West One v. Gentlemen of West London

Sunday 28 June 2009, Raynes Park Playing Fields, London SW20. Gents won toss. Sunny, 24C

Won by 31 runs

A masterful stand of 110 in 19 overs between Suman Rudru and Ahsan Iqbal enabled The Gents to recover from a dismal start to post a healthy 183 all out. West One fought like devils but fell short in the final few overs. The game could have gone either way and was instantly awarded classic status. West One are an extrovert, talented mixture of Australians, South Africans and flinty veterans. They beat The Gents in 2008 and had their tails up as the visitors lurched, on a perfect batting track, to a parlous 4-3. Sachin Desai was bowled through the gate second ball of the match for his second golden duck of 2009 before Sciberras fell lbw and Gilkes was bowled pushing forward (another golden), all to the lean Glenn McGrath clone Ben Byrnes, who would go on to card 4-10, just reward for his endeavours in conditions favourable to batting. Iqbal would go on to equal that analysis, becoming only the seventh player to score a fifty and take four or more wickets in a Gents’ game.

Four for three should have become 4-4 as Iqbal’s dolly off a leading edge was dropped at cover. He needed no further encouragement and lacerated the bowling on the way to his first Gents fifty, driving two huge straight sixes and nine fours. His power had to be seen to be believed for he is not a strongly-built man. Pace and spin came alike to him. Rudru had played the anchor role, a monumentally watchful innings of 52 (seven fours) in 33 overs, to the manner born. He took charge after Iqbal’s and Kalidindi’s dismissals off successive balls and went to a beautifully paced fifty. Lalam and the captain hung around for a while but just as West One sensed closure of the innings Toft (13) and Shu Desai (a club personal best of 21) smashed 29 in five overs, the final score being less than Hemin had hoped for but a good recovery from the perils incurred by Byrnes’s opening spell.

Australians and South Africans are dangerous beasts when roused and not even the most rabid Gent fan begrudged the tough Sydney Grade cricketer Dave Williamson his technically perfect fifty. After the dismissals of Mardon and Pacey bowled Iqbal and Lalam for ducks, he and Greig added 62 in 14 overs against some difficult and challenging bowling which included a fearsome bouncer from the Pakistani weapon of mass destruction which struck Greig on the shoulder. ‘You’ve got a bat mite, use it’ came the cosy, supportive shout of encouragement from the pavilion from another Aussie.

Hemin was rotating his bowling and he broke the stand, pinning Greig with a full-toss. Bailey then smote mightily in support of Williamson and with 13 overs left the hosts needed 74. The Gents held up well in the field despite a couple of drops and Gilkes ran round from mid-on to snaffle Bailey off Rudru. Though wicketless, Kalidinidi bowled a subtle and challenging spell alongside Rudru but it was Iqbal who broke the back of the innings with three quick wickets, bowling Byrnes and having Shircole and, vitally, Williamson caught at mid-on and mid-wicket. The match was tilting towards The Gents and Snelling pretty well confirmed the victory by having Bain caught at gully and bowling Rule. A superb game ended in The Gents’ favour with a simple throw from Toft to Shu Desai to run out Joubert. It was appropriate that these two were involved, for the runs they had added proved crucial. What a fine game, what fine opponents.