Jumping on the bandwagon . . .

THE occasion was Sussex CCC's triumphal open-top bus tour of Brighton and Hove to celebrate its success in winning the 2006 county championship and C&G Trophy.

PB and Jacko, stationed on the clocktower, were enthusiastic representatives of Headliners CC.

As the bus passed - to the bemusement or disinterest of early afternoon shoppers - we decided we could get a second bite of the cherry if we horsed it through The Lanes and on to the Thistle Hotel where the mayor of Brighton would host a celebratory luncheon for the Sussex squad.

But we were accosted by a blazered duffer who spotted our Sussex Twenty20 shirts, put two and two together and come up with five. "Hallo, you a player are you? For Sussex, what?" he bugled at PB.

"No," said PB, "but he is!" With a slap on Jacko's back. "Really?! Good effort, what!" trumped Blazer. "No room on the bus, though, eh, what?"

Of course I should have put him right, told him his grey-flannelled leg was being pulled. But no. "Not made the First XI yet," I heard myself say, "but I've done all right in the one-dayers. The bus is just for the championship squad. The rest of us have to walk to the hotel!"

"Too bad, eh, what? But have you had a good season?" asked Blazer.

"He passed the thousand-runs mark just last week," chirruped the delighted wag PB, referring to my total lifetime career total for the Liners, not one summer's glory with Sussex. "But I'm a bowler, mainly," I offer, "left-armer, it's been a good season for swing."

With hearty pats on the back, we take our leave of Blazer and leg it to the seafront, giggling like errant schoolgirls at lights-out.

The encounter is soon forgotten as we join the throng outside the Thistle, cheer the players off the bus and into the foyer - and just as we turn to leave, there's Blazer a few yards away! "What ho! There's the big left-armer!" he bellows, "Spot of lunch with the team, what?"

The crowd closes in, fearing embarrassing exposure, we have it on our toes again. Sharpish. Still giggling.

I'm 38. I really should grow up!