Adam Gilchrist's former club, Richmond Cricket Club's Fourth XI - based in North London - was bowled out for just 2 runs while chasing 426 against North London Cricket Club's Third XI.

Playing in Division One of the Third Tier of the Middlesex League, North London Cricket Club's Third XI post a massive 426 for 6 in 45 overs. They then promptly bowled Richmond out for just two runs in the space of 34 balls.

One of the two runs scored by Richmond was a wide; the other came off a dropped catch at slip. "We came away from the game thinking that we could have realistically bowled them out for zero," said North London’s captain Tom Spawton to Talksport radio station.

Richmond has a rich history dating back to 1862. Among the famous cricketers who have donned their jersey is the great Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist, who played for them in 1989 at the age of 17, before making his first-class debut.

According to Steve Deakin, Richmond’s deputy chairman and head of cricket, the club was forced to field a weakened side due to an unprecedented availability crisis, which led to fielding players who do not usually play cricket - let alone for the club - including inexperienced teenagers.

“Our availability this week was really bad,” he said. “We had about 40 players unavailable across our five men’s teams. We were struggling already, then had seven dropouts over Thursday and Friday. That trickles down and affects the Fourths. The captains were calling friends of friends of friends just to get our teams on the pitch.”

For the North London Club's Third XI, opener Dan Simmons scored 140, while 92 extras - including 63 wides - made a big contribution. When they came to bowl to Richmond, Spawton took three wickets, while his new-ball partner Matt Rosson took five wickets without conceding a run. There was also a comedy run-out — a key component of any great cricketing collapse.