It is something of a cliché to say that Yorkshiremen don’t take their cricket lightly. But although none of the 28 teams in Oxford are taking things too seriously, the Yorkshire Gentlemen have made a prolific start, following Monday’s nine-wicket win against the Invalids with a five-wicket victory over the Butterflies. Their leading light has been seamer Nigel Bartram, whose six wickets had rubbed salt into the Invalids’ wounds before he clipped the Butterflies’ wings with four for 19. David Reid then made a forceful 46 from 49 balls as a target of 95 was overhauled with five wickets in hand to leave time for a 20-over beer match - which the Yorkshiremen also won.

The Stage are no strangers to drama but they just missed out on the bouquets in a thrilling finish against the Grasshoppers. The thespians appeared to be cruising in pursuit of 253 with captain Tristan Gemmill and Matthew Huffer adding 155 for the third wicket. But Richard Thomas’ entry into the attack changed the game. He dismissed Gemmill for 104, and was called on to bowl the last ball with four needed to tie. Last man John Hoare swung hopefully but played on to give Thomas a fifth wicket and the Grasshoppers the spoils, due reward for Tony Darbyshire’s earlier 122.

A few I Zingari eyebrows were raised when they saw the name ‘Ganguly’ on the Cheshire Gentlemen’s team sheet. This was not Indian captain Saurav, but his younger brother, who made a fluent 66 as the men from Cheshire amassed 269 for 7, the highest score of the week to date, in spite of Loup’s six for 55. This proved too many for I Zingari, for whom Villers’ 70 and Childs’ 57 were in vain.

Peter Came made the highest score of the day, an undefeated 127 in Hampshire Hogs’ comprehensive defeat of the South Wales Hunts. But perhaps the second day’s most noble act came from Stanley skipper Dave Duncan, who was 94 not out when he declared his side’s innings closed at 259 for 7 against the Free Foresters. Unfortunately, nice guys don’t always come first, but the declaration produced a scintillating finish as John Enderby led the Foresters home with four balls to spare.

© The Cricketer