This match was for 3rd place in the Red Conference & accruing the added bonus of taking 1 win into the 2nd Division fixtures. There were dark clouds overhead throughout & heavy rain seemed imminent. Indeed had it arrived half way through the reply, both teams would have accepted a no result I'm sure but they did not & R&C prevailed as they kept on the required rate & with wickets in hand to win by 5 wickets with over an over to spare.
Earlier the Pacific batting had faltered & the 1st boundary arrived only in the 4th over as John Mortimer & Dave Monaghan tied down the batters. 2 early wickets meant that the drummers Rob Allum & Jon Webley came together at 9-2 before Webley was stumped off Iain Heaphy for 38 with the score on 77.
Rob Allum continued when on strike reaching 44 before being caught behind & any further momentum was lost. All credit to the R&C bowlers who succeeded in preventing a single wide or no ball. Surely unprecedented at this level.
As opening bowlers Allum & Webley came back to bowl frugally & notably both bowled maidens while picking up a wicket apiece. But with Sean Feany (45) & Patrick Heaphy coming together at 34-2, there was little further alarm & although Pacific had 2 more chances to take catches, the better team prevailed.
pitch 2. VIII:- Confirmed:- Shayne Rees*, Peter Hollman, Rob Allum, Ben Gibson, Jon Webley, Simon Smith, Lucius Faisal & Aroon Korgaonkar.
