An extraordinary run of form for the Greys batting unit meant that the skipper arrived at Lindfield with a few dilemmas. No longer can it be relied upon that batsmen 5 or higher in the order will get some reasonable crease time. The skipper’s usual policy for games where a draw is possible, is to put the opposition in, but with so many Greysmen chomping at the bit for a batting time, the decision was to bat first upon winning the toss. The batting order was also shuffled and the unfortunate Biff  asked to play in an allrounder’s position of 7 rather than his usual openers slot allowing Jerry, up top, and Dunc into the top 4, and Dom at 5 to have fair stab at retaining the batting trophy.

The Lindfield track looked particularly good, and the outfield freshly cut and lightning fast (for a Sunday)

Jerry and Hatrick get off to a good start even if the running between the wickets was a fair bit short of the intensity shown by Biff and Dom opening in the midweek T20 4 days earlier.

Jerry hit a lovely cover drive into the car park and had a possible 6 controversially called as a 4 by the pursuing fielder, before guiding a catch to gully (Grey’s Bingo item no. 5) with the Grey’s total on 67.

Hatrick merrily powered on with a fine lofted cover drive and a stylish square cut featuring as 2 PSM nominated shots on the way to another big score of 77 (out LBW).

Roborbob came in and played with aggressive intent, at one point endangering a picnic, inadvisably located 30m beyond the long on boundary, with a massive 6. He passed a major Greys career landmark of 1000 career runs in an amazing 24th game before he succumbed to a clothed aerial drive for 28.

Dunc made good use of his promotion up the order. He really has all the clunks these days with hard clunk to mid on and a lovely clunk-sweep deemed PSM nom worthy. He looked odds on for his maiden Greys 50 when Dom ran him out again (Greys Bingo No.8), for his highest score of 44.

Dom, meanwhile, had been smashing it, hit 5 consecutive 4s (PSM nom), and brought up a 50 in around 26/27 balls if the scorebook is to be believed, paving the way for a Greys declaration after 39 overs with the score on 262. This did not go down well Zack, who was just getting going (12 off 7 balls), and left a smouldering Biff padded up but unused.

Tea featured decent sandwiches, crisps, yada, yada, yada….

TMGs had 41 overs to bowl for victory with Robbie and the skip opening. The innings started tidily enough but the skip was failing to gel with the hill he did last year, and hauled himself off after 7 overs that conceded 25 but yielded no wickets. In that period the skipper managed to cause gross offence to Alex, keeping wicket excellently, by posting Dunky round the corner, too fine in attempt to also cover 3rd man’s territory.

Robbie made the breakthrough in the 6th over, bowling 9 in total, 2 of them being maidens and conceded 35 runs.

The Shadow replaced the skipper down the hill, with his luxurious silver mane looking particularly resplendent (PSM nom), and he made short work of the Lindfield number 4 bowling him for 1. 6 overs, 2 maidens 1 for 30 was the final analysis.

Number 3, R Sayer, looked the class batsmen of the Lindfield line up and was accumulating nicely. It was time to deploy the strike bowler, and Biff duly delivered in his first over removing him LBW in his first over (PSM nom).

Dom came on down the hill, bowling a pacy and menacing spell to try and push for victory. He finally removed opener Fuller, before bowling a rather too menacing beamer at Lindfield’s teenage batsman (PSM nom),  bowling him with a legitimate delivery shortly after.

The star bowling performance of the day though was from the Duncapult who’s 6 overs of flight and guile, landing in great areas, yielded 2 wickets, and a sharp PSM winning catch from the skipper at gully.

Alas, it wasn’t quite enough, and the 41 overs passed with the Greys needing 3 more wickets, and Lindfield around 70 runs short of victory. A winning draw, with excellent performances all round form the Mighty Greysmen.

Statistics
Averages 2019 – 190901 and Averages Lifetime – 190901