With a game looking unlikely most of the week due to the weather, we were lucky to get as much play as we did.

Toss lost and, unsurprisingly, Pacific were asked to bowl. With the outfield damp, it felt as though it could be a long day in the field.

Newcomer Ahmad and stalwart James opened up for the PCC. Ahmad’s pace and James' nagging line and length gave the Village openers plenty to think about. Both were unlucky not to pick up any wickets, ending their spells 0-26 and 0-48 respectively.

Luke and Mendel came on as first change, and it wasn’t long before Jack’s classy leg spin struck the left-handed opener on his chest and the umpire dutifully raised his finger, out leg before wicket.

Luke soon got in on the action and removed the other opener, caught at mid-on and the number 3 caught at cover (Toby had told James the stand right there just before), it was marvellous captaincy. 

Enter H. Barrow, who last year had slapped Toby for 24 off an over and has lived rent-free in his nightmares ever since. With the field spread, the boundary riders waited anxiously for the ball to be walloped in their direction. Luckily, they weren’t needed as Luke bowled the aforementioned batter with a crafty slower ball, much to the elation of the deep extra cover, long off, long on, cow corner and deep midwicket.

Mendel continued to toil away and picked up another well deserved wicket, nicking off their number 7 and Kaleem, as wicket keeper, taking the catch effortlessly.

Tim, being the strike rate bowler that he is, removed the oppo skipper with his very first ball, masterful captaincy once again. Tim's tidy bowling repaid him bountifully, ending his spell with figures of 3-17.

Toby, wanting to make the game some what competitive, allowed himself to be slapped for 45 off 3 overs. His poor form at Wray continues. Many dubbed him as this year's highest wicket taker. Maybe they weren’t talking about the number of wickets… 

Time for a bat, the most exciting time for true cricket badgers, because it gives them the chance to use their brand new Staedtler coloured pen set. 

Sid and Harry headed out to the middle and both took their time against what looked like quite tidy bowling from the Village CC opening pair. It was 15 balls before any runs came off the bat, and it was a classy pull from Sid, something of his signature shot. 

At 26-0 and both batters looking more and more confident, the PCC were in danger of looking like it was going to be an easy run chase, and sensing this, Sid decided to swing hard at a full one and missed, bowled for 14. But a promising innings with glimpses of his class, we can be hopeful that he will have a successful season. 

Mark strode out, and with the advice from the skipper of “play yourself in” clearly falling on deaf ears, he swung hard at a wide on, luckily missing it. Maybe it was the prospect of a lukewarm Carling waiting for him on the sideline, but that first shot set the tempo for the rest of his innings. Classy cuts, powerful pulls and delightful drives meant he raced to his 50 without anyone noticing. 

Harry, at the other end, who said he hadn’t played in a few years, was showing the Village first change bowlers the importance of line and length, as anything short or in the slot was dispatched over the short boundaries of Wray Crescent. His entertaining innings came to an end at the hands of a good length ball that took the edge and flew into the keepers' gloves, out for 40, but together with Mark they had put on a partnership of 56 and swung the game in Pacific’s favour.

Dan was in next and diligently saw off the first 4 balls before opening his account with a classic Dan slap through the covers. It sounded good off his newly refurbished Neon. Three more boundaries took him to 21 before he was bowled by Tang, spelled “Tango, Alpha, November, Golf”. But having added 65 alongside Mark in 9 overs, the PCC looked to be cruising to victory.

Kaleem was next in, and it didn’t take him long to get his eye in, smacking his second ball for 4. 

The oppo skipper brought himself on for a bowl and after being thwacked back over his head for 6 by Mark, he quickly finished off his over and made a beeline for the Pacific camp, after a few excuses about the ball being too slippery to hold and it possibly being dangerous to continue, it became clear he had made his way over to negotiate a surrender/forfeit. Already 3 beers deep and seeing the despondent faces of the damp opposition, Toby accepted his pleas, and the game was called off due to a little drizzle.

We obviously made sure to check with Duckworth, Lewis and the lesser-known Stern, who, along with Harry’s mate (who did his thesis on the DLS method), confirmed we were victorious. 8 or so Pacificos headed to the pub, heads held high with another morale victory under their belt against Village CC.