With the day more spring-like than summer the two teams turned up in Cambridge with the score 14-14 in the 37 match series. Crossbats won the toss and, perhaps rather surprisingly, decided to bat on a damp pitch with a moist outfield.

Pacific hoped for some early movement, but despite determined efforts from opening bowlers James Gleadow and Shayne Rees, the Crossbat openers Collier and Winch steadily, but with some good-fortune, built a solid foundation. The first-change team of Kurt Rademaker and Jon Brown also failed to find much help from the pitch until Brown caught a stinging return catch to dismiss Winch 18 short of the Crossbats 100.

Pacfic skipper Steve Lay then turned to spin and either side of lunch Ben Gibson picked up two wickets with Jai Rajaraman bowling a tight spell from the opposite end. Unfortunately Crossbats' Kiwi batsman Fraser was in fine form, driving straight and through the covers to take his team well past 200. Gleadow returned and bowled a fine second spell which saw him pick up 3 wickets - one with an excellent diving catch by Gibson at point. But Crossbats declared on 273-6 leaving Pacific to score there highest ever total to win a match batting second.

Pacific's reply got off to a poor start. Crossbats opening bowler Ash used a combination of rank wides and beautiful outswingers to remove both openers Rob Bastin and Matt Holliday. With Rajaraman, hampered by an injured hand, out just before tea, Pacific needed a stout fightback to turn the game. For a while Lay and Gibson tried to steady things - putting on 28 for the highest partnership of the innings, but with both Gibson and Rademaker falling to snicks to the slips when attempting to drive, all hopes of a win were gone. Wickets continued to fall regularly to the fine bowling of Fraser - Brown being bowled by one that pitched outside off and knocked back the leg stump. Pacific just managed to make it into the final 20 overs before being all out 168 runs short.

Sadly Pacific had been outplayed in all departments with the exception of catching. Crossbats being guilty of putting down a glut of (sometimes difficult) chances - most of them off the Pacific skipper.

Well.....at least it didn't rain!

XI:- Rob Bastin, Joe Bennett, James Gleadow, Matt Holliday, Moses Hutchinson-Pascal, Steve Lay*, Kurt Rademaker, Shayne Rees, Ben Gibson, Jon Brown & Jai Rajaraman. 12th Peter Hollman

Lifts available through Shayne, Jon, Kurt, & Steve.