Report - RBCC v Pacific 13 June 1987

Although, I was tempted to feature the now (in) famous 17-all out game against Sun Inn (given that the 29th May marked the 10th anniversary of our cricketing nadir), I felt that I should start this series by choosing a match that featured a more typical RBCC performance. So I’ve gone for a game that included some of the best cricketers ever to pull on a sweater for Red Bat (and Pete Chapman), a five wicket haul for POC, 3 run-outs (us), 1 retired hurt (them), and more relatives than a Norfolk village.

The game in question? RBCC Vs Pacific at Tufnell Park on 13th June 1987. No I don't remember it either. So here's the scorecard.

PACIFIC
1. S.Lay	ct P.Welbrock	POC	3
2. J.Green	b	POC	12
3. J.MacDougall	c & b	POC	7
4. B.Millis	b	POC	3
5. J.Murphy	b	Gill	29
6. N.Wilkinson	ct M.Welbrock	Gill	4
7. J.Hill	ct Miller	POC	4
8. F.Baglevi	b	Miller	20
9. P.Hollman	Retired hurt		0
10. K.Murphy	b	Miller	2
11. J.Baglevi	Not Out		9
Extras			16
Total			109 all out

RBCC
1. L.Peters	b	Baglevi	26
2. W Gill	b	Wilkinson	0
3. P Jones	Run out		2
4. M Gummer	Run out		45
5. P Welbrock	Run out		0
6. M Welbrock	ct	K Murphy	21
7. D Muir	Not out		1
8. A Rose	st	K Murphy	0
9. P O'Connor	Not out		1
10. K Miller	did not bat
11. P Chapman	did not bat
Extras			11
Total			107-7

*FOW*	*1-0*	*2-3*	*3-35*	*4-35*	*5-97*	*6-106*	*7-106*
*Batsman*	2	3	1	5	6	4	8

From what I can make-out from the scorebook, we required 5 runs to win from the last 2 overs. Matt however could only manage a single in the penultimate over, bowled by J.Baglevi (a bowler we came to know well over the following years).

So, with Matt 45n.o and on strike, we needed 4 from the last over. No runs were scored from the first 3 balls, off the 4th Matt was run-out, from the 5th Tony was stumped for a golden duck, and so, with 1 ball remaining and 4 still required, in came POC. Could he hit the winning runs? (Answers on a postcard to ‘flying pigs’ competition…) Anyway, although I’m sure Paul will tell you that a fielder had to dive full length to stop his text-book cover drive from racing to the boundary, only 1 run was scored from the final ball and the match ended in a draw.

So, there you have it, a drawn game and I wasn’t even playing! If any of the players involved can flesh out the barebones of this match, please feel free to send Bruce a report.

If you have a particular game you’d like me to feature, but not just because you scored 50 or took 5 wickets, please drop me an email. (psolomon@fast24.co.uk)

Yours, crawling through the historical jungle armed only with the calculator of truth,

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