A lovely weekend under a baking sun in Cambridge. Skipper Bastin lost the toss and Pacific were made to field. The first session saw a solid start by Crossbats. Bastin did manage to remove both openers as the oppo made 110/2 at lunch.
A lovely lunch was followed by an eventful afternoon session. Gleadow snared three quick wickets – two held by ball magnet Bastin at first slip. However, the imposing Dunbar soon opened his shoulders and hit some huge straight sixes and 19 off one Gleadow over. The flow of runs only halted at 299 all out.
Post tea Hollman and Croft wore down the opening bowlers before Webley, supported ably by Lay and Bastin, delivered a glorious knock. It was superbly timed with the hundreth run coming off the penultimate ball of the day. At the close of play the teams headed off to different curry houses.
On resumption the next day Webley swiftly fell but Bastin and Pritchard cut their way to a fifty partnership. A mini-collapse followed including Holliday being harshly given out caught behind off a bump ball. Vinod arrested the slump with a thumping fifty supported by Gleadow’s career best 18* and Pacific had gained a slender lead.
The game might have drifted to a draw but Crossbats had been ground down by 70 overs in the field. Bastin deceived some big swinging bats to get three early wickets. Crossbats were under the cosh and Dunbar, after surviving an apparently clear stumping, again kick started their innings. Crossbats tailed wagged frustratingly after tea before Vinod wrapped up the innings.
Pacific had an hour and fifty minutes to chase down the required runs. There was a solid start but the required rate climbed to nearly seven an over. Webley then opened up and supported again by Bastin and Lay. Webley hit the winning six over square leg with just 13 minutes to go.
A big thank you to those wives, partners and parents who turned up to support the team.
Stats: Highest match aggregate, 902 (by 163 runs). Second highest innings total. Sixth highest opposition innings total. 3rd highest 10th wicket partnership. Most runs in a match - Webley.
Jon Webley - 354 runs in May, second highest in a calendar month.
