Brondesbury Casuals

Runs

Gentlemen of West London

Runs

Match Summary - Gent irregulars spun to defeat

A dogged bowling and fielding display and a bright start with the bat were not enough for The Gents in the furnace of Brondesbury, the Casuals’ spinners taking eight wickets to propel their side to a merited victory by 62 runs. The visitors’ disappointment was logistical as well as sporting with only six members playing, though with spectators Burman, Patel (S) and Toft nine were on the ground come close of play. This superlative ground really ought to have witnessed better Gents’ cricket than it has but perhaps it is no coincidence that the sides that lost in 2003, 2005 and now 2006 (rain spared The Gents in 2004) were riddled with guests. No matter how skilful such invitees may be, and how grateful the secretary is for their support, science has proved that it is not the same as having people you play with week in week out. And when the skipper has never met three of the players it is doubly difficult. This was the problem faced by Mr. Gilkes, stepping in for Mr. Buck, deposed for the day due to lateness.

However, the fact is that without the support of Neepam Bhatt and his brother Bhaven, Bhavesh Vyas, Sanjay “Uncle Inzamam” Dev and Keyur Patel this game would have gone Wester than a Weasel Saturday fixture. They fitted in well though were apt, understandably, to babble in Hindi during stressful moments but they got behind the skjpper well, perhaps better than they got behind the ball, in fact.

In a match reduced to 35 overs due to the sweltering conditions, a decision replicated on the West XI Somerset tour, Casuals won the toss and batted. Ali and Rogers were untroubled but never broke free but it took a bowling change by Mr. Gilkes to earn a wicket, Hemin bowling Ali. A breathtaking one-handed caught and bowled by Bhavesh off Ward was deserved and Dhruv struck twice, once in his first over, removing the dangerous Nadeem caught by cover Buck and following up by bowling captain Luke Arnold. Quick runs were added by left-handed Saeed Rizvan before Buck took a top-edge off an attempted pull, Turpin doing the

rest. The dapper Rogers went on to an impressive, elegant fifty before edging Buck to a diving Turpin while the bespectacled Toby Cresswell, who with Rizvan scored a fifty in 2005, ensured Casuals batted out the overs. The Gents had kept at it well in the field, taking some good catches and putting in fast, accurate throws, though the groundfielding was ropy.

After tea, during which The Gents were informed that no sausage rolls would be offered post-match as “your Indians wouldn’t eat them” (true but not that customer-orientated), The Gents set about a tough task with élan and conviction for 12 overs, adding 67. Bhav Vyas unluckily played on but Dhruv and Sanjay Dev were excellent in their contrasting ways, Dhruv punching his on-drives a treat and Sanjay threatening to larrup the cover off the ball. His off-driven six into the netting over the longest boundary was a feat of astonishing strength, but The Gents needed a few more of those.

Off-spinner Cresswell soon had them both lbw courtesy of umpire Toft, Sanjay awarding Ken a look while Dhruv agreed he was plumb. Johnson then got among the middle-order, who had not renewed their inoculations against leg-spin, though Neepam clubbed a brisk 23. At about this time, the safest bet of the day was struck by an elderly spectator, wickedly christened Justin’s Granddad, who, unimpressed by the middle-order collapse, offered to “buy you lot all the beer you can drink if you win this.” The grey pound in his pocket was not in much danger though, as, not for the first time, the Casuals’ spinners cleaned up, though HP was composed and H Bomb and Mr. Turpin scored some welcome runs. The margin of 62 runs was about right and should Casuals renew, as we hope they do, more members need to make themselves available in 2007.
 

Click here for the Brondesbury scorecard.