In a fixture that was a mirror-image of the classic one day before, the Gents, with wickets in hand, failed to score seven runs in the final two overs, bowled by Keith Dimond and Uma Mahesh. Enterprise won by just three runs, their first victory in this fixture since 1991, a run encompassing thirteen defeats and two abandonments. Their ecstatic reaction at the end showed what it meant to them and they thoroughly deserved the win. The Gents, who despite patchy new ball bowling had been proceeding calmly to a worthy victory, were stunned. The day saw bizarre incident piled on bizarre incident. There was Snarler’s second Gents’ hat-trick, Keith Dimond executing a direct hit on the sprinkler system doing duty in the ornamental gardens of the Balaclava Road flats and Swiss Tony advising his mate Colin Jones to "get changed as it won’t go pear-shaped now." Sadly, it did. For the sake of the fixture though, the result was no bad thing.

Snarler, suffering from heat rash, gave himself permission to play in shorts. He was lucky not to be arrested by the Fashion Police for this howler. The shorts in question, blue, dinky and shiny, were later outed by dodgy film buff Heapo as "straight out of a gay porn movie." Pongo certainly looked less than formidable but he is a kindly old soul who rightly declared that "he was going to give everybody a go today." Following his lead, Rixy and Toddy had a shocker with new ball. Elliot Freedman’s wicket, top-edging a pull to ‘keeper Aabid, was a false dawn for the Gents, as Heapo and Richard Parker took the bowling apart. The fifty stand was in sight when Graham drove to deep mid-off Snarler who, according to the John Arlott of the social circuit Mr Wright, "looked as if he was about to shit himself." He clung on though. Mark Harper carried on where Graham had left off and when the first of many drinks breaks were taken after eleven overs, Enterprise were formidably placed at 71 for two. For all the Gents’ post-match rationalising, this was the period of play when Enterprise won the match. "They’re going to get three hundred" predicted Burman. "Fucking bollocks," said Jim. Colin Jones’s off-spin calmed things down a bit but it was Manoj Chawle who did the damage, clean bowling four batsmen. His first wicket, a wicked outswinger, knocked Parker’s off-bail thirty yards. Keith Dimond batted well in a good contest with thirteen year old Faisal, who cheekily tried the bouncer. In his next over, he pitched one a little short and Dimo essayed his trademark pull, the ball flying over the main road one bounce into the sprinkler, Buck winning the race to retrieve the ball and have a nice cooling shower. But Faisal got his man, Keith edging into his brother’s safe gloves, to give Aabid six victims in his first two Gents games. There was unkind speculation about whether any side has ever fielded two wicket-keepers with a bigger age differential than the two employed by the Gents on this memorable weekend. Aabid could do little about the byes and dropped only one chance, off Keith two overs before he fell. He kept well to Snarler, whose first over saw a few extras and who then charged in, a tad pumped up, for his second.

He would be the recipient of gentle banter from the team comedians after the game for not bowling earlier, but who is to say how the top order would have played him? The parched outfield was lightning-fast and he may have gone for a few. However, Messrs. Evans, Kitchener and Kelly failed to put bat to ball of his 9^th, 10^th and 11^th balls and each had his off-stump knocked back. The dry Mr Buck doubted that "any hat-trick has ever been greeted with less silence" as a clearly less than up for it Jim Kelly watched the ball onto his stump. This was the 4^th in the club’s history, three of which were in losing causes.

Enterprise, having been handily placed at 132 for six were all out for 135, with eight overs and one ball unused. Although Jim Wright said after that the Gents had under-estimated Enterprise from the first ball, the club’s members were realistic to know at half-time that it was a tough ask. Mr Burman, in his half-time call to Ashton Mansions, said he thought the visitors were favourites. Mr Dimond was to wrong-foot the Gents, leaving his best bowler until last. Before the Gents had worked out what was going on it was too late. They also lost wickets at vital times and the incoming batsmen were unable to pick up the pieces, but for most of the innings moved along smoothly. Swiss Tony cover-drove the fourth ball for four before trying for a repeat and looping to cover Heapo. Victor was then bowled having a swish at the accurate Parker and Rixy lobbed up a caught and bowled. Toddy and Jim then put on 44 untroubled runs in 12.4 overs. Daniel was circumspect in his 80 minutes at the crease, although Aabid tactfully asked "if he normally bats this high up the order as his technique is rubbish." Kids today, tchoh. Parker got him in the 22^nd over with a rare straight delivery and while he and Heapo were in tandem runs came more quickly. Snarler went berserk from the off, striking five mighty fours, four off Parker. At the Bus Stop End, though, Mahesh’s fast off-breaks were proving difficult to get away. He conceded only one run in his first three overs but while runs were coming steadily at the other end, there seemed no need to panic.

How curious this wonderful game can be. The day before, Sunderland had needed 38 runs off ten overs with five wickets in hand and failed by four runs thanks in large measure to a superb spell by John McGirr. Here, the Gents needed 41 off ten with six wickets in hand and were frustrated by Mahesh. Snarler and Jimmy moved the board on to 126 for four off 32 overs. Just ten were needed off three. Snarler blocked one, drove to long-on for two and was then castled. Manoj glanced his first ball for a single and Jim blocked the last two. Big Keith bravely opted to bowl the penultimate over, stunningly a wicket maiden. Poor Manoj was transfixed by three deliveries and bowled by the fourth. Andy Burman failed to put bat to ball to the last two balls, both outside leg stump. Six runs were thus needed from the last possible over. This would have given Gents victory, as they would have lost fewer wickets. Uma’s first three balls were searing and straight, and Jim could not force them away. The fourth was glanced down to short fine-leg. Jim called for two but a good pick up and throw saw Price have the bails off with Jim a yard short of the second. Enterprise were afire.

A bye came off the fifth ball, leaving Andy Burman with the task of scoring four for victory. He drove, missed and the batsmen could only take the one bye to the ‘keeper. The Gents had failed, squeezed out by tight death bowling and tireless outcricket. Enterprise had several unlikely heroes. Uma Mahesh had guested for FC Chad in the 1998 President’s Cup and looked a useful if erratic bowler. Here he was formidable and professed his journey down from Manchester to play in this fixture most worthwhile. Jim Kelly is a non-cricketer, who, fielding in jeans and Doc Martens down by the Balaclava Road boundary, let nothing past him all day. His tail-end chums were equally impenetrable. There were eleven heroes on the visitors’ side.

Snarler then denounced the Gents’ new-ball bowling within earshot of the two culprits before calming down. He has nothing to reproach himself for, and indeed achieved his objective of team involvement with some success. Mention was also made of the Gents’ batting, described by Mr Todd as "thin." So it was, but the fact remains that this was the best side available (seven full members played, one more than on the Saturday) and Enterprise juggled their resources with more flair. Both sides played the game in the right spirit, though, as evidenced when a Gent fielder urged Dimond to "launch a direct hit on that tosser’s car" as some wide boy drove past with rap music playing at a million decibels. The Gents were in a state of disbelief but this defeat will do them no harm, while providing a shot in the arm of about four million volts to re-energise Enterprise cricket. Indeed, they may well play FC Chad on 22 August as the Gents/BG game has been pulled and Alexandra Rec has been booked and paid for. Several Gents will doubtless make up the numbers in what could be a very good game. Victor got it right when he said to the oppo after "Now you’ve won this go out and play a few more games." And so ended an amazing weekend of cricket, in which the outcome of each game was in doubt until the last possible ball of the day. This truly is what social cricket is all about. Everyone who played (and in particular Messrs. Burman, Dimond, Richmond, Snelling and Wright, who played twice) will forever remember a special weekend which saw two classic games, played out in perfect weather and with not a trace of dissent between the teams. Keith Dimond, on the winning side both days, had had a weekend to cherish. This lot are definitely on the fixture list for 2000, as if it were ever in doubt.