You may or may not be aware that it’s my benefit year with Sussex this year. I mention it not just as a shameless plug (www.rmj2008.co.uk) but because of something that happened at my most recent event.

We held a six-a-side competition at Horsham CC on Sunday in which companies entered teams of five players. Each team then drew one of my professional colleagues out of a hat to be their sixth player. The standard of cricket was fairly eclectic, to say the least, and the pros often found themselves up against some interesting bowling actions and batting techniques.

But what was most interesting to me was how hard most of us found it when faced with this sort of opponent. I was bowled twice by balls that nearly bounced twice, for example. There were also some very competent club cricketers amongst the teams who seemed to fare much better against the double-bouncers.

It struck me that, as pros, we are so used to facing bowlers who send it down at 80mph plus, and who hit good areas the majority of the time, that we are stumped when suddenly confronted by something so alien as someone wearing white jeans who bowls off the wrong foot with a round-arm action.

During the last championship match against Lancashire, I was batting quite nicely and feeling I’d risen to the challenge of facing bowlers like Andrew Flintoff and Saj Mahmood, when Stuart Law brought Francois Du Plessis on to bowl. He bowls very occasional leg breaks and his fifth ball to me was a horrible drag down of a delivery that nearly bounced twice. The result: Martin-Jenkins, Bowled Du Plessis for 70.

I wonder, with that in mind, if there is more of a place for part-time bowlers in first-class cricket. Particularly when the wicket is flat and the game looks like it’s going nowhere. Perhaps Michael Vaughan could have tried to bowl Andrew Strauss or Alastair Cook during the last Test match and order up a few double-bouncers. It might just have been enough to put Neil McKenzie et al off their stride.

2008 is Robin Martin-Jenkins’ benefit year, visit www.rmj2008.co.uk for further details.