Consistency not enough as Gents fall at the final hurdle

The Gents, disappointingly handicapped by fielding only ten, (including Dhruv Patel's twelve-year old son Dhilon), lost to a talented Old Tenisonians outfit, themselves two short, in 40-over game that just dodged the heavy rain. At least a game was completed, poor West XI suffering the abandonment of both their Somerset tour games, the second with Chris Dane stranded just three runs south of a maiden century. The withdrawal from the planned XI, for very good reasons, of Husain and Snelling thus proved significant, though it did enable the secretary to reopen negotiation with Dhruv Patel, absent so far in 2008, whose eldest was kindly loaned for the afternoon. The tea-interval precipitation proved significant as the pitch and outfield then slowed perceptibly, making boundaries more difficult. Nevertheless, The Gents had no complaints about the result and can be proud of a stirring fightback in the second half of the first innings led by debutant Murali Kalidinda and Daoud Shanvare, followed by several resolute knocks.

Skipper Denton declined the opposition's initial offer of a 35 over game and their counter offer of the declaration format. It was therefore a long afternoon, compounded by the extended tea interval, Dhilon being bowled on the dot of 8pm. The Gents made two early breakthroughs, Inkollu bowling Whitehead with a pearler of a late inswinger and Khan having Perkins Senior well held by point Buck. The estimable Kain and Perkins Junior then provided the best batting of the day, the former driving with impunity and the latter sweeping with great élan off Sciberras and Hemin Patel, who were struggling with their line in the strong winds blowing across the ground.

These two took 19 off Hemin's final over to take the hosts to 98-2 off just 18, a 200-plus total then looking possible. Cue the introduction of Daoud Shanvare (8-3-15-0) and Murali Kalidinda (8-1-19-4). Daoud bowled a little quicker than normal while Murali, bowling right-arm round, was a real handful. He pinned the left-hander Perkins, somewhat controversially lbw, and also numbered Kain, caught Shanvare in a repeat of the Perkins Senior dismissal, among his victims. The groundfielding improved from tolerable to good and the catches stuck as the innings petered out to 140 all out in the 37th. over. The clouds, which had been banking ominously for an hour, then burst.

It looked touch and go but the rain ceased and play resumed at 5.30pm, with the outfield wet and the pitch sticky. A steady opening stand was ended with the run out of Khan by a direct hit and when Inkollu soon spooned up a full-toss to silly mid-off, The Gents were struggling. What ensued was a succession of competent innings without anybody being able to dominate a competent and accurate Surrey league seam attack. Sciberras, Buck and Denton batted solidly but nobody could go on to the fifty the match position demanded. The theory - take ones and twos into the large gaps - proved difficult to put into practice and Old Tenisonians bowled to their fields perfectly. One Gent remarked that although he could only count nine opponents, there seemed to be eleven of them when he was batting. Even when the ball was belted it held up in the outfield, five or six potential fours earning no more than twos.

The required run rate rose, as run rates do in such circumstances, but The Gents did not give up and had the aggressive Hemin stayed in longer might have come very close. However, he edged behind, the ball after a similar appeal was declined and that was pretty much that. Well played Old Tenisonians, who were keen to renew in 2009, when more Gent members must make themselves available. Denton provided excellent leadership all day, keeping soundly, top scoring, giving everyone a go and briskly chivvying people along.