The Gents set a club unbeaten record of eight matches in a hugely entertaining, runful game which featured bizarre incidents galore. In a nutshell, The Gents, inspired by Dhruv Patel’s twinkling fifty, posted a good score on a bouncy artificial wicket, before restricting a feisty oppo with tight bowling. In the ascending quarters of their innings, The Gents scored 22, 36, 57 and 75 runs, compared with 38, 41, 36 and 36 from Enville. But this synopsis fails to give a flavour of a madcap day that is a worthy entrant into the club hall of lunacy. Three Gent bowlers were on Hat-Tricks and one achieved it. Eddie Fitch resuscitated the lost Yorkshire art of umpire intimidation (though he did give the umpire a hug by way of consolation), took five wickets but had a ten-year old carve him high over cover-point. Scibo, the best fielder in the club, dropped a dolly for the visitors, having earlier won the Stevie B award for phlegmatic opening. Andy Robinson got the first Gents’ stumping of 2000. There was even a hit wicket. Dhruv Patel lost it in the heat and then kindly bought a jug in the pub. What a day.

Edgecliffe School is set on a plateau amid rolling hills. Spectators had the benefit of a steep hillside to watch the cricket, offering marvellous views. Enville were an interesting mix of youth and experience and it will be interesting to see how their kids develop. The new ball was taken by the wily, pacy Bill Hill and Fallon, who tied down Scibo and the usually belligerent Eddie with excellent medium-fast bowling. Eddie holed out to mid-on in the sixth over. Wides kept the score moving on until Jim unleashed two successive cover-drives off Fallon. After a stand of 43 in 70 balls Jim sliced the medium-pacer Capewell high to point. Underneath it was young Phillip Hill, who pouched the catch nonchalantly to his obvious delight. With Scibo safely nurdling the odd single and two, Bodders flourished from the off, hitting four fours before driving over Capewell in the 23^rd over. Scibo’s excellent opener’s knock ended when he was bowled by the young leggie Steve Pearce in the next over. Sanjay took two twos and a four off the rest of the over but was soon bowled. Dhruv, meanwhile, had driven his first ball, bowled by Phil, for four and thereafter continued to dominate the bowling. At times his footwork was worthy of a ballroom dancer. He needed a partner, though, who would not on this day be Toddy, edging and walking third ball as the ‘keeper charged up the pitch to appeal vehemently. Mr Richmond would later express distaste at The Gents’ large wicket celebrations but in fairness they were only echoing Mr Fellows. It was just a bit of fun – let’s hope the umpires saw it that way!

At 96 for six in the 26^th over Enville were favourites, as the wicket was not going to deteriorate. Credit, therefore, Messrs. Buck, Dimond (especially a cracking straight drive for four) and Robinson for hanging in there while Dhruv played shots all round the ground. He spoilt Pearce’s figures with a blitz of three successive fours in the 32^nd over, Pearce’s last, before Buck holed out last ball. After Keith was out, Andy kept Dhruv company as he posted his seventh Gents’ fifty (nine fours), though he lost brownie points by blocking the last ball of the innings. It was a good score and Dhruv and Scibo had played the key roles.

An excellent tea was served, the highlight of which was Red Leicester and onion sandwiches. The food all weekend was top-notch. The Gents took up position to a "just do your best" mini-speech from Sanjay which, he prefaced, "was not going to include any of that ‘Who thinks we’ve won?’ bollocks." After a competent first half display by The Gents, chaos then descended on proceedings. Toddy, having been Mr Line and Length over past weeks, then reverted to his alter ego Mr Aerosol, six wides coming in his two over spell, though he did trap Capewell, possibly shocked by a straight delivery. He had been on a Hat-Trick of sorts at the start, having outed Baker and Longstaff to finish off Sunderland six days before. The excellent Branch and Fellows then moved things on elegantly before Eddie began to behave strangely. He let go the most in yer face lbw appeal this writer has ever seen. The umpire declined it, and both of them had a laugh. Two balls later, another lbw appeal, up went the finger and Eddie and his team-mates cavorted. Next ball, Hodges was struck on the back foot by an express delivery. Up went the finger again – three wickets, three lbws.

John Branch had been playing shots all round the ground and was now joined by young Goodman, whose technique for a fifteen year-old was something to behold. Dapper in immaculate whites and a helmet, he and the skipper moved things along before Dhruv struck with his fourth ball. A wanger of a leg-break turned a mile, took the edge and Eddie pouched the catch. Swiss, who felt that he should have been standing at slip, was a tad miffed. Another piece of kind hospitality was during the two 20 over drinks break. It is not the most complex of projects to arrange for orange squash to be brought out to the players, so it is a wonder that The Gents have not thought of it before. At this point, Enville were 79 for four and pretty well placed, needing to score at 5.6 an over. And while Branch (utterly untroubled in recording the first fifty of the season against The Gents) and Stuart Fellows were together it never went over six.

Dhruv then took the seventh Hat-Trick in Gents’ matches. Off the fifth ball of his seventh over, Fellows gave him the charge, missed and was stumped. It looked as though he had got his bat over the crease but perhaps had not grounded it. Young Gordon then trod on his stumps milliseconds after Dhruv had let out a scream of frustration at the ball beat bat and stumps. The Hat-Trick ball was utter toilet, a slow full-toss outside the left-handers’ off-stump. Undecided whether to hit it for four or six, Bill Hill clubbed it gently back to the bowler. Andy Robinson harshly debriefed the Hat-Trick as "a dodgy stumping decision, a poor boy so frightened he trod on his stumps and the easiest catch I’ve ever seen."

Things then went totally bonkers. Dhruv had an attack of Patellitis Itinerans. Placed at mid-wicket, he reappeared moments later at cover. Sanjay dryly requested him not to invent his own positions, to little avail. Chris Fallon opened his account with a five as Jimmy’s attempt at a run out evaded Burman! Thirty-five runs came in 40 balls, but the required rate was going through the roof. With ten overs left it was 7.6, five overs later it was 11.4. Branch, not the youngest man present, was getting tired and could not perfrm miracles on his own. When Jimmy bowled Fallon it was all up, though there was time for Phil to clump Jimmy for four over mid-wicket – how he enjoyed that!