>>Here are the video highlights shot by Windermere's GoPro camera. The champagne moment is the comedy drop off Ben Burnham. Watch it and cry with laughter.<<

Windermere. Famous as one of the most beautiful lakes in the eponymous district, but a more elite group know it as an Art Deco pub next to South Kenton station, just north of Wembley on the Bakerloo line. Much like its namesake (nameslake?), the pub is untroubled by central London’s craft beer revolution and proudly serves a range of lagers as varied as Fosters, Carlsberg and Stella on tap. On tap, but only in pints or half pints, as the barman informed a slightly surprised Pacific party that he had never heard of anyone requesting such a thing as ‘jug’ of beer.

The request for such a vessel was triggered by a second Pacific five-for from Chairman Haill, his first for Pacific for just shy of fourteen (14!) years. On that occasion, his victims were the I-suspect-since-renamed Isis CC (scorecard). I wonder if there’s been a longer gap between two Pacific five wicket hauls for the same bowler? One to add to the end of season stats document, perhaps.

Our hosts chose to bat first in gloriously sunny conditions and got off to a fast start, racing to 91/3 from the first 12 overs with well timed but largely agricultural rather than classical shots. They were assisted by some mixed bowling and thoroughly part-time wicket keeping by Pacific on an unusually sloped pitch with variable response for the quicker bowlers. Haill’s introduction in the 11th over was inauspicious, going for ten, but things improved quickly from there.

The left-arm spinner’s second over brought his first wicket, an uppish cut from the batsman caught by Burnham at point, and in his fifth he found himself on a hatrick as a skying catch was taken by the keeper and then a second catch for Burnham running round towards backward point. The hatrick ball hit the pad, but was rightly adjudged to be going a good way over the top of middle stump as Haill continued to extract significant bounce from a tricky surface. Windemere were undeterred by the tumble of wickets, and continued to swing the bat and soon another top edge was sent up into the clouds, to be pouched by Dinsey. It was an excellent spell of controlled spin bowling under pressure from aggressive batsmen, and it got what it deserved as Dhiraj was bowled to complete Haill's five for off his last delivery.

At the other end, Tom Ireland, who was recorded in the scorebook as Islet (a very small island - I’d take that as a dig from their scorer) bounced back from causing a minor diplomatic incident (the square leg umpire called a no ball off Haill for him standing outside the boundary at long on, presumably seeking shade from the burning sun) to bowl a very tidy spell of 6-2-16-1. We bowled out Windermere for 233 with a few overs to spare, with the legendary Tony Tambyrajah taking the final wicket, his first of the season.

After a tremendous tea of vada pav, the Pacific chase began with Stockton and Chasseaud making a circumspect start before both were dismissed shortly after reaching double figures. Burnham was caught behind for four shortly after, bringing Ireland (68) and Mullens (32) together at the wicket and heralding Pacific’s best spell of the reply. The pair played sensibly and ran hard to try to keep up with the rate, and their 99-run partnership was more than half of Pacific’s eventual total of 174: a great effort in the circumstances as the pitch became lower and slower with every passing over.

Ireland was eventually caught attempting to up the rate, and after that the chase tailed off quickly with a succession of promising but unfulfilled cameos from Korg (12), Haill (8) and McGinnigle (5). As in the first innings, Tambyrajah was involved in the climax, edging a slower ball into his leg stump at glacial speed. The bail wobbled, thought about staying on, but finally dropped to the ground just short of 8pm despite both innings finishing before the allotted 40 overs. Speed of field changes aside, a lovely day out, a good opposition, a great tea and one to remember for the chairman.

RD