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A patient 36 not out by Jim Wright, which left him unbeaten on 131 in 63.1 overs
in his last two games, was the bedrock of a welcome Gents win at sunny Surbiton.
Earlier, the Oxfordshire expeditionary force, comprising players from Wantage,
Uffington and Harwell, including several youngsters, had struggled to 115 on a
benign surface. More important than the result, however, was the friendly
atmosphere between the teams, both of whom seemed keen to renew the fixture.
Perhaps a 2007 tour might even be arranged to this beautiful county.
Respect goes out to the visitors, filling in after the cancellation of, first,
the Weasels and, second, Old Hamptonians. After running the gauntlet of a hike
up the M40 plus a mystery tour of South West London in competition with
Wimbledon tennis (which had hovered up four Old Hamptonians, taking them below
critical mass), Hampton Court flower show and Sandown Park races, we were away
at 2.30pm, 40 overs a side, the visitors batting by agreement as three had still
to arrive.
The wicket had few devils and The Gents were delighted at their early wickets,
the top five failing to make double figures. Snarler held one up to bowl the
giant blond Uffington II’s captain Tugwell (one suspects we’ll regret that one
day) before captain Pritchard was run out, being sent back after mid-wicket
Hemin had spilled a catch before quickly recovering his composure to spear in
his usual fast and accurate throw. Snarler and Hill bowled Moulds and Jones
before H Bomb struck twice, inducing a gloved catch to Carroll (who had earlier
shelled one off Snarler) and a drive to Wright to see off Brown and Mabbett.
Brown’s dismissal evoked memories of Kasprowicz at Edgbaston 2005, there being
some doubt as to whether his gloved hand was in contact with the bat. Newton
spiralled a catch to Gilkes at second slip off Wahed and Wantage were 58 for 7.
An excellent stand of 54 between Wallbridge and Newton (P) then turned the
innings around. Driving and pulling with confidence, even off the returning
Snarler, who could have bowled 10 overs according to the allocations agreed by
the captains. Buck and Scibo went wicketless and it took Jim Wright to break the
stand, having Wallbridge lbw and bowling Newton. Alex Young got his first Gents
wicket and it was 115 all out.
Chavwatch had mercifully little to report other than the boisterous pre-season
football training of Surbiton Eagles FC and the players took tea, the highlights
being H Bomb’s home-made bhajis and two delicious sponge cakes kindly baked by
Lloyd’s mother Angela. “You can tell we’re in London, they’ve got mineral water”
was a wide-eyed comment by a visitor. Jim and Scibo strode out at 5pm.
Scibo, sportingly walking after gloving behind, and Mr. Gilkes, brilliantly
caught in the covers by Maryon who first parried then snaffled the catch, fell
early but this only let in the dominant Young, who cut well and drove Newton for
a six onto the railway embankment. Brown, one of a clutch of talented slowies in
the visitors’ ranks, bowled him for 27 but Wantage were unable to make further
inroads, though Lloyd was beaten several times outside off-stump. Once he got
his eye in, it was only a matter of time before he went big and the persevering
Mabbett, who had opened with seam and changed to spin, suffered straight drives
to the pavilion boundary for four and six to bring the scores level, a wide
signalled by umpire Bender ending proceedings next over, Jim unbeaten having
struck five of the eleven fours in the innings. It has been a pleasant
afternoon’s entertainment on a day that did much to restore the reputation of
VRG, there being far less of a threatening atmosphere than had obtained for the
Sunderland fixture three weeks before while the wicket was rolled and flat.
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