An epic run chase made to look easy by a classy 150+ partnership from not-quite ringers but not exactly-members Sam Gilliat and Simon Lawrence. An utter run fest and sun fest, with well over 500 runs scored and not a cloud in the sky all day.
As the mercury rose, it was just mad dogs and Pacificmen out in the midday sun, with Graces electing to bat and retreating to the shade of the trees. Giaco struck with his first legal ball (the first was a no ball), trapping Graces' opener plumb in front for 0. Nuggsy then held on to a scorcher at Mid Off while dropping everything else (cap, watch, glasses, dignity). Though Giaco and Satch kept it fairly tight a few big blows and quite a few extras allowed Graces to race to 65 off 10 overs.
Skipper Ben took over Steve R's role as resident slip comedian and coined the nickname "DJ No Balls" for the Anglo-Italian paceman as he repeatedly overstepped the mark after a heavy night on the decks the night before. There was plenty of chat as Graces' number three slogged and swished his way to an ugly 40 until Shaz bowled him with a shooter. Shaz took another, as did Nuggsy, but Graces' number 6 'Noddy' Shofiq was starting to find the boundary with worrying ease, and he made hay in the middle overs before going on to make a rapid century. Ireland came on at the death and took a late brace but at the other end Shofiq brutalised Satch, with some relentless thwacking taking Graces up to a fairly daunting 267 for 7 of 40 overs.
An interesting tea (pasta, chilli sauce, tuna sandwiches, cake-flavoured cake) was served in the newly refurbished clubhouse, with Pacific lucky enough to watch the final five or so games of Andy Murray's epic championship-winning effort.
Pacific took to the turf clearly inspired by the Scot's Wimbledon win, Ben pumping the first ball of the innings over extra cover for a beefy boundary and plundering a quickfire 39, while Ravi made a slower but equally useful 25 at the other end. The demise of Ben and Ravi bought Sam and Simon to the crease, and the pair laid into Graces' change bowlers spectacularly. Some awesome clean-hitting from Sam took him to 112 off just 79 balls, with Simon also showing his ex-County pedigree with a rapid 65 of 43. The pair's strokemaking seemed to demoralise Graces, as neither ever looked like getting out, even when Simon started to biff everything he could towards the end. With three overs to spare the pair hit the final runs and Pacific retired to the bar, failing to pursuade a hungover Gilliat to buy a jug.
A massive 8 wicket win for PCC who finished on 266-2.