A partnership for the ages for the tenth wicket was still not enough for the Ramblas to chase down a challenging total, as they lost by 35 runs to Battersea Eagles.

At 61/8 after the 17th over in the Ramblas chase of 256, it looked like there might not even be a match report this week (“Oh no, what a miss for the literary world,” I hear you cry), but Duane Hall’s and Ben Butcher’s 169-run majestic partnership that somehow gave the hosts the merest sniff of victory was worthy of getting a few words.

Having endured two fairly chastening defeats in the previous weeks, returning captain Matt Rudgyard won the toss, noting: “batting first hasn’t gone well for us”. Well, quite… Alas, despite a steady enough opening burst, it looked like the same story, as the big-hitting Battersea batters put the bowlers to the sword, clearing the boundary line with regularity.

A double hit from Butcher helped put the brakes on, as bother openers departed shy of their half centuries despite some lusty blows. Hall then snagged the wicket of the visitors’ skipper thanks to a superbly nonchalant catch at long-off by Rudgyard, as the Ramblas tried to drag themselves back into contention.

The boundaries were still flowing, though, as a big Battersea total loomed. Yet your doughty Ramblas don’t like to leave anything out there and continued to take wickets, with Chris Thomas also eliciting a comical run-out. Having called “Mine!” and then “Yours!”, neither he or wicketkeeper James Dilley were able to take a fairly straightforward catch, but the batter had gone for a wander so the bowler was able to take the bails off to – eventually – claim another victim.

Butcher (four) and Hall (three) were the standouts from the bowling attack, as the Battersea innings ended on 255/9. The Ramblas’ bowling and fielding was below their usual standards, but they stuck in and had pulled back the visitors to something vaguely chaseable.

Now, what was that about “vaguely chaseable”..? A steady opening few overs then precipitated a Ramblas collapse for the ages, as 19/1 became 40/2, which then quickly became 61/8 as talk turned to what Olympics events we may now be able to catch on the TV.

However, Butcher and Hall were neatly going about their business to edge the Ramblas towards respectability. The hundred came up to a smattering of applause from the sidelines, then the 150 and then the pair got the deficit to below the psychological barrier of 100, as the boundaries started to flow.

With overs running out, the required run rate was inevitably sneaking up, but there was still the smallest of chances that the greatest Ramblas recovery of all time could still take place, as Hall – channelling his new moniker of AB de Village – reached his first ever 50 with a lovely straight four to keep the momentum up.

The visitors were still comfortably in the driving seat, but instead of having their feet up by now were being troubled by a partnership of the highest order, as the pair pushed hard on singles and twos and continued to pepper the boundary.

Butcher then joined his partner in reaching a fine half-century, but despite their heroics, the Ramblas fell short, losing by 35 runs in a game that they had no right to make so close.

Thanks as ever to the Eagles for making the trip as last-minute replacements, as honours remain even this season following the Ramblas’ rain-affected win last month. And despite not hitting the usual heights in the field or with the ball – and being eight down early on in the chase – the Ramblas still managed to make it a day to remember. Which if that doesn’t epitomise sport, and indeed your beloved Ramblas, then I don’t know what does.

Ramblas MVP: Surely there’s an argument that it should be the man who had his pads on for 20 overs and still didn’t get a bat, but of course it has to be the Ramblas equivalent of Batman and Robin for their combined seven wickets and that epic 169-run partnership. Ben Butcher and Duane Hall, we salute you!