An enthralling & tight game, 19 wickets for less than 200 runs & a pitch seemingly transported from Selhurst Park's 6 yard box circa May.
P: 96-10 M Boonaert 26* R Minnion 15-6-20-5
W: 100-9 R Minnion 27* M Boonaert 16-4-28-3 D Roberts 9-3-22-3
In fairness, this was not a free flowing stroke makers pitch & the bowlers largest problem was stopping the ball doing too much. The conditions provided good swing, particularly with the new ball & the pitch allowed batsman to duck from balls that had kept low when pitched in similar places. Loose deliveries could never be approached with 100% confidence & so the half volley remained the batsman's staple diet.
However, Woods & Minnion, the latter now bowling at medium pace off a greatly shortened run, provided little of these & when Jim Davies (21) was 7th out, the score was 41-7. Faisal, Murray, Ralph & Mileham having all scored ducks. Only 1 more wicket fell to Minion - Darryl Roberts (14) caught & bowled as Walker brought on his change bowlers Evans & spinner Gurney, to replace the tired openers. First Boonaert & Alexander (6) put on 18 & then 23 with Captain Wilkinson (6) as he swept intelligently & played perpendicular straight to the straight delivery.
Sadly for P, Marcel's calling did not match his technique improving confidence & despite executing the run out in a fashion on a par with the running, the innings ended & thereby the hopes of revival.
Recalling the Archway Graces fixture earlier this season (when 115 was defended) Wilkinson attacked with Roberts & Boonaert in tandem & with fields to match - ignoring the juicy 50 yards long cover boundary. The breakthroughs came & the chances stayed caught - Murray & Alexander taking theirs on the second attempts at mid on & extra cover respectively.
The game tilted both ways when Minnion was joined by Gluckman - Wilkinson sportingly allowing the latter a runner, despite the injury having been sustained prior to the match with the score on 73-9. Gluckman blocked, Minnion hit out. Boonaert broke down with ankle ligament problems following his mammoth efforts & Mileham & Hollman picked up a broken toe & finger in the field respectively. Mileham continued to keep & given the broad nature of the bounce did admirably following the injury. Close calls against Gluckman, incl. a confident LBW shout & an edge which fell short of Wilkinson at gully - both to Alexander could have ended it. Minnion escaping with an inside edge past the stumps - twice - to Ralph could have finished things but as Minnion said afterwards "once the sun went down behind the Palace, the ball stopped swinging" & he was the last one left to capitalise.
Pacific: P Hollman, M Holliday, L Faisal, D Murray, J Davis, M Ralph, T Mileham+, M Alexander, D Roberts, M Boonaert, N Wilkinson*.
