Pacific versus Canary Wharf started in slightly subdued fashion.
Dan Humphrey and Jack Mendel got there 45 minutes after the meet time due to TfL, Tim Garrett lost the toss, and it was cold. Like really not warm for the 1st of June.
After observing the oppo practise all manner of warm ups, including headers apparently; Mark Mehta and Ben O'Connor strode out to the middle.
Early on the Wharf bowled ok, but Mark punished the chap from the bottom end.
With the score just past 20, Ben nicked behind, bringing in the King of the north, Daniel Humphrey, in a lean run of form.
They then decided to take off the opener who was bowling decently, after four overs, for a chap who couldn’t bowl all that well.
Mark then went on the attack and hit an over from said bowler for 18 including two towering sixes. He was bowling absolute pies.
These maximums got lost in the grass and meant the game was somewhat delayed.
Mark did most of the damage in the partnership, scoring freely but taking chances too.
A procession of wickets then took place, which was absolutely vintage Pacific.
We fell from 54 for one to 68 for six, as Humphhey envisaged an early Aspall at the pub.
Spoiler: That didn't happen?
Mark, Dan and Kaleem went in quick succession, both bowled to balls keeping a bit low and which they tried to work to leg.
Saad Rashid then followed after a boundary, also bowled, before Rowan played back to a ball that kept low.
Reeling, Pacific needed a rebuild, and it was clear the pitch was not easy to bat on, so a low score might be competitive.
With every wicket there was also a Royals huddle, with hands in the middle and a little celebration.
It was quite cute, but little did they know we’d have the last laugh. More on this later.
A rousing drinks break chat from Captain Tim Garrett rallied the troops, as Luke was joined by Jahangir.
The duo had a crucial partnership taking us from 68 for six to 109 for 7, before Luke eventually holed out bowled.
In the circumstances, it was a crucial knock that gave a glimmer of hope.
JK hung around further, despite Toby then getting out bowled also.
When he got out himself, at 114 for nine, captain Garrett and Jack Mendel put on a last partnership to take the side up to 122 all out.
All-in-all a valiant effort but of course, we’d have liked a few more runs to play with.
Mendel was adamant we had a few too many, but would he be correct? I guess you better read on to find out.
One thing was for sure, the oppo using nine, yes NINE bowlers, was a slight indication they were probably not a batting team.
Perhaps they spent more time practising mid wicket huddles, than batting.
After a short 20-minute break, it was Pacific who found themselves doing the fielding while the other team did that thing with the bat where they try to hit it.
Toby, who came on to the field shirtless, and only put on his top as the umpire said 'bowl', opened from the bottom end and quickly found a wicked line and length.
He had incorporated a Morne Morkel turning circle to his run up, meaning that as soon as the batter looked up, he was almost at the crease, really rushing them and not giving any time to think.
Chasing such a small target, keeping runs down was of the essence. Jahangir from the top end leaked a few at first before finding a nagging line.
Toby eventually struck with an LBW, and a celebrappeal Stuart Broad would have been proud of.
JK was bowling well without luck, while Toby was near unplayable, swinging and nipping the ball away.
Luke replaced JK, and he made things happen.
While occasionally straying a bit short, leading to a few boundaries he also managed to pluck a wicket from nothing. A full wide ball ended up at Ben O’Conner in the slips, who took a smart - even if involuntary - catch. The door was open.
Mendel took over from Toby before drinks and was bowling relatively tightly. After drinks, he then came on for Luke, switching ends in a stroke of genius from captain Garrett.
Dan, who didn’t get many runs today, came on at the bottom end and struck nearly instantaneously.
The bowler, as he is commonly known, bowled a little bit less quick than usual, focusing on line and length, with Kal standing up to him [and doing a great job].
Humphrey coaxed the opener to spoon it to cover where Rowan was waiting to gobble it up.
Mendel then struck, removing the new batsmen LBW, and it was one of the most plumb LBWs there has ever been in the history of cricket.
At 66 for four by around the half way point of overs, the number four and six really dug in to try and see their team home.
Mendel continued to toil, strangely bowling a full toss of the first ball of most of his overs, which helpfully often just went for a single.
Humphrey bowled the spell of his life, with a really good length and the ball skidding through every now and again.
Both Humphrey, who went for just 13 in his eight overs, and Mendel who went for 23, deserved a wicket or two more; with the leg-spinner almost-certainly having the number four caught behind at one point, but not given. Oh well.
Credit to the number four who was extremely watchful playing Humphrey especially, but who also struggled to really get the ball away through the lush outfield.
It was a proper hard-fought contest.
It’s worth noting that in this rather fraught period of play, dominated by the ball keeping quite low and being hard to get away,Kaleem behind the stumps seemed to be absolutely determined not to let anything past.
The keeper was diving down leg side routinely, stopping balls that had swung or seamed from going for a single, which in a tight game like this was absolutely match-winning.
The test match wide rules also helped us to keep a lid on the runs we were leaking.
When both spells finished, skipper Tim Garrett turned to his other leg-spinner Rowan, and second ball he blew the game wide open.
The number four who battled so hard for 27 off 67 balls (Dom Sibley-esq) nicked one through to Kaleem behind the sticks, as it became 95 for five.
This time the umpire did hear it, even though Rowan supposedly didn’t.
With 30 needed off the last six or-so overs, the opposition clearly were starting to get a bit nervous.
Pressure from both Mendel and Humphrey, and now Rowan too, meant the opposition were taking risky singles and really clutching to try and get over the line.
As the score passed 100, the umpire and square leg had a full-on conflab over what the score was; and it seemed to take some of the momentum out of the innings.
JK was brought back in and bowled the obdurate number six for 20, before a passage of absolute chaos ensued
He bowled a delivery to a which was hit to Rowan, who took an absolute blinder, one-handed; and it became clear the momentum was shifting.
The celebrations that ensued were as if we’d already won. We hadn’t of course, and there was still a lot to do.
111 for seven, just over 10 to win, Rowan was kept on by the skipper. He struck twice in an over, once with a Jonty Rhodes-esque run-out, where he ended up having to crash into the stumps himself.
The very next ball, the batsman tried to be the hero, lofting it down the ground, only to find the safest of hands in Tim Garrett.
With just one more wicket to win, Jahangir was hit for four, as the PCC faithful looked at the scoreboard with anxiety.
Just four needed to win, or one wicket, our very own Edgbaston 2005 moment.
JK bowled a full straight yorker, which dislodged the bails, taking us to victory, as everyone then went into the middle for a full on Canary Wharf-style huddle and celebration.
It was a solid performance from spin and seam to got us over the line, with no clear dropped catches either, but of course a few more runs up top might have made it more comfortable.
A special mention must go to captain Tim Garrett, who didn’t bowl himself, opting for others instead who eventually delivered the results. His crucial seven with the bat and catch at the end, as well as key decisions to switch Mendel’s end and keep Rowan on, helped turn the game also. Saad Rashid and Ben O’Connor also put in a good stint in the field, it really does all count.
Kal behind the sticks put in a match-winning performance regardless of what the scorecard shows or doesn’t show. Without doubt, he saved 25 to 30 runs in byes, that other keepers may have let through.
All in all an enjoyable win, and a proper team performance all round.
Report by JM
