Following the excesses of the previous three days, it was a weary Lord Gnome contingent which limped into Minster Lovell on Bank Holiday Monday. A number of Gnomes were sporting injuries, strains, sprains and general fatigue, hardly assisted by the champagne lunch they had indulged in to celebrate John Dunthorne's 56h birthday.

Gnome was also missing several of its stronger players, including Jezza, Tom, and Mark, who had phoned through that morning to report an injury. The omens were thus not encouraging for a match against a side which has got progressively stronger over recent years, and now puts out up to six teams - including a women's XI - each weekend. The Minster Lovell club has also installed covers and new sightscreens.

Matt Cannon was thus in a quandary on winning the toss: set a target, or chase. The dressing room consensus was to chase and Gnome took the field. Matt bowled the number 1 bat for 11, and Minster made slow progress to reach 64 at the start of the 20th over. Pete then caught and bowled the Minster no 2 for 35 (Pete's sixth C&B of the season). After 22 overs, Minster were on just 68 for 2.

Gnome's old adversary, Yorkshire exile Keith Wright, now took a hand, hitting the ball judiciously into space and accelerating the Minster run rate. Minster put on 58 runs in the next 8 overs for the loss of one more wicket, Elsmore, caught behind for 48 by the latest Gnome keeper, Chris Lear. By 35 overs Minster were on 157-3 and Gnome were wondering whether they would have to chase a 200-plus total. But tight bowling in return spells by Anton and Fenton restricted Minster to 189-5, with Wright unbeaten on 40*.

Even so, Gnome opened their innings remembering the debacle of 2001, when they could muster only 155 while chasing 192. They made an impressive start, openers John Dunthorne and Nick Godfrey reaching 88 in the first 20 overs, only marginally behind the required rate. It began to go wrong when Nick was brilliantly caught at mid-off for 28 in the very next over. With Chris Lear joining John, and two new Minster bowlers coming into the attack, the Gnome run-rate slowed,. After 25 overs Gnome stood at just 99-1 after 25 overs, pushing the required rate over 6 for the first time.

Chris and John now stepped up a gear and were at 135-1 after 30 overs, the required rate now reduced to 5.6. There was a special cheer when John passed 50 although he attempted to return to the pavilion, claiming a pulled hamstring after taking a sharp single, soon afterwards. He was sent back to bat with a runner and he was finally dismissed for a valiant 66 in the 31st over.

From this juncture, the Gnome innings - and the supporters' frame of mind - went into high-tension mode. With the late summer light fading fast, Chris Lear was caught on the square leg boundary for 23, putting Gnome at 148-3 in the 33rd over, and Matt Cannon was bowled for 9 - 151-4 - shortly afterwards. Fenton was run out for 7, so that Gnome required 29 off the final 4 overs.

Dave Straker and Anton were now together, with the Gnome tail quaking in the pavilion. Off the next three overs they took 10, 7 and 7, leaving them 5 to win in the gloom off the final over.

With Dave facing, there was a dot ball, a magnificently run 2 to extra cover, followed by another dot ball. Needing three to win, Dave and Anton each struck a single from the next two balls. The scores were now level on 189 with one ball to go. Dave shaped to play and missed but the ball struck his pad and he and Anton scrambled the winning leg bye. Dave had hit 20 in 22 balls, Anton 9 in 8, for a stunning last-gasp victory, and a perfect end to a brilliant tour.