9.12.22

As promised we have looked at run outs and some interesting facts emerge. The era under review is 2009 onwards because it is hard to obtain data for prior periods. There were 287 games in those 14 seasons in which 4,404 wickets fell, 2,131 Gents’ and 2,273 opponents’. Run outs accounted for 5% of Gents’ wickets and 7% of opponents’.

The barmiest seasons for Gents’ batsmen were 2010 (17 run outs) and 2016 (14) many in the chaotic T20 format. Run outs happen for all manner of reasons. Annals record hyped up partners running down to the batsman’s end for no apparent reason (Luke Corbett the victim of Pavan Kota in 2019 and Murali Kalidindi sawn off by Ravi Inkollu ten years before), Hemin Patel forgetting to ground his bat, also in 2009, and bowlers deflecting a drive onto the stumps with the non-striker stranded. In his only run out Srinivas Namilikonda having scored 151 against Putney in 2022 was famously done like this by Sumit Kumar (playing straight as ever).

Clutches of run outs were recorded in T20s against Pak in 2010 (three) and Close PF in 2016 (four) while in 2021 at Lampton School Chiswick ran out three Patels, Jay, Raj and Sanjay. Conclusions from the individual merit tables may be inferred but not without qualification of number of dismissals and, more subtly, state of the game or innings. Nilesh Dubey has been run out 11 times (11% of his dismissals) and Sumit Kumar eight (7%). Wayne Caveney and Sanjay Patel are on six, Hemin Patel and Vamsee Krishna five.

Aamir Ahmed has never been never been run out for the Gents though he did hit his own wicket once and was sawn off by Vasi Shaikh in the colours of Wycombe House.

7.11.22

A batsman’s summer

After stumps had been drawn at Lyne RG the statistics could be finalised. It was immediately clear that we had witnessed a uniquely prolific season of run scoring. At times the scorer had found it difficult to keep up, whether in the book or on a tablet. Constraints of space meant that it was not possible to do justice in Gent 176 to the splendid feats of both Gents and opponents.

Bowlers who toiled on often perfect batting wickets during the longest ever season would testify to this. Their successes were certainly well earned and they deserved to put their feet up at the end of September. But it was the batting that shone, six breaking the 300-run barrier. It would be remiss not to observe that the phenomenal scoring feats of Kota and Namilikonda added 6.2 and 5.4 runs to their career batting averages. They scored 38% of all runs off the bat.

The main records created and those eclipsed (in brackets) were:

26 matches played (previously 25 in 2010)

5,311 runs by Gents (4,623 in 2019)

4,327 runs by opponents (3,558 in 2010)

204 average score by Gents (193 in 2019)

539 runs in a match Gents v. Millfields (532 Gents v. Fighting Stars the week before)

16 scores of 200 or more by Gents (9 in 2014)

8 scores of 200 or more by opponents (6 in 2018)

27 individual scores of 50 or more by Gents (24 in 2019)

18 individual scores of 50 or more by opponents (16 in 2010)

6 centuries by Gents (3 in 2011 and 2014)

3 centuries by opponents (2 in seven seasons)

160* HS by a Gent Kota v. Squirrels (158* by Jones v. West XI in 2002)

1,185 individual runs by Kota (previously 756 by Wright which was also beaten by Namilikonda 820)

168 third-wicket stand by Gents, Kota and Namilikonda v. Squirrels (166 Husain and Kain v. London Saints in 2007)

139* fifth-wicket stand by opponents, Taylor and Smith of Clapham In (121 Payton and Harding of New Romney and Littlestone in 2021)

72* ninth-wicket stand by opponents, Farooq and Mehmood of Fighting Stars (68 Heafield and Wall of London Rams in 2001)

90 catches by Gents (80 in 2019)

92 catches by opponents (88 in 2010)

116 fielding dismissals by Gents (105 in 2009)

24 fielding dismissals by Sudireddy 14 ct./10 st. (Namilikonda 19 16 ct./3 st. in 2019)

Regarding appearances, Chatharaju, Krishna and Kota joined the 100 Club with new captain Sudireddy only one match shy. Kumar joined the 150 Club. Dubey took his hundredth wicket and scored his 2,000th run.

24.10.22

New Committee is:

Chairman Sanjay Patel

Captain Ratnakar Sudireddy

Vice-captain Ranjith Chatharaju

Treasurer Jay Patel

Team Secretary Nilesh Dubey

Fixtures Secretary Andrew Burman

Minutes above.

Awards for 2022 were:

All-rounder V. Gulati, P. Kota (tied)

Batsman P. Kota

Bowler R. Chatharaju

Fielder C. Puli

Most improved R. Patel

12.10.22

Gent 176 is published.

8.10.22

AGM invitation published