Building on a prolific if chancy opening stand, The Angry Men's long and extremely Australian middle-order delivered a measure of revenge for recent Gent successes against them. Inspired by Nabil Husain's third fifty for the club, a furious knock, The Gents fought all the way in the second innings before collapsing in a crumpled heap. The margin was about right though, as 12AM were an all-round slicker act on the day, had greater depth in the bowling (The Gents' bowlers 5 and 6 went for 64 in 7 overs) and caught all bar one of their chances (The Gents missed four). But The Gents should not be despondent, as they did quite a lot right and do not qualify for the epithet "Crisis Club" just yet.

Ade Ballcock and the slight Parry, who survived an accidental beamer from Nabil ball one, went extremely gung-ho from the beginning with a most entertaining stand, if one that ought to have been broken earlier than it was, as two catches went down at first slip, one at cover and one at long-on. Hemin pouched two good ones, both at long-on, and HP executed a smart stumping, but this was not one of The Gents' better days in the field, too many runs being leaked by poor outfielding and throwing. But in mitigation, the grass in the outfield was long and patchy.

The pivotal stand was for the fourth wicket, Neale Anderson and Damon Wilson playing the bowling pretty much at will until Sanjay brought out a pearler to york Busted's drummer Wilson middle-stump. The lower middle-order gave Anderson good support as he went to his fifty (seven fours). The Gents bowled wholeheartedly, with Scibo the pick (3-26), and 12AM never quite cut loose, but were odds-on favourites at half-time by which time Horace had turned up, to everybody's delight. He munched a packet of crisps and took the field as 12AM's eleventh man resplendent in jeans, dark top and the coolest shades this writer has ever seen.

Dear Moon Cat was bowled by one that kept low as the pitch decided to have a Surbiton moment but Dhruv executed a quick 20, including the day's first six, a pull off Shannon, before being bowled after a premeditated air shot. Ken, trying to force the pace, then holed out to mid-on, the first of three catches by Middleton. There then followed a series of useful if not match-turning partnerships as Nabil's artillery began to find its range, including an amazing tennis smash six over long-on from a prone position on the ground and another sixer tipped over the white line goalkeeper-fashion by deep-extra cover Ade. Poor James was run out after a promising knock but Scibo and Hemin played some good shots.

Adrian once memorably described leg-spinner Mr. Simper as an "I shall have two of you and no more, do you understand?" bowler. And this is exactly what the leggie did, but what a pair of wickets! Nabil's drive did not connect (he would later describe his knock as "disappointing as I lost concentration") and within a couple of minutes Sanjay, batting in a blue coat and not really up for it, edged onto his off-peg. The required run rate was now up around eight but HP and Hemin added 21 quick runs before the innings collapsed to tremendous catching with 28 balls remaining, poor Mr. Turpin still to register his first Gent run.

Thanks to most of The Gents for turning up impressively early, though Mr. Lewis had one of his turns and arrived forty minutes off the pace. No matter, it was good to see him.

This was a friendly fixture played at a venue much improved since The Gents' 1995 visits (Mr. Snelling made his wicketless debut there). The light touch of both captains ensured a sociable day and all players responded.