The weather forecast had again predicted no play but between a grey start and a gloomy finish it was a wonderful spring afternoon. Webley skippered and opted to bat.
Ted Szuman fell for a 15 ball duck but Vincent Croft, 21, and Darren Tempany, 35 off 22, provided a good start. Tempany was desperately unlucky when the club bat split from toe to handle on impact with the ball resulting in a soft lob to point rather than four through cover. Croft rode his luck edging through the slips repeatedly and before his dismissal had been scoreless for 28 balls.
The scene was perfectly set for the in form Webley and he duly shone again with 65 at better than a run a ball to keep Pacific racing along. Sammy Purcell superbly cut and pulled on his way to 44* and was ably supported by Ben Davis, 22*, to steer Pacific to 213/5 off their 40 overs. A Graces fielder seemingly broke his finger when dropping Purcell on the boundary at fine leg.
After a very scratchy tea Graces began their reply by reversing their order. Gleadow (7-4-15-3) and Ian Lay duly despatched the top order to leave them 15/3. However the Graces middle order gradually took control and 90/3 the game seemed to be slipping away. Purcell grabbed a wicket and a run out to seemingly swing the game but their number 7 smashed his way to a fifty. Korgaonkar, Tempany and Szuman all bowled steadily but the big shots kept Graces on track. Gleadow snared their biffing number 9 to give Lay a shot at their last man but the ball disappeared over mid-wicket for four.
It was another good game against Graces. The freak breaking of the bat suffered by Tempany and the shoulder injury that prevented Webley bowling made the difference between the sides. Pacific probably needed another seamer but it was good to see two spinners operating successfully in tandem.
XI: Matt Holliday, Sammy Purcell, Aroon Korgaonkar, Jon Webley, James Gleadow, Ian Lay, Darren Tempany, Ben Davis, Vincent Croft, Ted Szuman & Mike. 12th: Shayne Rees.
