Three early season games in the last three years. Three defeats.

King’s Road just can’t seen to beat Antares CC.

This time though, we got well and truly thrashed.

Put in to bat on a proverbial sticky wicket King’s Road came a cropper. Big style.

Wickets tumbled from the off and The Road could barely score a run as they limped to a paltry 49 before being bowled out.

It was not how new skip Mark Isham had imagined his debut as The Road’s fifth full-time captain.

Straight away Antares laid into The Road as Sham de Silva was caught off Amir Sherori for 1.

Dan Sherman followed, trapped lbw for 2, before Giles Fagan was caught by Amir hitting out at the in-field off Winter for 7.

Matt Cocken then followed, run out without facing a ball when Leon attempted a second. He was, understandably, not happy.

Then, two balls later, Jack Caesar was caught after a sharp catch in the slips off Winter.

With four down the score was on just 15 and the scoring rate was barely 2 an over. No-one had reached double figures.

Leon lasted 35 balls before he too went, bowled by a ball that jagged in off the pitch.

King’s Road were in dire straits with 6 down for 27.

Matt Glover survived to score 14 before being given out lbw to Andrew.

Keating then went down on one knee and the bowler accepted his proposal, bowling him for 1.

New skip Mark was bowled by Andrew and finally, James Couldrey was caught in the gully off the same bowler.

Dan Howard – the only other batsman to get into double figures – was left not out on 10.

Poor lads. The Road are ALL OUT for 49. However, there's still half the game to go…

— King's Road Cricket & Social Club (@KRCSC) May 3, 2014

Interesting developments: Antares are 17-4 in reply to Kings Road's 49 #ComeOnTheRoad

— King's Road Cricket & Social Club (@KRCSC) May 3, 2014

It was a miserable display – The Road had been steamrollered by Antares, the pitch and their own undoing.

Winter finished with 3 wickets, with his first over a double wicket maiden, and Andrew bagged a brace.

Antares didn’t have it all their own way though.

After lunch, they had to face the dodgy pitch too – and against a fired up Matt Glover and James Couldrey it wasn’t easy.

Dan Howard: I miss Amir, he's the Brussels sprouts of the Kings Road

— King's Road Cricket & Social Club (@KRCSC) May 3, 2014

Great season opener yesterday with May sunshine and a 5 wicket win. Always good fun to play @KRCSC. Even when they've brought their bugle.

— Antares Cricket Club (@AntaresCC) May 4, 2014

With just few runs to play with, it didn’t take long for both the opening bowlers to strike.

James started the wobble getting a leading edge from Joe Banks who was caught and bowled for 1.

[pullquote]Put in to bat on a proverbial sticky wicket King’s Road came a cropper. Big style[/pullquote]

Soon after Glover bowled Llewellyn and then Stevens before a brilliant catch by Mark at cover off James put paid to Goodall.

When a ball from Glover crashed into Amir’s stumps leaving Antares 5 down, the impossible, briefly, seemed possible.

An immediate wicket was needed though – there was not a run to spare – and it didn’t come.

Instead, Winter and Piercey knocked off the few remaining runs to close out the five-wicket win.

The Road had lost their third game in three years against Antares, and this one wasn’t even close.

Next up, they play the London Itinerants in the first match in their defence of the London Premier League title.

It can’t possibly go worse.