Charlie Davids said "I passed by the game on Saturday... a game that Pacific shouldnt have lost... but thats cricket..."
Captain Steve Lay said "You'd have thought chasing 150 on an artificial strip, against a grotty old ball and no obviously alarming attack, should have been relatively easy, but if decent batsmen don't do the business then you won't get the runs. The lack of pace on the ball probably didn't help. Jon Brown was the pick of our bowlers and he just sauntered in, put it on the spot and wobbled it a bit."
James Smith said "it was a great game - we got to field in the pouring rain. Charlie Brown got a five for...and then the top order collapsed in the funniest way possible...I think they've all retired from the sport. It wast the beautiful game.... the beautiful game."
Crossbats Captain Alistair Wright recalls "We play cricket for days like these. After a run of lost games stretching back to July when it was hot and sunny Crossbats on this chilly Autumnal afternoon achieved the impossible. We won. Yes, I say again, we won. Pacific are a strong team, they trounced us back in June but this was our time.
Skippers privilege is to opening the bowling at the end of the season and with the opposition chasing a mediocre target of 151 it seemed the presentations scheduled for the pub later that night would be starting early. Hypnotized by the lack of spin, balls lofted high into the setting sun then bouncing ankle length in the rain was just too much for the Pacific top order. Winch, applying similar technique the other end proved to be a masterstroke. For the first time in months we felt the tingling sensation of a possible win.
It has to be noted that Pacific have the luxury of a master class player. This Aussie can keep, bowl and bat like a true pro. He is young, handsome and endowed with a considerable amount of curly hair and also has a good sledging technique. So, when you get some one of this class thrusting his pads out not daring to use his bat to Wrights"hand throwing grenade bowling" - well something has to be wrong. This was the young lads last match in England as a contracted player to Pacific so he will be taking some interesting memories of his last game back to his mates in Australia.
A ball fizzed skyward. Moor Mead was deathly still. You could hear a pin drop whilst we waiting to see if our new boy Laight would cling on to the catch. Goodbye class batsman. Please leave the arena....... Meanwhile, Billy Bunter was getting stuck in thumping balls down to the fine leg boundary.
The game was not ours yet. Enter Spiro. Confidence high after a sound 23 with the bat it was his time to bowl. Mr Bunter, ever true to his style, slogged the ball down to deep backward square leg and found the gut of Groves. Spiro then removed Smith next ball and a possible hat trick was on the cards. Sadly this was not to be but Crossbats closed in for the kill with Reeve polishing off the tail. A win. A great win that we can enjoy in the dark winter months. "
XI:- Jim Davies, Braden Grigg+, Steve Lay*, Sammy Purcell, Kurt Rademaker, Jon Webley, Joe Bennett, Jon Brown, James Gleadow, James Smith & Adam Long.
12ths:- John Green & Miles Picknett. Also available. Alex McKillop & Charlie David.
.
