So, for the second successive Sunday The Gents won the toss, batted and compiled a 180-plus total and for the second successive Sunday were unable to defend it. Casuals needed seven runs off the final over, at which point they had fallen behind the required run-rate for the first time in the innings. A three, a single, a run out and a dot ball came, whereupon skipper Bernie Spratt on-drove the winning boundary off the penultimate possible ball. Inspired by contrasting fifties from Toby Cresswell and Afghani southpaw Saiid Rizvan, Casuals recovered from early losses to pace the run-chase well. Theirs was the more controlled innings, whereas The Gents built on the foundation stone of HP’s monumental 37 to blitz the bowling in the second half of their innings, adding 128 in the last 20 overs and 79 in the last 10. Casuals were slicker in the field but The Gents can be proud of their performance in the light of the bad hand injury suffered by Bhavesh Vyas and the pressganging of two debutants, Vimal Dev and Kawaja Wain, following late withdrawals.    

An aggressive 25 from Chris Wright

The score of 184 was not The Gents’ highest in this long-running series – Horace Hibbert saw to that in 2000 – but was riches indeed after the 55 all out Hell (with Bhav, Neep, Dane, Chris Wright, Dhruv and Sanjay occupying six out of the top seven batting places) in 2003 and the 42/6 in last year’s soggy draw. It would have been higher but for some tireless chasing and throwing by the home boys. Two welcome early Gents’ successes came when Mr. Hill claimed a high catch with some difficulty off Chris Wright’s bowling and HP caught Tye. Thus the Toby Cresswell/Riznan Saiid stand was created and how well they did. Saiid unleashed four upon four, and a six into the banking by the tennis courts, and although the fielding did not exactly wilt, the odd

One of seven fours for Sanjay who went on to 46

mistake was made. Saiid finally pulled into mid-wicket Justin’s safe hands but Freilich saw Cresswell to his own fifty before the young opener slashed Buck into HP’s safe gloves. Still, only 21 runs were needed at just over three an over and it ought to have been a formality, but Sanjay had held some overs from his best bowlers back and the fall of the barnacle Cresswell visibly lifted the side. Vimal Dev then castled Freilich during a wicket maiden and when Scibo bowled Martin the match was in the balance. Side doctors had to be called at this flurry of wickets when Bernie snapped to his tail “I’m not going to lose this with one of you driving home and two in the shower, get your pads on.” A veritable orgy of pad and box donning then occurred, a kind of reverse all boy Benny Hill moment, but Casuals survived the run out of Deighton to edge home.

It had been a vintage contest and guest Chris Wright spoke for all when he wrote: “I really enjoyed the game yesterday, highly competitive with a close finish – disappointing not to win at the death but it didn’t detract from a great game, a great venue and a good oppo.” Hear hear. Still, another loss puts The Gents at 2-7 for 2005 with no obvious respite in terms of quality of opposition on the horizon.