Next, on b to own Kent v Sussex about Gillette Mug in the Canterbury

I inserted them and endured regarding the longest waiting line, to possess Greig’s trademark. When it are ultimately my turn, We summoned right up bravery and you may advised him, having hook quaver, that it was an effective “helluva connect”. An alternate idol minted here and then. For the next years, when he went to the wide flow, Greig turned out an advisable however, tricky character – a gold doubloon, never ever entirely losing their essential lustre however, appear to needing curative refining. Along the second few 12 months, We watched your off within Hove for the majority home video game. Save your self for five wickets and you can a brisk 93 up against Hampshire within the July 1969, I do not consider him while making any extreme sum. But the guy always performed anything. A booming safety drive or a pull sample moving off of the scoreboard for six.

Sussex thrashed all of them, and you can Greig is Guy of your own Meets: 54 in the first innings, regarding 199, after which four wickets

Or a great bouncer injudiciously intended for Mike Procter’s lead, whom up coming struck him getting cuatro, 4, 6, cuatro when he was clobbered for more than 130 away from 20 unusual overs. And then he constantly closed autographs. I’d your seven moments in two 12 months. Immediately following, he actually told you, “Ach, it’s you again. We never ever watched him deny anyone. We sat under the distributed boughs of the greatest orange forest. Robbo regaled all of us from day to night with tales away from seeing Les Ames, Godfrey Evans and you will Doug Wright given that an excellent boy. The guts mutton is actually a brain field that has create an encyclopaedic knowledge of Kent cricket, and to their unique father’s visible fulfillment, not only admonished him when he nudged me and you can talked about an appealing “popsy” regarding the group but remedied him when he had some reality or figure completely wrong.

That was commonly. Robbo is actually never ever you to getting analytical outline; it was the storyline one mattered. Kent’s illustrious history – whether fact otherwise myth – didn’t help much on that hot July day. By the end during the day, each other center lamb and you can Robbo himself was indeed obviously smitten. We knew one to be real due to the fact, even with his child out of earshot, my cousin no further talked-of the long move out-of piss, but of “Greigy”.

Greig starred simply a services character you to definitely date; a fast-flames 36 regarding the Sussex innings and two wickets, and additionally compared to Kent’s better scorer, Graham Johnson, caught of the Tony Buss out of a lengthy-get

And Sussex achieved it once more 3 years later on. Gillette Cup one-fourth-latest, August step one, 1973, during the Hove. From this big date Greig try a newly oriented England athlete and you may Sussex head. Again, We went with Robbo, and in addition we very nearly skipped they. My brother got organized a single day but once i pitched up ticketless within Tate Gates, we were securely turned out. A sellout. The latest stewards (“soft absolutely nothing Hitlers”) had no vehicle having Robbo’s “Get real, it will be the boy’s birthday today.” (It wasn’t.) However,, the guy wasn’t stopping you to without difficulty if in case advised a little warily exactly how I got to the surface free-of-charge having my mates, next thing We realized I was giving my personal portly bro a toes-up over the backyard wall of just one of your large house that backed onto the sea stop of one’s soil. To the, buoyed by our very own profits, Robbo’s charm struck overdrive and then he in some way sweet-talked new less draconian in-crushed ushers therefore efficiently, we wound-up in the gangway of members’ pavilion, best beside the players’ balcony. For the first innings I watched because Greig has worked his means as a consequence of nearly a whole packet off Benson and you may Hedges, and you will Robbo, the only real Kent recommend in our midst, cheered the focus on because their lads chased 264 on the 2nd. Now an adolescent, I became a little ashamed through this, however, luckily for us around weren’t many. Operates, which is. Kent was bowled out having 135. But you to definitely failed to matter. While the participants endured on outfield and you may basked regarding thanks a lot of ten,000-strong crowd, Sussex had acquired. We saw as quick boys in-line to discover the skipper’s autograph – I became first off one today – and you will indexed that Robbo had registered all of them. The guy and you will Greig had been soon engaged in transferring dialogue. Both was basically chuckling, minds thrown straight back, since the queue out-of quick boys offered, moving on desperately regarding feet so you can base. Immediately after just what appeared a lifetime, it shook hand passionately and you can Robbo patted his the fresh new buddy familiarly on the rear. He appeared bounding back up the fresh new pavilion tips, clutching their finalized scorecard – “It’s into middle mutton,” he lied – and you may beaming of ear-to-ear. “They are a bloody fantastic bloke.” The feeling it absolutely was Greig’s Sussex sites de rencontres pour femmes Danois you to definitely claimed the game try palpable. John Spencer, brand new Sussex bowler, said recently that when Greig got more, the complete conditions within a club “dogged of the backbiting, cynicism and you can negativity” altered almost quickly. Greig was a breath from bracing water air.