of a Rocky film – but it did not come.

Opener Simon cried “Action!” straight from the off as he directed the play by hitting the first ball of the innings for four off Dan.

Then third ball he was put down in the covers. King’s Road knew dropping a clanger like that could prove vital and from then on it looked like it was going to just one of those days for The Road.

The next over stand-in wickie Leon dropped Pete before he’d scored after the opener got a sharp nick behind off Kev.

There was cause for celebration though a few balls later when bowler Dan and John got Leon out of jail by getting a nick off Pete that was taken tidily at slip.

Gentleman thesp Simon – who took a stunning three for 15 off eight with the ball – was showing no sign of stage fright on his way to 19.

But the actor was left in agony when he stuck a limb out to a fast one from Kev – as if he’d taken the phrase “break a leg” too literally. A few minutes later – after briefly calling in a body double to act as a runner – he had to retire.

By that time he’d been joined in the middle by Chaz who braved Raju’s taunts about him being cast out by the Badgers before launching a scene-stealing innings.

Having gone in at number three Lawrence entered stage right to hit 14 with Chaz before he was run out in a spectacular mix-up with Chaz.

And filling in for Simon, Rob showed he’s a man for all seasons – particularly the cricket season – when he batted his way through the rest of the innings to score a comfy 33 not out.

But the rest of the Thespians were relegated to just a just bit-part as Man of the Match Chaz stroked his way to a classy 69.

It took an incredible diving catch low down in the covers from Jamie S to dismiss him as he holed out just short of the target. By then the Badger-turned thesp had already earned a standing ovation.

Despite impressive form from The Road’s bowlers – with Kev especially hitting a perfect line – Dan was the only one to bag wickets, finishing with a deserved two for 33 off his eight.

The whole show went to script for the Thespians as they managed to pick off the bad balls and blunt The Road’s attack to cantered towards their target with ease.

Five of the team – who were clearly used to playing to an audience – didn’t bat or bowl which limited them to just cameo appearances in the field.

There were crumbs of comfort for The Road though like Jamie’s stunning catch, tight bowling throughout, a smart bit of work by Simon and Leon to get the run out, a good return by Dan and John’s commanding innings.

But overall, more dropped catches and a series of misfields made it far easier for the actors to achieve Equity in their innings than it should have been.

By the closing scenes there was nothing The Road could do to stop the Thunderers storm to victory.

As the curtain came down on yet another defeat, The Road began to realise their dramatic season has begun to resemble a Shakespearean tragedy.

Captain Raju must be left wondering when he’ll be able to say: “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer.”

* Can you spot how many puns about weather, the acting profession and Aussies there are in this match report? Post YOUR guess in the comment box below.