Gnome were too good for the New Statesman at Ferme Park on Sunday, moving efficiently to a 62-run victory in a 40-over match. Ed Sellwood scored an
immaculate century, Gnome's second of the season, and Chris Gill took four wickets, only a heroic self-sacrifice preventing him from notching his
first-ever five-wicket haul.

Birthday boy Matt Cannon won the toss and elected to bat. Although New Statesman had asked to move the start time forward to 12.30, only seven of
their players were at the ground at 1pm, and Gnome lent them three fielders to get the match started. New Statesman blamed the disruption caused by the
countryside march and traffic-free London but all Gnome's players - telling tales of epic journeys - were at the ground by 12.45.

Chris Lear and Dave Straker put on 24 for the first wicket before Chris was smartly run out going for a sharp single called by Dave. Further wickets
fell when Matt Cannon was well-caught by the Staggers wicket-keeper chasing a wide ball for one, and Dave was bowled, playing on, for 28. At that point
Gnome were 54 for 3 in the tenth over.

Ed Sellwood suggested to Anton Finneran that they consolidate for a time whereupon Anton clobbered 40 in 17 balls, including three towering sixes.
He had the fastest 50 in his sights when he was stumped by several yards, leaving Gnome at 106 for 4 in only 14 overs. Wickets continued to fall, Lew
Chester caught and bowled for 4 and Fenton bowled trying to force the pace for 1.

Then came a controversial run-out. The first your reporter knew of this was when Mike Vandrau returned to the dressing room seeming a tad upset.
The story from Ed's point of view is that he called Mike for a safe two but Mike had been slow to take off. Mike says (a) there was never a two and (b)
he sacrificed himself to save Ed. Ed in turn disputes (a) but concedes (b). Mike has since claimed that Ed admitted to Tom Godfrey that the run-out was
mostly his fault. In the same message, Mike admitted that his running was poor, but blamed this on unspecified "groin problems". To stir things
further, Matt Cannon - square-leg umpire at the time - believes that Mike should have sent Ed back, and that Ed would have had plenty to time to
regain the crease.

Whatever the truth, this put Gnome at 166-6 in the 26th, but all this time Ed had been accumulating runs with fluent driving and cutting and his
trademark flicks to square leg. He went to his 50 (off 45 balls) with a 6.

Chris Gill joined Ed and played a steadfast role in a partnership of 47 in 9 overs, Chris facing 16 balls before scoring his first run. Chris was bowled
for 17 and Pete Gillman hit 7 in 4 balls before he too was bowled. Last man Andrew Ramroop came to the wicket with Ed needing a single for his ton
and two overs remaining. Ed tickled the next ball to third man to take him to 101, scored in 85 balls. Ed hit a six next ball and was stumped trying
to repeat the shot. His final score of 107 included 5 sixes but his average plummeted from 171 to 139, while Anton's 113 at Wickham Park remains
top score of the season.

New Statesman made a solid start and had reached 43 off 9 when Andrew Ramroop had their no 2 caught for 27. But with the other opener, Christian
Wolmar, playing one of his typically obdurate innings, New Statesman gradually fell behind the run rate. They did not lose their second wicket
until the 25th over, when they were 105, Anton bowling the number 3 for 24.

Skipper Matt turned the screws on Wolmar by setting three slips, a gully and backward point. Wolmar looked unsettled and Fenton bowled him shortly
afterwards, the ball trimming the edge of his offstump. (Ignore any reports, particularly those emanating from Chris Gill, claiming that Wolmar
was in fact caught by Chris Lear.) Wolmar's 48 had taken 80 balls and the Staggers were way behind the ask at 111-3 in 26.

Then Chris Gill began to weave his magic, bowling his in-swingers to a full length and taking the no 6 with his first ball. He had a second bowled in
his second over and a caught in his fourth. Pete Gillman was now bowling at the other end and after going for 25 in his first three overs had a stumping
and a caught in his fourth.

When Chris took his fourth wicket - another clean-bowled - in his 5th over, he revealed that he had never taken 5 wickets for Gnome before. But in
Pete's next over the Staggers no 11 clipped him to mid-off, where the fielder was none other than Chris. He later admitted that a myriad
emotions had rushed through his mind as the ball flew looped towards him. But he took the catch as if never in doubt and Statesman were all out for
178 in the 38th over.

Chris's figures were 4-23 in 5 overs. Pete had 3-31 in 4.2, Anton 1-19 off 7, Fenton 1-34 off 8, and Andrew 1-43 off 7. This was Gnome's 20th victory of the season.