A Site for Sore Eyes

The gentrification of the Mighty Greys cranked itself up another gear when they hosted Brunswick at St James Montefiore ground in Ditchling,

Batting first, and with Jerry “El Assassin” Brasher on an RSPCA mercy mission to Spain, neither Line (10), Drinkwater (14) could get things moving for the MG, and then slump continued when that rarest of sights – a Covill golden duck – saw ASD coming forward to one he should have stayed back to and getting himself stumped.  Fenton (11) followed soon after, which saw Gallagher and Burgess brought to the crease at 34 –4.  Gallagher managed to reprise his Poodle St knock with a fine 61, beating his previous PB Bubka style by 1, and Burgess, showing some of the form his patient team-mates have waited many years for, weighed in with 36, including a lofted drive for 4 over mid-off’s head.  This shot registered shock and awe around the ground, but none so great as that felt by the batsman himself.  After the pair had added 95 for the fifth wicket some slapping and running from Day (8) and Burbridge (16) took the score to a respectable 178 off 35 overs.

But it was the tea interval that no-one will ever forget.  With just the merest movement of his hand, Drinkwater summoned a chain of his servants from behind a hedge and both teams were amazed to witness the sight of Drinkwater’s domestic staff, all immaculately dressed in white,  carrying silver platters and  setting up tables adorned with silver cutlery and starched  table cloths and ice buckets.  All this happened in the blink of an eye, and both teams found themselves found themselves gorging on every luxury imaginable – oysters, choice cuts of cold meats, smoked salmon, fresh fruit, and all washed down with some exquisite chilled Bollinger 83 that Adam had had flown in that very morning.  Even the vegetarians found themselves superbly catered for with a splendid mezze of Mediterranean treats, all resting on a on a block of ice carved by the legendary Jonny Woodford himself.  And no-one had to do any washing up either!  Adam had thought of everything!

Thus fortified, the MG made short work of the Village, with the Greys own Lillianthompson of Hoare and Day taking 3 for 24 between them, Covill redeeming his duck with 2 – 23 and Azami at high meanest with 1- 7 off 6.  Fenton was brought on to deliver the coup de grace with 2 for absolutely nothing off four deliveries, leaving him on a hat-trick for the club tour of Devon, and Brunswick Village over 100 short of their total.