The Gentlemen of West London

Runs

Jay Bharat

Runs

Match Report - Gents stumble on the rocky road

The Gents did not christen their possible new ground in the way they would have liked, producing a muted performance against talented Jay Bharat, who won by six wickets. Yet again the batting failed to spark after a promising start. Nobody went to the big score that the occasion was crying out for and the position was not helped by yet more catastrophic run outs. In contrast, big Rakesh “Rocky” Naik, who worryingly usually bats seven for JBCC, smashed ten fours in his 20-over knock to christen the batting honours board.

Gent's top scorer Jimmy Wright (33) faces a ball from Kumar on an excellent Old Tenisonians' wicket

It was a joy to pitch up and see everything open and the stumps in place, though had it rained the day before (the Firsts were cancelled after Friday’s deluge) this fixture would have completed an unwelcome abortive Hat-trick. In the event it stayed dry and we were away at 1.15pm. Jim Wright, restored to opener, cover-drove three fours in Dee’s first two overs and thereafter glued things together for nearly 23 overs. HP sliced a leading edge to slip and Scibo was bowled by the skiddy Dee while Kumar controlled matters to the extent that he ended up with only five runs off his eight overs. Husain batted brightly as ever before playing on to the genuine slow left-arm spin of Ronesh, who bagged four Gents wickets.

But even after Husain’s departure, The Gents looked to be heading for a competitive score when drinks were taken at 72/3 off 20 overs. Soon Wright holed out trying to clear mid-off. Alas, Mr. Toft, sent in by Buck to try to shore things up and ensure the overs were used up, was then the innocent partner in two quick run outs which completely changed the game. The dismissal of Dhruv (whose running had been praised during the break by Mr. Wright) was the more forgiveable in that he was outed by a superb direct hit from long-leg but what Mr. Buck was thinking of, running blind for a second to the danger end, only he will know. Toft cut to gully but Gilkes played some debonair drives to see up the ton, but once he was out the innings collapsed in a heap with poor Hemin, batting too low at ten, stranded on nought not out.

The Gents did not bowl badly and in the case of Graham Butt (his first five overs anyway) and guest Shawn Mathias very well but a score of just over a ton was never going to scare JBCC. Naik played the big shots and, though he was dropped twice, deserved his fifty. The Gents never gave up and came back into the game with a vengeance when Butt caught and bowled Chetan and had Darshit superbly stumped second ball by Denton, standing up to the wicket and bravely ignoring his injury seven days before. But in the blue-hatted Ketanbhai Naik found a resolute partner and these two took JBCC to the brink of victory. Mr. Toft’s colleague Shawn then had Naik caught Scibo at long-off before taking a neat caught and bowled in his next over to go straight into third place in the season’s bowling averages, behind Messrs. Denton and, from another place, Vyas. Events then proceeded to a climax with a bizarre final over from Butt, who gave away five wides off one ball and two No-balls before five legitimate runs saw the visitors home.

A brainstorming session post-match could come up with only one disadvantage of playing more regularly here (assuming the games can be booked), namely that you only need a speck of rain for the game to be called off but given better luck than The Gents have enjoyed with the weather than 2005 that is not a major obstacle. Parking and rail links are fine, and the nearby pub, though it looked a bit forbidding, was friendly enough.

What of Jay Bharat? They were sociable and sporting all day but on this performance would expect to beat The Gents most of the time. However, they want to play twice in 2006 and as they have use of the swish Rickmansworth CC this offer should be very carefully considered.