Pacific succumbed to their 4th consecutive mid week defeat & have now failed to qualify for the top division 2nd phase. Circumstances though were anything but ordinary. Surely a toss can not have been so pivotal as P's bowlers succeeded in pegging back what seemed like a 150 target (62-1 at the half way stage) to 110-6 with great change bowling spells from Shayne Rees & in particular left arm Aussie, Shane Mundie who took 3 wickets including top scorers Alan Hick (38) & Bob Donovan (31).
But at the innings change, the skies darkened, the rain began & with lightning flashing all around, the players without regard to personal safety carried on. Still the lightning continued - Jon Hardisty set but bowled by a ball he didn't see in the gloom.
Amazingly, though, none of this affected an exemplary fielding display from R&C's fielders - no less than 5 outfield catches were taken & by now the ball must have been like a bar of soap as the rain got heavier yet neither side opting for shelter.
As the game ended, the storm passed on & the sky brightened up again.
Pacific Captain Steve Emmins, was left with one comforting thought however, - the silver lining being, unlike 2004, for Pacific being that 3 tough games against the Green group's top 3 have been replaced by 3 against the intermediates. Whether that is enough for Pacific to find the winning touch again, time will tell.
VIII :- Steve Emmins*, Chinmay Marathe, Jonathan Hardisty, Shayne Rees, Conrad Chandler, Shane Mundie, James Gleadow & Matt Holliday.
