We inserted them and you can endured on the longest queue, having Greig’s signature. When it are ultimately my personal change, We summoned right up bravery and you may informed your, with a little quaver, it absolutely was an effective “helluva catch”. Another type of idol minted indeed there right after which. For another ten years, when he went to your wider circulation, Greig proved a worthwhile but difficult champion – a gold doubloon, never entirely losing its elemental lustre however, seem to trying to find restorative refining. Across the next few season, We spotted your down from the Hove in most family video game. Rescue for five wickets and a fast 93 up against Hampshire during the July 1969, I don’t contemplate him making people significant contribution. But the guy usually did things. A booming protection drive or a pull try bouncing off of the scoreboard having six.
Sussex thrashed them, and Greig is Man of Matches: 54 in the 1st innings, out-of 199, and five wickets
Or good bouncer injudiciously intended for Mike Procter’s lead, who following hit your for cuatro, cuatro, 6, cuatro when he try clobbered for over 130 off 20 weird overs. And he constantly closed autographs. I had your 7 times in two seasons. Shortly after, https://internationalwomen.net/da/europaeiske-kvinder/ he actually said, “Ach, it is your again. We never ever noticed your deny individuals. We sat in spreading boughs of your well-known lime forest. Robbo regaled all of us from day to night having tales out-of seeing Les Ames, Godfrey Evans and you may Doug Wright because the a beneficial boy. The center mutton try a brain container that has created an enthusiastic encyclopaedic knowledge of Kent cricket, and to their particular father’s apparent pleasure, besides admonished him when he nudged myself and you will talked about a stylish “popsy” from the crowd but corrected him as he got certain reality or profile incorrect.
That has been often. Robbo is actually never ever you to definitely to possess mathematical detail; it was the story you to mattered. Kent’s illustrious history – whether or not reality otherwise myth – failed to assist much on that scorching July time. Towards the end during the day, both middle lamb and you can Robbo himself was obviously smitten. We knew you to to be true as, despite his daughter of earshot, my personal sibling no more talked-of the new long streak of piss, but away from “Greigy”.
Greig starred just a support role that date; a fast-flames 36 in the Sussex innings and two wickets, together with that of Kent’s top scorer, Graham Johnson, caught because of the Tony Buss from a lengthy-rise
And you will Sussex achieved it again three years later. Gillette Cup quarter-final, August 1, 1973, during the Hove. By this date Greig are a recently situated The united kingdomt member and you can Sussex chief. Again, I went with Robbo, therefore we nearly overlooked it. My buddy got organized a single day however when i pitched up ticketless from the Tate Doorways, we were completely turned aside. Good sellout. This new stewards (“bloody absolutely nothing Hitlers”) didn’t come with truck which have Robbo’s “Get real, it’s the boy’s birthday celebration today.” (It wasn’t.) However,, the guy wasn’t letting go of one to without difficulty if in case advised a small warily about how I got into the surface 100% free having my personal mates, next thing I knew I found myself offering my portly cousin a leg-up over the backyard wall structure of a single of the larger house that backed on the sea prevent of one’s floor. In to the, buoyed by the our very own success, Robbo’s attraction struck overdrive and he for some reason sweet-spoke the faster draconian in the-soil ushers very effectively, that individuals ended up on gangway of your members’ pavilion, right beside the players’ balcony. In the basic innings I saw while the Greig did his ways owing to almost a complete packet out-of Benson and Bushes, and Robbo, truly the only Kent suggest in our midst, cheered all work at while the his lads chased 264 regarding next. Now an adolescent, I was a little embarrassed by this, however, luckily for us indeed there weren’t several. Works, that is. Kent have been bowled aside to own 135. But that didn’t amount. Due to the fact participants endured with the outfield and you may basked regarding thanks a lot of one’s 10,000-strong audience, Sussex got obtained. I saw once the small boys in line to obtain the skipper’s autograph – I found myself to start with one today – and you may noted you to Robbo had entered them. The guy and you may Greig was in the future involved with animated discussion. Both was basically chuckling, thoughts tossed back, once the queue away from short boys offered, progressing frantically regarding legs to base. Just after what featured for years and years, it shook hands passionately and you will Robbo patted their the newest pal familiarly on the rear. He emerged bounding back up brand new pavilion strategies, clutching his signed scorecard – “It is towards the middle mutton,” the guy lied – and you will beaming from ear-to-ear. “He’s a soft fantastic bloke.” The sense it was Greig’s Sussex one to obtained the video game try palpable. John Spencer, the fresh Sussex bowler, said recently that if Greig took over, the whole environment at the a bar “dogged of the backbiting, cynicism and you can negativity” altered nearly quickly. Greig try a breathing regarding bracing sea air.