Theydon Bois – Cheeseman 68*, Smith Jnr 25*. Cheeseman 6-1-21-0, Penman 8-1-47-1

Pacific – Wiehahn 80*, Bastin 60*, Rees 39. Alexander 12-3-42-3, Bastin 8-0-38-3, Rees 9-2-50-2

Fielding first, Pacific managed to restrict Theydon Bois’s opening pair of Gilbert and Smith to just 2 runs per over for the first 10 overs with Mike Alexander and Shayne Rees achieving 3 and 2 maiden overs respectively. Both batsmen looked as though they were just about to start piling on the runs when Smith (13) edged an Alexander delivery to Pacific’s lively keeper, Guy Wiehahn. Alexander soon broke Gilbert’s (16) wicket and at 42 for 2, Pacific’s spirits were high. Rob Bastin replaced Rees and after a few overs claimed Bibbey’s wicket (12) with a miss-hit to Rees at mid-wicket. Theydon Bois’s captain, Penman (12), didn’t last too long before Bastin bowled him. Wickets were falling with encouraging regularity when Alan Roberts caught Thompson (3) and after 24 overs Theydon Bois were 89 for 5. Cheeseman set about to steady Theydon Bois’s batting and began scoring comfortably as wickets continued to fall at the other end. Robert’s despatched Forsyth (5) to bring in the tenacious youngster, Neale. Colin Black replaced Alexander and kept some tidy figures on a track suited more the batsman than the bowler but ended his spell empty handed. Rees was bought back on as Cheeseman destroyed Roberts’s averages and soon claimed Neale’s wicket. At 156 for 7 after 38 overs, Theydon Bois looked to accelerate. Smith Jnr had a few big swings before connecting one of Craig Jones’ deliveries for one bounce 4 over long-on’s head. Smith was less fortunate upon Alexander’s return, and found Rees’s safe hands with a high miss-hit to point. Theydon Bois showed its batting tail could wag, and wag hard, as number 10 Jones cam in to score 2 quick boundaries before swinging and missing to Rees and losing his off stump. Cheesman (68*) and Smith Jnr (25*) finished the innings by clobbering the final few overs for Theydon Bois to retire at tea.

Pacific’s captain Steve Lay, decided to hold himself in reserve at 4 and open with Wiehahn and Rees. He needn’t have worried though as the opening pair maintained a healthy run rate of 5 per over on their way to a solid partnership of 85. While they struggled a little to score off opening bowler Cheeseman, few chances were given away. In fact there was briefly more tension in the scorer’s box than on the field as Alan Roberts demonstrated how to pull a hamstring while sitting down! On the field Rees (39) made the most of the fast sloping outfield, timing his strokes beautifully. He looked set to make his fifty until he spooned an easy catch back to leg break spinner Penman. But this was to be Theydon Bois’s only wicket for the day as Rob Bastin quickly got hold whatever was thrown at him. Theydon Bois’s young recruit Neale showed he is capable with the ball as well as the bat with some good deliveries against 2 well set batsmen. Bastin impressed by scoring his 60 not out off just 55 deliveries. Wiehahn (80*), by comparison, took his time to get his fifty until he accelerated to avoid the embarrassment of the in-form Bastin beating his score. Bastin and Wiehahn scored the remaining 117 required after Rees’s departure in just under 13 overs.

Pleased with the win, Captain Steve Lay reflected, “I guess I should have opened, but to be honest I (and just about everyone else) thought we'd struggle chasing 200, so I thought I would be better steadying the ship at number 4. I think it was one of those days when the batting just clicked. We held all our catches too. But I really don’t know who I give man of the match to. Shayne, Guy and Rob all performed brilliantly, but didn’t let many others get in on the game.”