Gents unsound under pressure

A Gents side with the potential to bat long and chase an imposing, but not insuperable, target was shot down in disappointing fashion in this inaugural fixture. Chasing a par total (albeit one boosted by a risible volume of 31 wides in a hideous extras tally) on a good pitch and with a lightning if rutted outfield, only Denton, SP and the returning Scibo can be proud of their innings, though poor Buck did not stand a chance after a foolish call.

This new oppo was very fit for purpose, having use of an excellent ground at the back of a nursery school. Lloyd Wahed was indisposed due to injury, so the bejeaned Burman took his place and Gents were up to complement. Gubbays, an ex-league side who now only play friendly cricket, and who take their name from their original sponsor, batted first on winning the toss and soon lost Sandeep bowled Snarler, one of four such victims in the innings. Veteran Deepak and left-handed teenager Vishal Junani then posted an excellent stand of 80 in 16 overs against some indifferent bowling before Snarler ran out the former. Scibo and Buck struck in their first overs, inducing catches at silly mid-off and short cover, but the hard-hitting Aryuat (together with Junani's composed support) was more than a match for The Gents, smiting five fours and a six and scampering wardloads of cheeky ones and twos. The returning Snarler bowled them both and he and Khan cleaned up the tail, good work as after 30 overs the score had stood at 192-4 with a total of 240 to 250 looming. Though the slower bowlers did their best to repair the damage, much of the bowling had been shoddy, wides or byes coming almost every over.

After a tea that was a bit Council, The Gents set about their task in declining light and plummeting temperatures. Gilkes was happy to open and a volunteer is worth ten pressed men but he spiralled a catch to 'keeper Sandeeep in the second over. Denton was out of the traps with two fours and smote four more as all around him unravelled. Husain started well but underclubbed a drive to mid-on, but the 50 had come up as early as the seventh over, a good rate. There was no need to panic but that is exactly what The Gents did. Khan being bowled soon after Husain's dismissal ("A hole in my bat," he said). There can have been fewer more foolish pieces of cricket than poor Buck's run out, Denton playing tip and run to a fielder ten yards from the bat and galumphing up the pitch past a stunned Buck, bellowing like a bull elephant intent on its own survival.

Manish's slow off-spin brought him two wickets in his first over, a tiring Denton and Young both bowled rooted on the back foot. It was desperately sad stuff. Thankfully, Scibo was in adhesive mode after cover-driving an early four and he gave SP priceless support as the skipper began to butcher the bowling with five fours and two sixes. It took a sensational catch - one-handed high to his right by slip Aryuat - to dismiss him and there was to be no way back for the visitors, the innings collapsing to 129 all out. Scibo fell driving and Snarler was bowled off his pads. Rob's scampered single first ball improved his season's batting average but he could not add to it, spooning slow left-armer Vijay to the 'keeper in a grotesque parody of a sweep shot.

A sobering defeat was followed by a strategic review, chaired by SP, which left nobody in any doubt of his responsibilities. This was the third time that The Gents had collapsed batting second in recent weeks, each time on a good wicket. A fear of failure, perhaps, or good old-fashioned inability to chase under pressure? A misanthropic evening then followed in which the Trafalgar Square statue of convicted terrorist Nelson Mandela came in for some particular stick amongst Gent Tories. The positives were Snarler's fine bowling, which led a brave fightback in Gubbays' innings, the batting of Denton and SP, the return of Scibo and the injured Ken's much-appreciated support. The negatives were the rest of the batting, most of the bowling and the wicket-keeping. The Gents were truly unsound under pressure here, though it had been an enjoyable day out.