Hey – how’s it going?

Having suffered three defeats in a weekend, the surviving touring Greysmen were joined by the Greys Home Guard for the annual post-tour game against Brighton and Hove Crescent at Horsdean.

It was agreed that it would be played in one of those 80 over, 42/38 formats, the key point of which is that a draw is possible.

The Crescent batted first.  Opening bowlers Hoare and Sewell bowled well but struggled to contain Vrushal and Roberts fot the Crescent, who put on 96 for the first wicket.  A change of bowling saw Cap’n Ben bowl Vrushal, and shortly after Dave day accounted for Hughes, Awdry and Roberts who had made 83 before he bowled him.  Ben, Dan Cope, Ian and the Shadow also helped themselves to a wicket each (the Shadow’s wicket bamboozling and bowling Hewitt winning PSM) , until Samad smashed a quick 29, including five 4s and a 6, allowing the Crescent to declare on 222 from 38 overs.  Dave Day was once again the pick of the bowlers, with figures of 8-2-14-3, despite moaning about the poor quality of the fielding before himself dropping a catch on the boundary.

After a fulsome and toothsome tea, the Greys began their reply with Clunkathon Dunc accompanying Biff out to the crease.  Clunk didn’t last long, with  Anurag forcing an outside edge which was superbly taken one handed by a diving Crescent Captain Simon Wood at first slip, with Biff bowled shortly after. 

With another 32 overs to face to see out before getting a draw, Dave Dave and Dan Cope dug in before D.C. was caught at square leg and Wilf Nelson was trapped lbw.

Still playing for a draw, Johnny Fixtures became the living embodiment of digging deep, with his first twenty-eight balls dot balls.  At the other end, Dave Day started to open his mighty shoulders, scoring 43 before he was caught at slip.

The shadow came and went.

Everything comes and goes

Marked by lovers and styles of clothes.

Alex was still there with just a few overs to go until he was bowled by someone aptly called Bowley for 23, but by this time his dogged knock had ensured that a draw for the Greys was now more probable than possible.

Ian and Cap’n then continued to drop anchor until the overs were up and the Mighty Greys had drawn rather than lost a game for the first time since Bodle St (even though the website erroneously) says we lost by 85.

But who cares?  We hadn’t lost, DD and Alex had kept us in the game and when we got back to the pub they played both sides of Abraxas.

Hey – how’s it going?