Crisis, what crisis? Gents' tail holds its nerve

A classic, tense game against a fine new opposition was decided off the penultimate ball when, to Gent jubilation, debutant Gary Lee cover drove the winning single through the packed close field. Chasing 167, a total that would have been far higher but for seventh bowler Horace Hibbert's stunning 7-3-11-5, a century stand between Ravi Inkollu and Mark Sciberras seemed to have put The Gents in control, but seven wickets fell for 62 runs against some inspired bowling and fielding and it needed considerable resolve by the later batsmen to earn the win. Snarler Snelling described the game as 'one of the best ever.' It deserves its place in the pantheon.

Lacking batsmen Khan and Husain, Sanjay Patel opted to chase, the task being made unnecessarily onerous by the concession of 13 byes and 22 wides, none harshly adjudged. As the ball began to creep in the second innings, Cairns Fudge would go on to concede the same number of byes and only 9 fewer wides. Only the two half-centurions, therefore, outscored extras in their side's innings. After the early departure of Bodie bowled Snelling, Australian Steve Kent struck 53 before becoming Hibbert's first victim immediately after drinks. The Cairns Fudge middle order was solid but, despite the mounting extras and some dropped catches, wickets came at crucial times, Inkollu having Andy K well caught Denton diving down the leg-side and bowling Jonny, while Randle fell to a super Hibbert slip catch off Shanvare. Though the beefy southpaw Jimmy F clubbed 33, including 12 off Snelling's final over, the visitors were slowed down in the second half of the innings by Hibbert's bowling onslaught. At the 20-over point, The Gents were fearing 200 but seven overs of accurate fast-medium from the Jamaican, supported by improved fielding, brought the hosts back into the game.

Despite a wicket that was playing true, The Gents were by no means confident at half-time and were even less so when off the first ball of their innings Daoud Shanvare clipped a return catch to Dane. We were then treated to an epic stand of 104 in 19.4 overs between Mark Sciberras, one of whose best innings this was, and the pugnacious Ravi Inkollu, who struck a brilliant 63. A feature of the stand was watchful defence punctuated by periods of aggression, runs accruing consistently at five per over. One was of mindful of Geoffrey Boycott's aphorism - 'Always add two wickets to the score then see what it looks like' - when, in quick succession either side of 20-over drinks, Sciberras fell lbw (one of five such victims in the day) and Inkollu holed out to cover.

Things then began to heat up a treat as leg-spinner Steve Kent found his line from the Pavilion End, gaining two more lbw's at the expense of Hibbert and the aggressive Sanjay Patel, while Doyle had Jim Wright caught behind and induced a chip to a diving backward square-leg by Buck. Although the required run rate was creeping up, it was still under five, a legacy of the excellent second-wicket stand and Sanjay's brief onslaught.

There was much work to do when Snelling joined Peter Denton and my how they responded, running well in taking their ones and twos. The winning post, from being a tiny speck, slowly hove into clearer view before the burly paceman pulled a four and took a single to bring the scores level in the 34th. over. Dane bowled him off the first ball of the last, Cairns Fudg requiring a maiden to tie. Gary Lee then played three immaculate forward defensive shots before smiting the winning run.

This looks to be a fixture with a future as Cairns Fudge are an ambitious club running elevens in both Oxford and London. They were a tough bunch, but fair and sporting throughout and good company after the game, dispensing fines willy nilly, including one of a pound to Gary Lee for smiting the winning run. It had been an exhausting game, so fair play to the visitors for making the effort to join The Gents' evening celebrations.