It was billed as paving the way for Sven's boys and it may prove to be the case as the great Anglo-German lawyers cricket clash ended with the Germans squeezing home at the end - as usual. Worcester Lawyers Cricket Club took up the challenge to go and play in Berlin, issued in these pages by the German National Solicitors Cricket XI. Worcester won the toss (captain Richard Wilkes (left) is pictured with the umpire and German captain Sven Leistikow), batted first and made a respectable 173 off their 50 overs, Simon Marks top-scoring with 47. The Germans were then reduced to 21-5 before being let off the hook and coasting home by four wickets off the last ball of the penultimate over. A fine time was had by all and there may be a rematch in Worcester next year, by which time a local firm will hopefully have offered Graeme Hick a training contract. And if in a month's time, Germany holds the Solicitors Cricket World Cup and England has possession of the FIFA World Cup, then that'll be honour just about shared.