Gnome won yet another last-over thriller at Wickham Park yesterday, in a match full of drama and new records.

Wickham won the toss and put Gnome into bat, having rejected skipper Matt Cannon's request for an overs contest and insisting on a timed match. With the start postponed to 2.30 due to the world cup final, and the last 20 overs to begin at 6.30, forcing a victory looked a tough proposition.

Gnome made a confident start with John Dunthorne and Andrew Ramroop notching a 74-run opening partnership before Andrew was dismissed for 20. Enter Anton, with advice from Jezza to play himself in and a £50 wager from Matt Cannon to contend with. Anton blocked the first three balls and then launched a ferocious assault on the Wickham bowlers, peppering sixes into the tennis courts. He scored his first 50 in 31 balls, establishing a new Gnome record, and then set his sights on a ton. He played three more successive dot balls in the 80s before hitting the magic three-figure mark with yet another six into the tennis courts. He scored his 100 in 54 balls, another Gnome record, and was finally caught out on 113, which becomes the ninth-highest Gnome individual score.

Meanwhile the veteran John Dunthorne was moving to a graceful 50 in 51 balls. When Anton was out, the baton was taken by Tom Godfrey, who set his sights on beating Anton's 31-ball 50. The new record was snatched from his grasp when he was bowled for 47 off 27 balls. With the score on 267, and Fenton and Jezza at the crease, all eyes were on skipper Matt Cannon, pondering his declaration from the umpire's position. Fenton made a quick-fire 30 as Matt let the score run to 293 for 4 off 36 overs in 2 hours 15 minutes before sending the teams in for tea. The total of 293 beat Gnome's previous highest team score, 276-5 v Chigwell in 2000, by 17 runs.

Wickham possessed several strong batsmen who for a time chased the Gnome score, but when they had reached only 96-3 at the start of the last 20 overs, a draw looked the most likely outcome. Chief obstacle for Gnome was the Wickham opener Tyrrell, an ex-Barbados Exiles player, who began to farm the bowling to protect the lower-order Wickham batsmen.

Gnome showed its renowned fighting spirit by chipping away at the Wickham batsmen, with Matt Cannon rotating the bowling to prevent the opposition settling in. The two Gnome oldies, John Dunthorne and Pete Gillman, took dramatic boundary-line catches, and Fenton made a thrilling direct-hit run-out.

The last Wickham batsman, the veteran Peter Humphrey, came to the crease with three overs left. A superb over by Conan Hicks kept Tyrrell at the non-striker's end for the final over, to be bowled by Jezza. The Wickham umpire turned down a vociferous Gnome lbw off the third ball but two balls later Humphrey edged a catch to keeper Tom Godfrey.

Wickham were all out for 181 off 41.5 overs, with Tyrrell stranded on 111 not out, and only one other Wickham batsman reaching double figures. Jezza was the pick of the Gnome bowlers with 4-26 in 10 overs.