This was a game of cricket so good that it was an honour to participate. Two perfectly matched sides fought like devils for five and a half hours, scoring 372 runs between them. Keith Dimond held his nerve as Sunderland, after being favourites for much of the second innings, failed to score ten off the final over. One felt for them, for without their generous loaning of a spare player, the self-effacing but excellent John McGirr, they would probably have won. But with a makeshift side, the Gents held their nerve to edge home and were rightly proud of their performance. This was a triumph of captaincy by Mark Ashton but leadership never won a game on its own and he was swift to praise all eleven players. These included the three guests and returning Gent icon Dave Thornicroft, who waddled onto the ground to great applause. Sanjay had to throw a mid-shift sickie to play. He would produce a performance that was inspired, even by his lofty standards.

After a poor display on this ground against Southampton, the Gents were eager to make amends. Debutants Ken Toft (from London Owls) and McGirr were solid, although Ken was dropped at the wicket in the third over. Ben Bradshaw was getting sharp lift on a sub-standard pitch, something the Gents’ seamers would later repeat as the heavily lacquered ball kept its shine all day. John cover-drive and clipped through mid-wicket two fours off Trow’s first over, whereupon Sunderland bowled six successive maidens. Toft was bowled by a grubber and McGirr was pouched low at cover. Dave had not played since 1995 but had been practising in the nets. He has lost none of his raw power over the years. He was particularly savage on Baker and Curry, though the former saw off the obdurate Jim in the 19^th over. Dave fell in the next over and four were down for 60. Masher timed the ball beautifully from the word go and with good support from Keith added 30 before the Dimo heave across a straight ball from Mick Coad in the 24^th over undid him again. Sanjay, stressed out after a long drive, was held back until seven and 58 fluent runs came in ten overs. Ashton’s cover-drive was seen in all its glory, his interesting calling also, several daft runs being aborted by the assertive Mr Patel. Sir Harvey’s dismissal four short of his second fifty on the spin was most amusing. He tried to hoik a full-toss to leg and missed, the ball cannoning into his pads on the full. A couple of Sunderland players appealed and up shot Mr Dimond’s finger. Masher was playing in his usual blaze of intensity, ran what he thought was a leg-bye and did not spot Keith’s small but significant act, until the umpire tapped him on the shoulder and explained that in such circumstances it was common practice to leave the field.

There were still six overs to go and some lusty hitting saw another forty runs added as the bowlers and fielders tired. Snarler drove a massive four over mid-off’s head and would end up with an average-enhancing 16 not out but it was Mr Patel the younger who was the hero of the latter stage of the innings. Nodoby here will ever forget his six off the ferocious Bradshaw, a back foot drive that went like a rocket over long-on’s head and landed five yards over the furthest boundary.

Ben had his revenge but more serious Snarler humpty saw a score of 188, by a margin of 63 the Gents’ highest in this series. 119 of them had come in the final 20 overs. To win, Sunderland would need to score at 4.7 an over. With a fast outfield and unpredictable bounce, Eddie Extras was certain to score heavily. Somebody else would probably have to score a fifty. Masher was obliged to don the gloves as there was nobody else, which was going to lmit his bowling options. In fact, he would juggle his resources superbly. Andy Nichol had promised a "short and sweet" innings, stating that he did not feel up for it. This attitude has usually heralded a fifty in West XI fixtures but he was true to his word, smashing a Snarler full-toss through the covers before getting a little inside-edge to the ‘keeper down the leg side in the 5^th over. Sanjay took the edge of the dangerous Stewart next over and the Gents were on top. Dougal Curry played and missed a few times but crucially hung around. As the ball spat off a length on the grassy wicket or shot along the ground, he took blows to the thigh, chest, ankle and shoulder but somehow preserved his wicket. Nichol thanked the Gents after the game for not bowling short, as someone could have been badly hurt. In fact, the Gents did the opposite. In the first twenty overs, nine full-tosses were dispatched, without fuss, over the chalk lines. Curry and Rough moved easily on, taking the score to 85 for two after 18 overs, 27 ahead of the Gents’ comparable total. The skies darkened and forked lightning was seen in the distance.

Taking a facetious bow after managing to pitch the ball for the first time, the combative Jim settled into a great spell. He bowled Stewart in the 19^th over, then had Sephton caught behind off the finest of edges. The problem was finding accurate support from the Town End. Ling bowled one bad ball in each over, as did Dave Thornicroft, who was glanced for four boundaries by the brave Curry. A fine-leg would have stopped each of them, but by the time Snarler (doing the positioning) realised this and placed McGirr there the damage had been done. Trout batted steadily until the returning Snarler bowled him to whoops of delight, but this only let in the ferocious hitter Mick Coad. He pulled Keith’s first ball, another full-toss, for six but thereafter looked a little edgy, though runs were still coming at the required rate. Thirty-eight were needed in the last ten overs as Masher made the vital decision to bowl McGirr from the Lake End. He found line and length with his slow-medium seamers immediately and conceded only one boundary.

Only twelve runs came in the next five overs, the ask now 26 off five. McGirr would bowl three of them, Sanjay and Snarler one and Keith the final one, as according to Masher "he would still be loose." That is loose as in lithe, not wayward. The plan worked like a dream. Coad was rooted to the back foot and tried to play the ball down but unluckily saw it bounce gently onto the stumps. A wicket maiden, 26 needed off four. McGirr’s next over saw three runs and the vital wicket of Curry. Dougal on-drove hard and chest-high to the left of mid-on Burman, standing level with the stumps. Andy made ground, got his hands to it, shelled it and in a reflex action gathered the ball and dived in to break the stumps with the ball held in his outstretched hand. Big Ben, the non-striker, had called Dougal for a quick single and astonishingly Andy had run him out by a yard, though he did not realise it until Jim and Snarler charged towards him in celebration. Poor Ben was bowled leg-stump by the awesome Snelling in the 38^th over, off which six runs came, including a thick edge to the third-man boundary by Longstaff. The requirement was now 17 runs off two overs.

McGirr kept his nerve but seven runs came. Ten were needed as Keith charged in with the clock showing eight o’clock. His first ball was a leg-side wide; his second was straighter, but still to leg. Steve Trow missed his pull. The next ball was played for a single. The third legitimate ball was driven high by Longstaff. The ball flew high in an arc back to the bowler, who knelt down to take the catch but buttered it. He beat the ground in annoyance but only one run came, seven needed off three balls. Trow drove to long-on Ling and called for two. In came a stunning throw, which beat Longstaff at the bowler’s end. Trow missed Ball Five and could only play Ball Six out to square-leg for a single, when six were needed. The Gents had scraped an unlikely victory as the Mackem well of runs dried up. This was only the ex-pats’ third loss of their usual busy season, so it was a superb victory for the Gents, though one that could not have been achieved without guest support. This is the second game between the clubs that has gone to the last possible ball, the Gents winning the inaugural 1996 encounter by one run. The first meeting this season was a good, close game too.

The game was late in finishing, which restricted socialising, though there was time for the sides to exchange amusing anecdotes about other clubs on the circuit. Sunderland love West XI to bits but the great Dougal Curry outed another team, which features on the lists of all three clubs, as "wankers." There was, however, time for Messrs. Richmond and Burman to make limited whoopee in Hanwell after a tough journey back on the one-lane North Circular. At Gent House, the incorrigible Sanjay, in full bachelor boy mode three weeks before his wedding, joined them. He had played a blinder, but then again so had the whole team. Masher only got cross once, barking at a rare misfield, only to be instantly put back in his box by Jim, who orchestrated the loud encouragings of the bowlers in the last few overs. Thanks to scorebabe Andy Ansell, who scored both innings. She witnessed a game of rare quality, in difficult conditions.