Pacific were indebted to Jon Brown (21 not out) and Mike Alexander (9 not out) who batted out the final 6 overs to ensure a draw that was scarcely deserved in this one-sided encounter at Wray Crescent. Earlier both men had enjoyed success with the ball - but overall Pacific’s bowlers struggled.
Priory Park 251 All Out (Dave 61, Seb Jennings 3 for 65, John Brown 2 for 44, Mike Alexander 2 for 57)
Pacific 147 for 9 (Rob Bastin 43, Jon Brown 21*, Rao 4 for 66, Dave 3 for 41)
Pacific's bowlers had toiled against a young and talented Priory Park batting line-up who managed a run rate of more than six an over during the entire innings. Skipper Steve Lay juggled the bowlers as best he could but was not able to find a combination that could either take wickets or slow the run rate. Pick of the bowlers was veteran seamer Mike Alexander (2 for 57) who bowled an incisive opening spell and was unfortunate not to have greater reward for his effort.
Newcomer Seb Jennings (3 for 65) and Jon Brown (2 for 44) also enjoyed some measure of success. Top-scorer for Priory Park was Dave who scored 61 before falling to a one-handed catch by wicket keeper Paul Attwood off the bowling of Rob Bastin.
Pacific's innings started disastrously when Kurt Rademaker (6) fell in the second over, caught on the long-leg boundary attempting to repeat the six he had hit to get off the mark. Wickets fell regularly and only Rob Bastin (43) looked comfortable against the accurate bowlers.
Any thoughts Pacific had of challenging the Priory Park total disappeared when they lost skipper Lay (1) who was unfortunate to be bowled off his pads and Craig Jones (10) who was superbly caught at the third attempt. Attwood (1) and Matt Patel (0) fell in successive balls to the impressive all-rounder Dave and it was left to Pacific's last pair to try to hold out for a draw in the gathering gloom.
Mike Alexander survived two perilously close LBW appeals in the final over - but he and Jon Brown showed real grit and determination to hold out for a draw.
MOM Rob Bastin - A fluent innings of 43 - the only batsman to come to terms with the Priory Park bowlers
Packing the Kit - Matt Patel - A Golden Duck to follow his second ball duck last Sunday.
XI is as follows:-
Mike Alexander
Paul Attwood
Craig Jones
Steve Lay*
Matt Patel
Rob Bastin
Jon Brown
Joe Bennett
Ted Szuman
Kurt Rademaker
Seb Jennings