Blistering Gents’ bowling and fielding in helpful conditions restricted a plucky West XI to a score that was perhaps thirty runs below par. Only Ian Dallas, the first player to carry his bat in this series, played the bowling with any confidence. West XI, inspired by the magnificent Taylor, took early wickets but a superb counter-attacking stand between the Patels saw The Gents to the brink of victory, Big Eddie driving the winning runs through mid-wicket at five to seven. Though it was a good toss to win, The Gents won the tactical battle and Snarler was as happy as a dog with two dicks at the conclusion of proceedings.

The teams were published on the internet during the week and as expected both were up to scratch, though Chris Dane (unavailable) and Paul Charlton (injured) might otherwise have played. Sanjay found the edge of Phil Mattimoe’s bat twice for twos past gully before inducing a faint played-on in the sixth over. Enter Stevie B, presumably to blunt the Snelling storm. In fact, he did not face Pongo who bowled only one more over in his first spell, a maiden (one of ten in the innings) to Dallas, who showed excellent technique in playing down the rising ball and digging out the yorker in successive deliveries. Eddie then gave a wondrous demonstration of the seamer’s art. Concentrating on the basics, he bowled an outstanding spell from the south end that was both economical and penetrative. But it was Jim Wright from the pavilion end who struck next, in the eighteenth over, inducing Biggers to offer up a high catch above Swiss Tony’s head at slip. Two Seale cover-drives saw Jim out of the attack as The Beggars broke for drinks at 48 for two after twenty overs. "A year ago," Snarler told his men, "Mark Ashton administered the biggest bollocking I’ve ever heard at a cricket game. I don’t need to do that. Just carry on. It’s excellent." On the resumption, Eddie bowled Clyde. Your Match Reporter had a good view of it too through binoculars, which are needed as one gets older. The ball darted into the left-hander and clipped the leg-bail. Four balls later, skipper Chris Wright, who will have better days, edged low to the impervious Beaumont and it was 48 for four.

The new slimline Toddy has bowled well this season. He opened with a maiden and a wicket-maiden, bowling Chris Taipari with a full-toss. Frustratingly for West XI, their batters were getting in and then, having got used to the bowling, were getting out, though the self-destruct button was only pressed towards the end of the innings. Good balls did for Stewie and Phil, respectively caught and bowled Dhruv off a ball that held up and missing the Toddy outswinger. There were ten overs left at the fall of the seventh wicket, but only 21 more runs would accrue. In trying to cede the strike to the marvellous Dallas, Ling was run out by the length of the pitch. Ian drove Sanjay for a four but another run out did for Chairman Ali before the speedster bowled Dave Laing. Ninety-six all out. Nor did the fielding suffer in comparison with the first rate bowling. Scibo and Pongo dived over the ball, Swiss missed a sharp chance off Dallas in the dying overs but other than that it was perfection. In this, their thirteenth season, The Gents’ opponents have been scoring their runs at eleven per wicket and three per over, compared with twenty and four in 1999, a huge difference. Nobody has yet scored a fifty and only Nick Harper from Twelve Angry Men has cracked forty, back in the first game.

"Hands up those who think we’ve won" asked Snarler at half time, during his third team talk of the day. Limbs were very much static in response, people no doubt expecting a blitz from the Beggars. There would be no complacency. Dhruv had meanwhile worked himself up into a right lather about Ling, whom he had not seen before. "Where’s he from?" "Sri Lanka." "Oh no, spinner, turn the ball square." "No, mate, he’s a seamer." "Muralitharan, did you see what he did to South Africa, listen, hey guys, they’ve got a Sri Lankan spinner, need to concentrate." Dhruv adds to the gaiety of nations but despite being hyped up about this game for weeks went on to have one of his most effective games.

It is not the place of this fanzine to criticise oppo captains, but permit us to make a few observations regarding West XI’s response. They were unlikely, even on a bowler-friendly strip and with a tough, slow outfield, to restrict The Gents, who would have to be bowled out. And having decided to bowl Dave Laing, the beginning of the innings, against two steady rather than aggressive batsmen, was sensible enough. Yet Chris Wright seemed to be caught between a rock and a hard place, choosing fairly defensive fields instead of putting the batsmen under pressure. By the time Taylor came on in the tenth over, The Gents had sped to 33 for one, the only Beggar success being Tony Buck, who cut to backward point in the second over after hooking Laing for four in the first. Jim Wright pulled two fours backward of square off his namesake to ensure that run rate would not be an issue before Taylor stunned The Gents.

First, Jim edged faintly down the leg side and walked, though umpire Snelling, for the second successive week, heard nothing. Then Bodders edged to slip, a fine low catch by the ageless underpants obsessive Stevie B, who had been moved into position only moments before. A well-run three and a two came off Wright before Taylor bowled Damo and after fourteen overs the Gents were in some disarray at 46 for four. Though the batting looked deep, the mood Taylor was in he could have wreaked havoc. Dhruv and Sanjay played him, and his co-bowler Hillbilly, splendidly. Though Stewie beat Dhruv outside his off-stump he could not make a further breakthrough. After a nice straight drive for two, The Gents scored a psychological blow when, next ball, Dhruv edged for four through the slips, the batsman congratulating the bowler on his skill and commiserating with him for his ill-fortune with a pat on the bum. The field was then put back, which relieved the pressure on the batsmen. The Patels like to drive but posting a long-on and long-off to Taylor was possibly overdoing it. They were able to play the ball along the ground for unhurried ones and twos, though Dhruv bravely pulled him twice high over mid-wicket.

After six torrid overs, Taylor took his sweater, with The Gents now favourites at 66 for four, briskly compiled off only 20 overs. In fact, he confessed after that he thought the teams were playing a 35 over game and therefore had only one over remaining, which he declined to bowl. Eight came off the only over of Laing’s second spell, while Ling’s final two overs were played nervily. Sanjay drove Stevie B for four as the total mounted steadily. It looked as if the Patels – urgently communicating throughout in Hindi - would steer the ship to harbour, but the Gods of Cricket punished dear Dhruv for an outrageous piece of play. Stepping inside the line of Stevie B’s ultraslows, he tried and thankfully failed to hoik the ball back over Clyde’s head. Next over, he gloved a rare full delivery from Wright. He and Sanjay had posted 48 runs in 79 balls. In importance if not magnitude this was a worthy entrant into the Hall of Fame of great stands in this series. Dhruv had entertainingly hit three threes, plus an all-run four to the huge Pope’s Lane mid-wicket boundary. Coming on top of his fine 62 against NBW, the lad is in prime form. Eddie Fitch capped his day by driving Biggers for the winning two through mid-wicket. Vice-Captain Sanjay, correct in defence throughout, was unbeaten, having struck three fours. Not the least of his achievements was aborting several Dhruv kamikaze single attempts. It was a tough, attritional (only seven fours struck per team) test but The Gents came through it. Eddie, Snarler, Jimmy, Toddy, Sanjay and Dhruv (who respectively dismissed the dangerous Mattimoe and Taylor for the second time this season) had splendid games, but there were no weak links. It was a great team effort, inspired in no small part by excellent captaincy. The club’s outstanding run therefore continues – only one defeat in twelve games in 2000. There was not a lot between the teams on paper but The Gents played more as a team. This victory means a great deal to the whole club and especially to Pongo, who is rightly proud of successfully defending the trophy without key all-rounder, the legendary Mark Ashton.