Pacific had not beaten old foes Washington since curly-locked Melbourne native Braden Grigg gave them an ‘absolute towelling’ back in 2005. With North London drenched by regular showers all day, a towel was an essential piece of kit to have in the bag this time as Pacific’s current Australians (and a nice South African) contributed to a welcome win.

XI: Adrian Duthie; Lucius Faisal; James Gleadow; Oli Haill; Jon Webley (* and †); Sammy Purcell; Pete Alexander; Chris Atkin; Darren Tempany; Justin Roy & James Smith.

Despite the oppressive clouds and drizzly rain all morning the long-time rival teams were keen to ensure the historic hostilities continues and decided to play on anyway, with 35 overs a side. They were rewarded with occasional bouts of dryness and even an hour of genuine sunshine.

The Wash batted first and taking 21 runs off two stuttering overs from Chris Atkin helped them off to a good start. The pitch was slow and the boundaries short, encouraging the batsmen to play shots. This saw runs but loose shots off James Gleadow, Oli Haill and Lucius Faisal bring wickets.

Washington’s modest and unassuming South African captain Irons found the going relatively easy, making an unbeaten half century as late-coming Pacific left-armer James Smith took three wickets from one of his best spells of the season. As well having two catches dropped from his overs, a fate not unknown to him, Smith had two caught by captain John Webley, keeping due to his injured shoulder, and one by Haill at deep mid-off.

221 seemed a competitive total from the Wash’s 35 overs and after lunch a first wicket falling with 37 on the board might have encouraged them. But including Adrian Duthie, first out for 19, each incoming batsman contributed well.

Chris Atkin, playing more fluently with the willow than the leather, was joined assisted by a rapid 42 from 28 balls by Webley and then by fellow Aussie Darren Tempany’s even faster 37 off 13, with his first two shots boundaries and a straight six off Irons the highlights.

With Atkin’s leisurely 68 in 120 minutes anchoring the innings, new recruit Justin Roy, the nice South African, was last batsman required, adding a dashing 42 off 31 balls to help see Pacific home.

Man of the match: Difficult to pick, with Atkin’s 68 being let down by his loose bowling and Tempany’s blitzkrieg boundary-hitting and double-take catch less impressive in light of his high standards and the small boundaries, but James Smith gets it for gutting the Wash middle order on a batsman’s pitch.