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So it was that in 2006 Rodwell set off for Havana, equipped with a manual on how to umpire and a Spanish translation of the Laws. The ludicrousness of this struck home during his inaugural lecture at Havana Sports University when, after a long disquisition on fielding positions, Rodwell was confronted with the impossible but entirely logical question “If there’s a third man, then where is the first man and the second man”? His teachings were soon put to the test in a match between Guantanamo and Havana on the local baseball diamond. This was played on a matting wicket which, no joke, the Foreign Office had arranged to be flown in from South Africa in the diplomatic bag.

Inevitably, there was a dispute over an lbw. One of Havana’s batsmen refused to leave the field after being struck on the pads. It was settled, in the end, by the national director of recreation, José Cedeño, who reminded the players of Castro’s dictum that “the Revolution must concentrate on sport. Youngsters of outstanding talent will be plucked from the masses and will be given the best training. On the front line of sport the Revolution will advance. Fatherland or death! We will win!” Rodwell understood this to mean that the batsman was out.