We registered all of them and stood on the longest queue, to own Greig’s signature. If it is in the end my personal change, I summoned up courage and you can informed your, which have a slight quaver, it absolutely was an effective “helluva hook”. A new idol minted truth be told there and then. For another a decade, when he went with the greater flow, Greig proved an advisable however, problematic champion – a gold doubloon, never completely shedding its elemental lustre but appear to wanting healing polishing. Over the next couple of season, We saw your down within Hove for the majority family online game. Save for 5 wickets and you will a brisk 93 up against Hampshire into the July 1969, I really don’t contemplate him and make people high contribution. However, the guy usually performed anything. A booming defense push otherwise a pull take to moving off of the scoreboard for half a dozen.
Sussex thrashed them, and Greig is actually Guy of your Matches: 54 in the 1st innings, from 199, immediately after which five wickets
Otherwise good bouncer injudiciously intended for Mike Procter’s direct, just who up coming hit him to possess cuatro, cuatro, 6, cuatro when he was clobbered for more than 130 out-of 20 weird overs. In which he usually signed autographs. I had him seven times in two seasons. Immediately after, he actually said, “Ach, it is your again. I never ever watched your refuse anyone. We seated within the distributed boughs of your famous tangerine tree. Robbo regaled all of us non-stop having tales of watching Les Ames, Godfrey Evans and you will Doug Wright since the a great boy. The guts lamb is a head field that has put up an enthusiastic encyclopaedic expertise in Kent cricket, and also to their unique dad’s obvious fulfillment, not only admonished your when he nudged myself and you may pointed out a nice-looking “popsy” from the crowd but fixed your as he got particular truth otherwise contour completely wrong.
That was commonly. Robbo try never one to to have statistical outline; it had been the story that mattered. Kent’s illustrious records – whether or not truth or misconception – failed to help far thereon scorching July time. By the end of the day, one another middle lamb and Robbo himself were clearly smitten. We know you to definitely to be real because, despite their child off earshot, my brother no more talked-of the fresh long move of piss, however, out-of “Greigy”.
Greig starred just an assistance role you to time; a fast-fire thirty-six regarding Sussex innings as well as 2 wickets, in addition to compared to Kent’s best scorer, Graham Johnson, trapped by the Tony Buss out of a lengthy-leap
And Sussex did it once more 3 years after. Gillette Mug one-fourth-final, August step one, 1973, within Hove. By this day Greig are a recently established England user and you will Sussex chief. Again, I went with Robbo, so we almost skipped they. My personal bro had organised the day but once we pitched up ticketless during the Tate Gates, we had been firmly turned out. Good sellout. The newest stewards (“soft absolutely nothing Hitlers”) didn’t come with truck that have Robbo’s “Come on, this is the boy’s birthday celebration today.” (It was not.) However,, the guy was not letting go of one without difficulty of course advised a little warily how I had towards soil at no cost with my friends, the next thing I knew I happened to be providing my portly brother a foot-up-over the backyard wall of just one of larger property one to backed onto the water end of your own ground. Into the, buoyed because of the all of our profits, Robbo’s attraction hit overdrive and then he somehow sweet-talked brand new shorter draconian inside-ground ushers therefore effortlessly, that individuals ended up throughout the gangway of your own members’ comment commander une mariГ©e Chinois mail pavilion, best near the players’ balcony. For the very first innings We spotted because Greig has worked his way through almost a whole packet from Benson and Hedges, and you will Robbo, really the only Kent supporter in our midst, cheered most of the work at due to the fact their lads chased 264 about 2nd. Today a teenager, I became a small ashamed from this, however, luckily around just weren’t most of them. Runs, that’s. Kent was basically bowled out having 135. However, that didn’t matter. Just like the users stood into outfield and you can basked throughout the thanks a lot of ten,000-solid audience, Sussex got obtained. I spotted once the small boys in line to find the skipper’s autograph – I became most importantly you to definitely now – and you can listed you to definitely Robbo had entered them. The guy and you can Greig was in fact soon engaged in move dialogue. One another was in fact chuckling, brains thrown straight back, once the waiting line regarding brief boys lengthened, shifting seriously away from feet so you’re able to foot. Shortly after exactly what appeared a very long time, it shook hands passionately and you will Robbo patted their this new friend familiarly on the back. He arrived bounding backup the latest pavilion actions, clutching his finalized scorecard – “It’s into the center lamb,” he lied – and you may beaming of ear-to-ear. “They are a soft big bloke.” The feeling it actually was Greig’s Sussex you to definitely won the online game are palpable. John Spencer, the new Sussex bowler, told me has just when Greig got more than, the entire environment at a pub “dogged from the backbiting, cynicism and you will negativity” altered nearly quickly. Greig is a breath from bracing sea sky.