Gents thrive amid Beggar chaos

The Gents took merciless advantage of Beggar disarray to record their most convincing win in this series. From a parlous 11 for 2, the middle-order scored quickly and heavily, Nabil Husain (75) leading the way with sparkling support from Dhruv Patel (39) and Lloyd Wahed (27), while HP Denton's grafting 17 was also praiseworthy. After a stodgy start, West XI were beginning to fight back but collapsed from 77 for 4 to 79 all out, with Husain and SP producing the alarming analyses of 4-3-1-2 and 2-2-0-3 respectively, Wahed taking three excellent catches. The Beggars were chastened by the experience, but only a fool would write them off.

Sanjay won the toss and batted on a pleasant afternoon, losing Gilkes to his second successive Golden Duck and Carroll, well caught by Bhatt at point. Denton, having cut two fours in Hill's first over, then dropped anchor as Husain went for his shots, a little less fluently than normal to begin with. Still, 61 came off 13.3 overs. HP was well caught Allerton senior in the 18th. over but this only let in Dhruv, advance guard of a fluent-looking middle-order. And so it proved, stands resulting of 45 in 10.3 overs (Husain/Dhruv) and 52 in just 6 overs (Dhruv and Wahed). Nabil's 75 contained 7 fours and was compiled in 19.5 overs. It was not chanceless - he was dropped three times - but was a matchwinner. Dhruv struck four fours and Wahed two fours and the only six of the innings, a monster Pietersenesque pick up over mid-wicket off Bender. Hemin fell late to leave the skipper and Buck not out, the final total 194 for 7, 113 coming off the last 15 overs. West XI's fielding never wilted but they looked a tired lot as tea was taken outside the sumptuously painted pavilion. Wright and Bhatt bowled well for West XI and Bignell took his 400th. wicket for the club when Barling stumped Dhruv.

Lacking Taylor, Vine and Dane from their victorious 2005 side, West XI were soon in trouble. Barling had kept manfully but his reward was a shooter from the metronomic fast-medium Husain, one of the few balls that misbehaved all day. Rennie could not fathom him or the fearsome Snelling and looked relieved to be out of the fray, lbw in the 8th. over. A major reconstruction job was therefore left to the remaining batsmen, as the required run rate was rising all the time, hitting 6 in the fourth over and 8 as early as the 13th.

Bignell was untroubled and Neepam Bhatt provided some much-needed impetus as SP changed to Hemin bowling from the top end and Babar from the pavilion. He lofted Hemin for six into the trees for what would astonishingly be the only boundary of the innings, but then lost his venerable partner, run out by a smart throw from Carroll. The Bhatt/Wright partnership provided great entertainment as they put the fielders under pressure, Mr. Babar missing a tough run out opportunity standing two feet away from the stumps. With only five seconds to pounce and break the woodwork, with the batsmen both encamped at the top end, he opted to lob the ball in a comedy parabola several yards wide of the target. Never mind, as three balls after drinks Bhatt drove Hemin hard and high to long-off specially placed back, Wahed making ten yards and pouching a wonderful catch.

Wright and Walton did what they could before on 77 Snelling struck, bowling Walton. Within a few minutes, the scorer was complaining of repetitive strain injury, so frequently was he having to write 'Sunset Strip' in the FoW. Another Lloyd Wahed classic catch, a juggling affair at cover off Snelling, saw off Wright and the innings was dying on its feet. Sanjay Patel brought himself on and took three wickets in his second over, Bender lbw, young Rowan brilliantly caught low down (Wahed again) and Hill bowled. Babar ran out Laing and it was all over, the injured Bapu unable to bat. A convincing win, then, against what was by the end a despondent team.