Raynes Park former Pupils won by 12 Runs

Match Report

Captain Hemin Patel described this defeat, The Gents' first in seven games, as the worst in his time as a player. Harsh words, but it certainly takes some explaining how a talented batting side could lose 8 wickets for 32 runs in 10 overs on a slow, low but not difficult wicket against steady rather than outstanding bowling. Research has revealed that not since England's 2-3 loss to West Germany in the 1970 World Cup having been 2-0 up has there been such a swift sporting reversal of fortune.

Perhaps the team thought the game won when the score stood at 108-2 after 16 overs, Cloete having pummeled 41 off 16 balls. Perhaps the sight of the club's great friend Ketan Patel acting in civilian clothing with some gusto as substitute fielder for Raynes Park spooked The Gents. Perhaps some batsmen lacked moral fibre. Whatever the reason, panic spread through the ranks and Raynes Park FP won with 12 runs and 9 overs to spare. But The Gents could probably have withstood a batting tremor and won had their catching been up to par, for an unacceptable number of chances went down in the first dig, several to the better catchers in the club.

Standing in for London Rams, who cancelled during the week, the visitors were a young crew of rookies and tough league players. Gaddam and Hibbert had early successes with two of the seven lbws awarded in favour of the bowlers during the afternoon. Mobeen was dropped several times but played some cracking shots in his 53, while D'Rosario and Iftikhar gave the innings a late stimulus. Gaddam was the pick of the bowlers.

Hibbert's BBQ jerk chicken and food brought by at least two other players ensured that nobody went hungry and The Gents' top 3 attacked their target as men possessed. When in form, Caveney is a nightmare to bowl to and the opening stand came up at five an over, Denton looking in complete control. A mighty Caveney six over mid-wicket was loudly cheered and when Kunal had them both it seemed to be of little relevance as Cloete savaged the spinner Ravi, pulling a six over mid-wicket and driving Kunal into a Tennyson Avenue garden.

Any reader who thinks that females have a monopoly on mood swings should have seen the changes in expression on the faces of The Gents with the dismissals on 108 of Cloete, wafting over a straight one, and Desai and Hibbert, lbw off successive balls. It was all very well the Jamaican saying that if his 4lb. bat had connected with his pull "it would have gone into the next postcode" but the fact is it didn't and he was pinned. Kunal had Dev caught behind to secure the first five wicket haul of 2011. Sanjay Patel was bowled trying to pull Amin, who would complement Kunal's batch of wickets with four of his own. The side was packed with able batsmen but the dismissal of Hemin Patel, driving over a yorker, was typical. Still, while the sensible, rational Khan stayed in there was hope but this too evaporated when he drove to deep mid-off, who took a low catch at the second attempt. A score of 140 off 25.4 overs would usually be cause for mild celebration but not, perhaps, with 10 wickets down and certainly not when chasing 153. The visitors, who had only ten men (nine for a few overs before Ketan joined them) played to their strengths and deserved to win, but what a sombre day for the hosts. Now The Gents know how West XI felt after Greenford 2010.

©The Gentlemen of West London Cricket Club 2011