A cloud of grief hung this match given that that C Pambos who had played in last year's game was diagnosed with cancer in December & had died 4 days previously. Not unnaturally, Barclays' play reflected that & they looked like they would would have prefered to be somewhere else. Not only tragic & putting things as ever into prespective, but reminding Pacific of their loss last Summer of Tom Brown.
Once proceedings got underway, it was those players new to the club who got on with matters of the day & given that Barclays had opted to bat first this gave Pacific's new batch of seam up bowlers a chance to impress. Lead by James Gleadow from Tufnell Park, he picked off the top 4 batters with his intelligent variation. Once Jon Webley took over at Gleadow's end, 3 more wickets fell thanks at the same end through Jon's ability to swing in & out, before , finally, James Smith got in on the action at the other end with a little bit of tail cleaning. Shoaib provided the bulk of the resisitance with 29 being only 1 of 2 batsman to make double figures.
In reply, & with dark clouds looming, Hollman & Holliday went about the their business scoring at 4 an over until Holliday was bowled by the consient away swing of Sharma. Despite Hollman's dismissal - also to Sharma, there were no more scares, the rain held off & Pacific notched up the 1st weekend win with over 20 overs to spare.
XI v Barclays. :- Rob Bastin, Peter Hollman, Kurt Rademaker, Shayne Rees, Nigel Wilkinson*, James Gleadow, Jon Webley, James Smith, Matt Callender, Matt Holliday & Sammy Purcell.
