Miserable Greys lose miserably in miserable weather

Sunday game at Isfield against W.C. Gracefully was played in constant rain and driving wind. For the first time this season the Greys managed to produce a performance as miserable as the weather. Controversially batting first, after the early loss of Brasher, Line and Covill pushed the score on briskly up to the 100 mark until Covill was caught at point for 49, with Line following soon after, caught at deep fine leg.  This triggered an uncharacteristic Greys collapse, with the last 7 wickets falling for less than 40 runs.  The turning point of the match was surely the run out of last year’s star batsman Burgess, in a comic yes-no interlude with Fenton, which saw the desperate Burgess lungeing for the line and succeeding only in spearing the man who ran him out in the shin with his bat before flying over him and landing on his chin.  Even the fish were laughing.  In a 40 over match, the Greys had failed to bat out their overs and had set Gracefully only 134 to win, despite some crisp late-order cover driving from Day.

Tea was an enormous and eclectic spread, with a puzzling absence of cheese.

Gracefully began their chase well, with at least one of their openers dispatching anything short and wide through to the point boundary.  The introduction of Ibrahim, the Greys leading wicket taker for the season so far, saw wickets begin to tumble and, for the first time in the match, the Greys began to feel that they might be in with a chance.  With some tight and accurate off-spin, Ibrahim took four key wickets, although one of them fell during his illegal ninth over.  Sportingly, Captain Line later fined himself as Captain’s pick for not knowing which number comes after eight.   Only a solid seventh wicket stand prevented them, and, as the rain fell harder and the Grey’s fielders started to grow webbed feet and hands and develop the early signs of frostbite, they saw Gracefully home with plenty of overs left to spare.

The summer game begins in earnest next week with the much-anticipated trip to Poodle St.