It was the most eagerly awaited Commons confrontation for months. And the first ever head-to-head between Health Secretary Frank Dobson and his newly-appointed shadow, Ann Widdecombe, lived up to expectations.

Dobson vs Widdecombe: Round 1

MPs were looking for a bruising bit of rough and tumble, and that was exactly what they got. Backbenchers were also fascinated at how the chemistry between these two political oddballs would work.

The contest had already been cruelly dubbed the "Albert and Doris Show" thanks to the nicknames for the two combatants.

Health Secretary Frank Dobson

Mr Dobson, with his trademark bushy white beard has regularly been likened to the Uncle Albert character from TV's Only Fools and Horses.

And Miss Widdecombe's dour looks and dress sense have seen her dubbed Doris Karloff.

Matching accessories

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As it happened, both appeared to revel in their images. Mr Dobson won an early smile from his opponent by declaring: "I think we may be, in a sense, matching accessories as neither of us would count as being at the fashionable end of politics."

But, while the MPs enjoyed the joke, that was not what they were here for. They wanted blood and bruises and they had been given an early signal that they would be rewarded.

It came early during health questions as Mr Dobson practised his put downs on unfortunate Tory backbencher Stephen Day.

The hapless MP asked a perfectly valid question about the criteria the health secretary had used to appoint individuals to the boards of NHS trusts - he smelled a rat and believed Mr Dobson had been packing them with Labour councillors.

Mr Dobson swiftly denied the claim, but followed through by pointing out that MPs of all parties had been invited to take part in the selections.

Tory cheers

And, turning on Mr Day, he declared: "you were either too idle or too careless to respond."

Ann Widdecombe - new to health

Miss Widdecombe, resplendent in a short sleeved, TV-friendly blue suit wasn't having that, and she soon leapt to her feet to roars of Tory cheers to deliver her first challenge.

She had been appointed by William Hague to put Labour on the spot over its alleged broken election promises and she lost no time in going about the job.

Hadn't Mr Dobson just threatened to sack those trust members he had only just appointed for falling down on the job and wasn't it he who should be resigning? she demanded.

Mr Dobson, bristling with indignation, attacked the Tory record and declared Labour would meet its promises and would be proud of the achievement.

The content was routine, but the delivery from both sides added to the atmosphere of confrontation.

It was exactly the sort of clash Miss Widdecombe's predecessor, Stephen Dorrell, had failed to ignite when facing Mr Dobson and it left MPs relishing future contests.