We inserted them and stood about longest queue, getting Greig’s trademark. If it is ultimately my personal change, I summoned upwards bravery and you can advised him, with a slight quaver, it was an excellent “helluva catch”. An alternate idol minted indeed there and then. For the next several years, as he went into the broad movement, Greig ended up a rewarding but challenging hero – a gold doubloon, never completely dropping the essential lustre however, seem to in need of healing polishing. Along the second couple of seasons, I watched him off during the Hove in most household online game. Save for five wickets and you can a fast 93 against Hampshire from inside the July 1969, I don’t remember him and come up with any significant sum. But he constantly performed one thing. A booming cover push otherwise a pull shot moving off the scoreboard to possess half dozen.
Sussex thrashed all of them, and you will Greig was Guy of Matches: 54 in the 1st innings, away from 199, and five wickets
Otherwise a great bouncer injudiciously geared towards Mike Procter’s direct, just who following struck him to possess 4, cuatro, 6, 4 as he try clobbered for over 130 away from 20 strange overs. And then he usually finalized autographs. I experienced him 7 minutes in 2 seasons. Immediately following, he also said, “Ach, it’s you once more. We never ever spotted your deny people. We seated according to the distribute boughs of the well-known tangerine forest. Robbo regaled you for hours which have tales regarding watching Les Ames, Godfrey Evans and you can Doug Wright as the a beneficial boy. The guts lamb try a mind box who’d set-up an encyclopaedic experience in Kent cricket, and also to their unique father’s noticeable fulfillment, not merely admonished him when he nudged myself and you can pointed out a nice-looking “popsy” about group however, fixed your as he got particular fact or figure completely wrong.
Which had been often. Robbo was never ever you to having analytical detail; it absolutely was the story you to mattered. Kent’s illustrious history – whether or not truth or misconception – didn’t let far thereon scorching July day. Towards the end during the day, one another middle lamb and Robbo themselves have been demonstrably smitten. I knew you to to be real once the, despite their daughter out of earshot, my brother no longer talked-of the latest a lot of time move off piss, however, off “Greigy”.
Greig played simply a support character you to definitely time; an instant-flame thirty six regarding Sussex innings as well as 2 wickets, also compared to Kent’s best scorer, Graham Johnson, caught of the Tony Buss out-of a lengthy-rise
And you will Sussex did it once more three years later on. Gillette Glass quarter-last, August step 1, 1973, on Hove. From this go out Greig try a recently centered England player and you will Sussex head. Once more, I went with Robbo, and now we nearly skipped it. My cousin got organized the afternoon but when i pitched up ticketless on Tate Doorways, we had been firmly turned aside. A beneficial sellout. This new stewards (“bloody absolutely nothing Hitlers”) didn’t come with truck that have Robbo’s “Get real, it is the boy’s birthday celebration today.” (It wasn’t.) However,, he wasn’t letting go of you to effortlessly and if advised a little warily how I had to your crushed at no cost which have my friends, the next thing We know I was offering my personal portly sibling a base-up-over a garden wall structure of one of large homes one to supported on the water prevent of soil. Into the, buoyed by the the victory, Robbo’s appeal strike overdrive in which he somehow sweet-talked the new quicker draconian inside-crushed ushers very effectively, that individuals ended up throughout the gangway of your own members’ pavilion, correct near the players’ balcony. In basic innings We noticed as the Greig worked their ways owing to nearly a complete packet of Benson and Bushes, and you can Robbo, truly the only Kent supporter among us, cheered the work with given that his lads chased 264 tryk pГҐ dette link her nu from the second. Today a teen, I happened to be a tiny ashamed by this, however, luckily truth be told there were not many. Works, which is. Kent have been bowled away to possess 135. However, you to don’t amount. Just like the members endured toward outfield and you will basked regarding thanks a lot of the 10,000-strong audience, Sussex got won. I saw as the short boys lined up to discover the skipper’s autograph – I was above all you to definitely today – and you will noted you to definitely Robbo got joined them. He and you can Greig was basically in the near future involved with animated conversation. Each other had been chuckling, minds tossed back, because the waiting line off small boys longer, moving forward frantically out of ft so you’re able to ft. Shortly after what searched a lifetime, it shook give warmly and you may Robbo patted his the newest pal familiarly on the back. He came bounding backup the pavilion steps, clutching their finalized scorecard – “It’s on center mutton,” he lied – and you can beaming regarding ear to ear. “He could be a bloody great bloke.” The sense it actually was Greig’s Sussex you to acquired the overall game is actually palpable. John Spencer, the Sussex bowler, told me has just that when Greig got more than, the complete environment in the a pub “dogged from the backbiting, cynicism and you will negativity” altered almost immediately. Greig is actually an air from bracing sea air.