With the whole world agog at this summer of exciting cricket, with packed crowds at 20/20 and the closest Ashes series in years, Pacifc were reminded of gentler times and the sort of Cricket that made this nation great (!), the Sundy strollothon courtesy of Lessa Wanders.

Who neeeds limited overs when you can bowl your openers all afternoon. Why chase runs when Sky sports are on in the bar?

Having said that the first few overs were pretty lively with the pitch freshened up from a little overnight rain but the sonombulanet atmoshere certainly got to operener Rob Bastin who decided to see if anyone was awake by hitting the ball to a nearby fielder and running. Unfortunately he was and Rob ran all the way to the Pavilion. The next few batsmen decided to watch the test as well and soon Pacific were a measly 73-7. Only Joe Bennet biffed away and Matt Callender hung around for a time. Luckily, Jai Rajaraman had not read the script and preceded to put on a glorious exhibition of sound defence and sumptuous attacking strokes to keep the score moving and the fielders awake. He was supported in his efforts by none other then the nurdle king of Pacific, skipper Nigel Wilkinson who blocked and nudged his way to a millenium best of 30, though not all of it (sadly) in singles. He and Jai put on 80 for the 8th wicket, but once Jai had perished going for his century with the Lessa fieders counting down the time to our declaration, the Pacifc innings stumbled to a close with skipper Wilkinson run out on the last ball dreaming of his well earned cup of tea.

Jai Rajaraman glances for 4

Once the Lessa reply had been well and truly wrecked by the excellent pace bowling of James Gleadow (3-26)and Jon Webley (2-19), Lessa effectively shut up shop. Although to be fair the the no 7 batsman Baxter, who also bowled an excellent opening spell of left arm cutters, gave it his best shot, but even he gave up the chase and skipper Wilkinson shuffled through his pack and even ended up turning to the demon leggie and texting legend, Matt Holiday, but to no avail. Even the local blue-ringed parakets (thank you Joe) had given up squakring and retired to their nests.

Joe Bennett plays himself in !

So yet another draw at Lessa left honours even, but wily veteren Wilkinson was left musing as he quaffed on Jai’s celebratory jug of mango Lassi, “That was a very good advert for a 40 overs game…”

STEVE EASTWAY replies "Pete Welcome back. I am not around this week, 22/8. But no doubt you heard about our match with pacific. Well i have never heard so much ball shit (on your web site, match report) in my life. It indicates we did not want to go on and win the game, and that we were boring.........At 35 for 5 in 7th or 8th over of course we are going to take it a bit more cagey, and did the Pacific captain put on a slow bowler, no he did not, well not until the last over when he knew we could not win the game.HE ALSO HAD EVERYONE ON THE BOUNDARY. I might add we bowled 15 overs of spin. There was only one winner in my mind and that was us. And just to prove i am right, have a look at last years match report when we batted 1st and made 139, and PACIFIC made 124 FOR 4, says it all. The person who done that match report says that it was a winning draw for pacific also, the mind boggles. And by the way we bowled 39 overs to Pacific 34."

Rob Bastin adds "I thought it was a drawing draw to be fair, but we definitely didn't have everyone on the boundary and they did shut up shop in the last few overs after a rapid start. The reason for the overs imbalance was mainly the rain."

X:- Rob Bastin, Shayne Rees, Nigel Wilkinson*, Jon Brown, Joe Bennett, James Gleadow, Matt Callander, Jon Webley, Jai Rajaraman, Matt Holliday