With the sun shining brightly over the beautiful Sussex countryside, it was a perfect day for cricket. Keen to get back in time for the kick off of Englands final clash against Spain, a revised start times of 12:00 was agreed.

Toby Senior had, earlier in the week, dropped some bad news into the match day chat: “I’m afraid our tea lady is sick so it will be a case of bringing your own food.” Terrible news for those who were expecting delicately cut triangular sandwiches and ultra processed meat products, but great news for Professor De Noronha, who would no doubt be bringing his Snickers Duo from the Bow Asda petrol station, still somehow included in the meal deal (bargain of the century). 

Cars were the most popular form of transport for the visitors. Toby Junior had planned a day trip to Brighton the day before for a cheeky haircut and caught the 10:58 from Brighton Station, 10 minutes later he was at Hassock train station, where he met Prof LdN. With Mohan knocking in his new bat, Mark Woodland was more than happy to pick up the Prof and Jr from the station. A quick 3 min drive down the B2116 and a sharp right turn lands you in one of the prettier cricket grounds in England, not a spot on Wray, but still pretty good.

The changing room balcony offered a mesmerising view of the Ditching Beacon, the highest point in East Sussex with an elevation of 248 metres, approximately 12.328 cricket pitches, it would take a ball bowled by Mark Wood just under 5 seconds to travel that far. Home to an impenetrable Iron Age hill fort it was quite the metaphor to how Toby Sr would go about opening the batting. If you are ever interested in visiting you can catch the 79 bus from Brighton and Hove bus station.

Skipper Mutz charmed the groundsman and managed to extract vital information on how the pitch might play. Toss won and the PCC were bowling, the match up we had all been waiting for was on, Sr v Jr, who would come out on top?

Given the decks propensity to offer variable pace and bounce it was no wonder Cutters Choice, this weeks oppo and Toby’s new team, started slowly. Opening bowlers Toby & Aakash bowled tight lines and kept the score down for the first 10 overs. At one point Toby Sr had a waft at a short wide one off the bowling of Junior, which he missed, this caused many jeers from his former teammates. 

Toby nudged his way to 31 off about 6,000,000 millions balls before being bowled by Hishaam, one of Riz’s sons. Imad, another of Riz’s sons, bowled with good pace and forced Toby senior to put a helmet on, much to the amusement of the Pacificos. 

The middle order put on useful runs and the tail of Cutters Choice didn’t wag. Cutters ended up on 130 off their 35 overs, a subpar and very gettable total given the caliber of batting the PCC had brought with them.

A special mention goes to Mohan, who ended on figures of 5-2-6-0, very economical bowling. 

131 to win. Easy. Mutz and Mark headed out to the middle to start Pacifics reply, but neither could get into double figures, was a Pacific collapse on the cards? Faisal too, fell cheaply. It was the perfect time for Manav, now a batsman after being called out for chucking it on tiktok, to steady the ship. Riz advised a cautious approach, something along the lines of “just see out the opening bowlers” Manav delivered, effortlessly leaving anything wide of off stump and diligently dead batting anything on the stumps, it took him 23 balls to get off the mark, a kind of half pull/flick off the pads that beat the square leg fielder and trickled away for four, confirmed by the plink of leather on the white painted scaffold board that had been up-cycled as a boundary. His defensive innings was brought to an end, the expansive swipe across the line didn’t come off as he had intended and he was bowled for 7. 

Luke, keen to nibble on the other half of his snickers duo, attempted a dance down the wicket and was stumped. That brought Aakash to the crease, Pacifics newest recruit. The runs came thick and last as Riz and Aakash began to tee off and with 20 or so runs left to get Epi, Mohan and Toby removed their pads, confident that the game was all but won. Both batters finished in the 40’s and after a quick drink at the bar the Pacificos headed home to catch the final of the Euros. All made it safely home, the same can’t be said for football.