Back to winning ways
On a better day that the previous Sunday, Graces welcomed Octopus to their Greenford ground and although the sun put in the occasional appearance, again the wicket was damp and the ball liable to keep low and the outfield damp and lush.
Batting first Graces’ openers made slow progress, even the normally ebullient Shorrocks scoring just one from his first eighteen balls (some sort of record there) but by now he had his eye in and with a vicious assault on the opposition bowling raced to fifty-three including three sixes and six fours, before holing out.In the mean time his opening partner Scott went for twelve. Mendis and
Hardisty departed cheaply and Modi controversially caught behind for nought. Shofiq was now batting well and joined by Patel, who struck the ball well from the start, the two added seventy- six in an unbroken sixth wicket stand, with fifty-five coming from the last five overs, with Shofiq belying his newly acquired quadragenarian status, Graces finishing on 189 for 5.
Octopus began their innings slowly and never caught up with the clock, although opener Smith batted well for his thirty-seven. Hemang and Manish opened the bowling with a tight accurate spell but no luck and it was Nihar who made the break through, bowling Hayward for ten. After that wickets fell regularly due mainly to a fine spell by Mendis taking 5 for 16 in eight overs. Despite trying nine bowlers Graces were unable to take the final wicket and Octopus finished on 110 for nine. Graces winning by seventy-nine runs.