H Bomb injury mars day of fun and frolics

In Peter Denton's captaincy début, The Gents took only 9.4 overs to beat London Owls by 9 wickets in a game that was done and dusted by a quarter-to-four, Nabil Husain scoring 49 not out in a stand of 51 with the resolute Ken Toft. A degree of mixing of the teams then took place for a Pro15, won by the mainly-Gents thanks to Denton's chirpy 48, but marred by a bad hamstring injury sustained by Hemin Patel in the penultimate over. Attempting a sharp single and accidentally colliding with a fielder, poor Hemin left the field in agony.

London Owls are a keen bunch with some good cricketers, but they lack numbers (Dr. Wasse did well to bring them up to nine, Bender and Burman filling in) and do not play very often. It was noticeable in the second game that Emson, for example, with an innings under his belt, played very fluently. But the damage had by then been done, Owls collapsing for 61 on a lively but never dangerous wicket. Snelling (two wickets) conceded only three wides in four overs, Rob Babar bowled his seven overs on the reel, getting his second victim with his very last ball. Husain got two wickets and took, along with Shanvare, two catches, including a low one at slip to dismiss Emson off Babar. There were five wickets for the spinners and one, Burman, for new boy Andy Houchin. Still Andy had, with his first ball faced (cut for four off H Bomb) gone past Rob Babar's season's aggregate of three. Husain struck eleven fours in the reply, Daud Shanvare two.

The Pro15 was good fun. It gave most participants a chance to bat or bowl, though even in such a short game it was tiring in the draining heat with only nine bodies in the field. The pivotal moment was Husain lbw b Snelling 5, the gutsiest knock H Bomb's 36 in a losing cause. Shanvare batted capably, showed great promise with his off-spinners and seems keen to play regularly.

Mr. Denton's captaincy was relentlessly cheerful, fielders being jollied back into position every few balls ("Dave, you're neither fish nor fowl there, come in five"), but friendly enough. Best of all though were his novelty appeals for stumpings (five or six in this game), according it seems to a Law known only unto him

Thanks to Rob Babar for playing at short notice and bringing along Mr. Houchin, Ian Colley for scoring and Andrew Morton's dad, a perfect spit for countryman Jack Hargreaves of 'How?' and 'Out of Town' fame, for umpiring all 61.2 overs competently and amiably. How exactly do you torch a hay-rick?