Gordon 'The Clunking Fist' Brown Age: 56 Height: 5ft 11ins Reach: Labour's traditional heartlands Weight: Heavy details man, seeks to pummel dazed opponents with figures Strengths: Loud tribal backing from Labour benches, spent 10 years shadow-boxing in 11 Downing Street Weaknesses: Pleading inexperience in first PMQs battle, shadow of Tony Blair Tactics: Might seek to repeat trick of enticing Ming to come closer, and then land sucker punch Past record: In first PMQs clash judged to have lost on points to Cameron and suffered against Menzies Campbell

Sir Menzies 'Ming The Merciless' Campbell Age: 66 Height: 6ft 2ins Reach: Scotland, south-west England Weight: Knighthood and age add clout, sprightly on his feet Strengths: Experience, foreign affairs expert, former Olympic athlete - so unfazed by big occasion Weaknesses: Smaller support team, friends with Brown, only allowed two verbal jabs Tactics: Has learnt lesson that his old friend can land "underhand" blows so will avoid any close clinches Past record: Failed three times to become an MP but made it to Lib Dem leadership in his mid-60s, so not one to write-off too soon

Nick Assinder's verdict:

Minds really weren't on Gordon Brown's second question time session.

It may be a coincidence that, following last week's less-than-brilliant performance, the prime minister had chosen this particular day to make his mini-Queen's speech. Then again it may not.

Either way, the big event of this particular Wednesday was never going to be PMQs, but the statement on future legislation following immediately after it.

And again, that may well have been a bit of a relief to the prime minister who, although more confident this time around, still couldn't deliver the sort of fizz and theatre we had come to expect from his predecessor. (And, who knows, we may even get to like that).

Similarly, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell was probably just as relieved that neither of them will be making it onto the big news bulletins.

Last week Sir Menzies, who is facing continued rumblings of discontent from within his ranks, delivered probably his best performance yet with a cracking, off-the-cuff joke about Mr Brown's open door being a trap door.

Just for once, Ming the Merciless had made an appearance.

Not this week. Sir Menzies was back to his adequate norm with a question about Mr Brown's tax credit system, attempting to use the same tactic deployed by David Cameron of reminding people this is the same old face, just in a different job.

Mr Brown dealt with that and continued his habit of referring to him as leader of the Liberal party.

He did appear to gaffe again by also seeming to describing him as the leader of the opposition, something Sir Menzies only dreams about.

But these were not the sort of exchanges that were going to lift the cloud over the Lib Dem leader's head.

The exchanges between Mr Cameron and Mr Brown ended up, as clashes over the NHS so often do, with them trading statistics, claims and counter claims.

The main bout, however, was still to be had.