If this is to be standard of pitches at Victoria Rec this season, then batsmen are in for a treat and some serious Gents fielding practice is required. Having posted a mammoth 186, Urbans then bowled a consistent line and length, with the fielders supporting the bowlers to the hilt, two aspects in which the Gents’ play was bereft. Bearing in mind that the visitors were missing Gathercole, Glover and Mantha, while the hosts had all of their batting stars available, a disparity of 74 runs was sobering. Let it be noted that there was no dissent on or off the pitch. Perhaps in a weekend that had seen the Soho nail bomb and the death of Sir Alf Ramsey and Cyril Washbrook, the players had got the game into some sort of perspective.

The Commander had decided in the days leading up to the game to bowl if he had the choice, and arriving in his usual frazzled state after a long (and thoroughly debriefed) drive, was unpersuaded by the hot weather and flat pitch to change his mind. His decision seemed to have been vindicated by two beautiful Sanjay Patel inswingers in the 6^th and 10^th overs, but thereafter Kirk and Matthews began to break free to take the score to 95 for two at halfway drinks. The fielding was not great, but it is difficult to protect boundaries against the fully-punished Bodders’ full-toss and Wright long-hop. Even Sanjay, bowling right through in support of the needs-must Dual Keeper policy, took some hammer. Nevertheless, it was time for some field punishments to be administered, and Privates Richmond and Burman were soon relegated to less exposed tenancies at backward square-leg and slip, presumably on the basis that the ball never goes there.

The Gents at least averted humiliation with a sharper second half. Although the Dhruv leg-break took some stick, he did york Matthews in his first over with the offie, while Ashton returned to the game with a nagging spell of medium pace from the top end. Kirk’s excellent 69 was a model of its kind in that he took no risks yet still looked in complete control. Anything on the stumps was defended or played into the gaps, while anything short or wide got the full treatment. It was an accomplished innings by one of the circuit’s best players. As the fielders slowly began to wake up, a diving Bodders stop to stop four being the zenith, Charlie Clift, who usually succeeds in these fixtures, and the pleasant Vinay Naidoo took Urbs past 150 before Toddy and Snarler, with two wickets in successive balls, got some reward.

The Gents had held together well in the latter stages, and Mr Ashton declared himself pleased with the partial recovery. There was some highly amusing bickering between Dhruv and the skipper over field placings. Two men comfortable in life’s early middle-years, they will never change and the interplay between them is always entertaining. "Need men over here fucking now," reasoned the Gujerat maestro from the railway boundary. "Hold yer ‘orses, mate," blustered his mentor, seconds before another full toss crashed over the white line. It is difficult to remember a patchier bowling display, though Snelling and Ashton were excellent, and several players felt the Gents had got off lightly having to chase "only 187."

Mr Wright has volunteered for an opening berth and the batting looked good, with plenty of stroke-makers up the order. Sadly, after a few singles and twos in which Bodders was nearly lapped by his younger partner, the southpaw chipped back a caught and bowled in the 5^th over before Jim was sensationally run out in the 10^th. Swooping in from square-leg thirty yards from the stumps, Courtness’s direct hit had the Urbs in raptures. The run rate required had already mounted to five and a half and Sanjay’s underhit drive to wide mid-on probably sealed the defeat. Still, Dhruv, not yet back to his best and victim yet again of an accidental beamer, toughed it out and with the resolute Masher the runs began to flow before Courtness brought one back to pin Dhruv lbw, a decision accepted without demur. The only ball that misbehaved all day then shot along the ground to disturb Toddy’s leg-stump second ball and the innings was foundering at 49 for five.

Masher and Snarler shored things up but sensing it was time to accelerate the captain lofted a skier to mid-on, Naidoo judging the chance well. The Snelling/Buck project showed promise before the lively Johnston (who with Courtness and Marsh looked good additions to Urbs’ cricket) yorked Stuart and did the same to Victor second ball. A Buck six to the short railway boundary before he was run out attempting a tight second, and a comedy last wicket stand between Flack and Burman were all that remained of the day. Clift’s occasional off-spin did for the Gents’ organiser and that, my friends, was that. The Gents’ batting factory remains on a three day week.

A quite disturbing statistic arising from this defeat is that this was the fifth win on the spin in this series by the Urbs, and in only two of those games were the Gents even close. As disquieting is the club’s recent record against the more talented sides on the circuit; out of the last six games against the Weasels, West XI, Virgin Casuals, Exiles and Urbs the record stands drawn one lost five. Losing becomes a habit, as much as winning does, and in the Black Lion afterwards the Gents accepted their fate without the usual rummage for excuses. Still, it is early days and the season’s opening games were against tough oppo.