They say repeating the same action and expecting a different result is one of the first signs of madness, which may mean the men and women in white coats will soon be coming to cart your beloved Ramblas to the asylum. Yes, you’ve guessed it readers, despite the sterling work of the board to find a replacement opposition, the Ramblas were again faced with a team that were simply too good for them (Ref. 1; Ref. 2…).

With Cap’n Cooper donning whites elsewhere, Chris Thomas was tasked with skippering the team for the first time this season. He was not thanking his long-term pal for the opportunity as the game progressed, mind… Also out of the XI from last week were Geoff Parrett and Rahul Saha, meaning returns for Jonny Stocks and Al Murray, plus a debut for Rich Davis.

An uncontested toss (the first of many decisions the day’s captain rued) saw the visitors bat first in the 35-over game, with the Ramblas opening with Mark Loughlin and Doug Danks in an attempt to stifle any early run scoring. Alas, we all know what they say about the best laid plans…

In searing heat, and in the face of some big hits, Loughlin was replaced by Thomas – who fared no better – before Danks flighted a smart delivery between bat and pad to hit the top of off in the sixth over. That, however, was as good as it got for the next 23 overs, as a revolving cast of bowlers felt the full force of the incumbent batsmen.

Taking what seemed like an age to get set before each ball, both batsmen comfortably set up camp on the wicket, finding the boundary with alarming regularity from a Ramblas perspective. In a sure sign that it was going to be one of those days, when the chances came the went the way of Oliver Twist… begging.

Ed Gibbs and Murray from the Tennis Court End were particularly unlucky not to get their name in the wicket column, while the menagerie of bowlers (what’s the collective noun for bowlers? A union?) from the Gardens End – including Davis, Ash Harriss, Steve Fitch and a return for Danks – continued to toil with no reward.

With the Dartfordian opener having already reached his ton at a rapid rate and looking well set for 150, the returning Loughlin showed there was still some fight in the hosts, castling the batter with a well disguised slower ball. Finishing proceedings from the other end was Fitch who reached his 99th Ramblas wicket thanks to some sharp work behind the wicket from Dave Gambie to stump the new batsman.

That left the visitors’ number three to get his own ton in the final over, before Loughlin ended things with a caught and bowled off the batter at the other end. After all of that hard work – and despite a few drops and misfields, the Ramblas did their best to keep going – the target was an imposing 294.

Refreshed and buoyed by the Ben Stokes-led miracle at Headingley, Harriss and Matt Rudgyard headed out to try and conjure up the Ramblas’ own unlikely comeback.

The pair started well, peppering the boundary to remain on the run rate and to at least plant the seed in the Ramblas’ minds that this could be on. However, after some dawdling between the wickets Rudgyard middled one straight down the throat of the fielder at mid-wicket to depart for a quick-fire 12 – doing exactly the job his captain had hoped (apart from the getting out bit, that is…).

At the other end, Harriss continued to score well before getting too excited and being bowled for 23 by a floated delivery.

Despite being two wickets down, the run rate was still not a problem at this stage, as Davis joined Stocks in the middle. The pair cut, drove and ran well to put on an important 80-run partnership that kept the Ramblas in the game, before Stocks – on 32 – cut a low full toss straight to backward point shortly after drinks.

Gambie and Thomas came and went pretty much in the blink of an eye, unable to offer much support to Davis, before the latter succumbed to a cracking catch for a career-high 70 that had given the Ramblas a sniff of a whiff of a smidgen of a chance.

Murray and Gibbs were neat and tidy, with the former’s 15 runs meaning some cash for the Danks Bank, while Loughlin hung around for about as long as Gambie and Thomas had.

That left Danks to support Gibbs, who was motoring at this point, and to leave Fitch on the sidelines in that unenviable position of getting padded up in the knowledge that it was likely all for no reason. And, alas, Fitch wasn’t needed, as Danks got the five runs he needed to wrangle some more money from his bet with Loughlin (disclaimer: when the fun stops, stop, kids) and Gibbs finished on his own personal best score of 33 as the Ramblas closed on 217/8 – a defeat of 76 runs.

Although the Dartfordians batting was clearly of a higher level than the well publicised weak/medium status of the Ramblas, the hosts didn’t help themselves with some wayward bowling at times, while important chances that were shelled could have contained the score to something more achievable. That said, everyone mucked in and contributed in searing heat and it’s on to Oakhill as the curtain comes down on the Ramblas’ tenth season.

Ramblas MVP: Loughlin and Stocks bowled and batted well respectively, while Gibbs and Murray both contributed with bat and ball, but for top-scoring with a career high 70, this week’s nod goes to new boy Rich Davis who helped give the Ramblas the merest semblance of hope that an improbable target could be chased down.