The captains went out to toss under an overcast sky, and the home team made the surprising decision to bat first on what looked like a troublesome wicket. Noor opened the bowling, and took a wicket first ball. Their opener attempted to slap a full, straight one from Pacifico’s prime left arm swing bowler back over his head, but could only balloon it into Timbob’s ham-and-cheese-baguette-bucket-hands at mid off. Ball two, and Noor pitched one just short of a length that skidded and rolled: a gazunder so merciless, a daisy cutter so unplayable, that the bowler found himself half laughing at and half apologising to the batsman looking around for the bails. No joy on the hat trick ball, but a double wicket maiden for the first over and an auspicious start for the PCC. By the completion of his third over, Noor was 3-3, then 4-3, ending with figures of 8 overs, 3 maidens, 5-8 *(insert head exploding emoji)*
Toby opened at the other end, bowling with good pace and making it difficult for the batters – with some sticking in the wicket, others staying low, and a few skidding on. Their number 2 bat, Avi, dug in and played some excellent counterattacking shots (that said, Toby had two extremely good shouts for his LBW in the same over). Toby bowled tidily, and took the important wicket of their handy looking number 6, with a beautiful delivery from around the wicket that shaped in and beat the left hander all ends up.
Tim G and Rowan were brought on first change, to see what damage these two frontline Pacifico spinners could do on a tricky wicket. But Strongroom batted well here, putting on a nice partnership; there was no wicket for 7 overs. Rowan broke the deadlock with the wicket PCC needed, their opening batter top edging one to a watchful Ben Burnham at square leg. This allowed Tim to get stuck into the tail, taking two wickets in his penultimate over.
Nine wickets down, their number 8 cantered into his 30s, until the Pacific captain made the somewhat confounding decision to bring Ben Burnham on in pursuit of the final scalp. After bowling five fairly rank looseners, he surprised everyone with an absolute peach that skittled the Strongroom top scorer’s middle stump, to much jubilation. The batting side ended 115 all out from 33 overs.
After meal deals and comfort breaks it was time for Pacifico’s reply, with Jamie and Tristan to open the batting. Tristan seemed to write his own fate by discussing the prospect of a Pacific collapse over tea, and after a couple of nice shots he skied one to mid off and was out for 3. Ben OC was in next, and could only level Tristan’s three runs. The wicket was playing all sorts of tricks, and Jamie did well to deal with a few low-riders and hit a couple of full deliveries to the boundary, but before long he was out LBW for 13.
Dan was in at 4, and Luke was promoted to 5, with Ben Burnham still reeling from his late wicket. Pacific were now 23-3 – and Tristan’s dismal prophecy appeared to be materialising. Both started slowly – Dan was 5 from 39 balls, and Luke faced 8 dots before getting off the mark – but attrition and watchfulness were the order of the day. Both defended well against balls that kept low, and managed to keep out some very handy spin bowling. Luke was able to accelerate a little more easily, and took the lead in run scoring, especially after drinks, when Pacific required exactly three an over to get over the line.
The 24th over, which went for 14 runs, saw the balance shift markedly in Pacific’s favour, who were now 80-3. Both batters looked more fluid, and Luke in particular started to find the boundary, bringing up his half century with a clattering one bounce four to cow corner. The pair chipped away at the total, with Strongroom switching out bowlers and running out of ideas. The sun was in full blaze, and some Pacificos were already supping victory juice on the sideline, when Luke hit a six over long off to win the game.
With Pacific on 27-3 after seven overs, and 55-3 after twenty, the game looked very much in the balance. But in the end the scorecard doesn’t indicate a close game: Pacific winning by 7 wickets with 9 overs to spare.
Both teams sauntered over the Woodsman for some convivial refreshments and to deliberate on whether Noor or Luke best qualified for man of the match. Whatever the verdict, Noor went home with the match ball and Luke with his second snickers. Cricket, like the Asda meal deal from the petrol station on Bow Road, is best comprised of winning duos.
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