We inserted them and you will stood about longest queue, for Greig’s signature. If it try eventually my personal turn, I summoned right up bravery and you will informed your, with a small quaver, it absolutely was a great “helluva connect”. An alternative idol minted here immediately after which. For another 10 years, as he ran for the broad circulation, Greig turned-out an advisable but challenging character – a gold doubloon, never completely shedding its essential lustre but frequently looking for therapeutic polishing. Along the 2nd couple of seasons, I saw him down within Hove in the most common house games. Rescue for five wickets and you will a brisk 93 up against Hampshire into the July 1969, I really don’t think of him and make one tall sum. But the guy always performed one thing. A flourishing defense drive or a pull shot jumping from the scoreboard to have half dozen.
Sussex thrashed them, and you will Greig try People of your own Match: 54 in the first innings, away from 199, following four wickets
Or a great bouncer injudiciously intended for Mike Procter’s head, just who next strike your to possess 4, 4, six, 4 when he was clobbered for over 130 off 20 weird overs. In which he constantly finalized autographs. I got your eight moments in 2 season. After, the guy even told you, “Ach, it’s your once again. I never watched your refute people. I seated under the dispersed boughs of your well-known tangerine tree. Robbo regaled us non-stop with stories away from enjoying Les Ames, Godfrey Evans and Doug Wright since a boy. The guts lamb try a mind container who had install an enthusiastic encyclopaedic experience with Kent cricket, and also to their particular dad’s obvious satisfaction, besides admonished him when he nudged me personally and you can discussed a stylish “popsy” Australsk brud on audience however, remedied your when he had certain facts otherwise figure incorrect.
Which had been commonly. Robbo try never you to having mathematical outline; it actually was the storyline you to definitely mattered. Kent’s illustrious background – if or not reality otherwise misconception – didn’t let far thereon scorching July day. By the end during the day, one another middle lamb and Robbo themselves were clearly smitten. We know one to be real as, despite their daughter off earshot, my personal brother no more talked-of the latest a lot of time streak away from piss, however, of “Greigy”.
Greig played just an assistance part that go out; a simple-flames 36 about Sussex innings and two wickets, including regarding Kent’s most useful scorer, Graham Johnson, caught by Tony Buss of a long-move
And you will Sussex made it happen again three years afterwards. Gillette Glass one-fourth-finally, August step 1, 1973, at the Hove. From this time Greig is a recently established England user and you will Sussex chief. Once more, I went with Robbo, and then we almost skipped it. My brother got organised a single day however when i pitched upwards ticketless at the Tate Gates, we had been completely turned aside. A good sellout. This new stewards (“bloody little Hitlers”) had no truck which have Robbo’s “Get real, simple fact is that boy’s birthday celebration now.” (It wasn’t.) But, he was not giving up you to with ease of course informed a small warily precisely how I’d toward ground free of charge with my personal mates, the next thing I realized I found myself giving my personal portly sibling a toes-up-over a garden wall structure of a single of your own huge domiciles you to backed on the water avoid of floor. In to the, buoyed by the our profits, Robbo’s charm hit overdrive and then he in some way sweet-talked the shorter draconian when you look at the-crushed ushers thus effortlessly, that individuals finished up from the gangway of the members’ pavilion, correct near the players’ balcony. Inside the earliest innings I spotted since Greig spent some time working their ways compliment of nearly an entire package regarding Benson and you will Bushes, and you can Robbo, the only real Kent recommend among us, cheered every run just like the their lads chased 264 on next. Today an adolescent, I found myself a tiny embarrassed by this, however, thankfully there just weren’t a lot of them. Works, that is. Kent was in fact bowled away getting 135. However, that don’t matter. While the participants stood on the outfield and you may basked regarding the thanks of the ten,000-strong group, Sussex got claimed. I spotted while the short boys lined up to get the skipper’s autograph – I happened to be first off you to today – and you may noted you to definitely Robbo got inserted them. He and you can Greig had been in the near future involved with mobile conversation. Both have been chuckling, brains tossed back, as the queue away from small boys extended, moving forward seriously regarding legs so you can ft. After just what looked for years and years, they shook hand warmly and Robbo patted their the fresh new buddy familiarly on the back. He came bounding backup the latest pavilion methods, clutching his closed scorecard – “It’s toward center mutton,” he lied – and you can beaming away from ear to ear. “He is a soft fantastic bloke.” The sense it was Greig’s Sussex you to claimed the game is palpable. John Spencer, the fresh new Sussex bowler, told me has just when Greig got more, the whole environment at a pub “dogged of the backbiting, cynicism and you will negativity” changed nearly right away. Greig try an air away from bracing sea sky.