I entered all of them and you can stood about longest queue, to own Greig’s signature. Whether it are in the long run my turn, We summoned right up bravery and you can informed your, with a small quaver, it absolutely was an effective „helluva hook“. Another idol minted here immediately after which. For the next years, when he went for the greater flow, Greig turned-out an advisable but difficult hero – a gold doubloon, never ever entirely shedding their essential lustre however, apparently in need of restorative polishing. Over the next few seasons, I noticed him off at the Hove in the most common home games. Conserve for five wickets and a quick 93 facing Hampshire within the July 1969, I really don’t consider him and then make one tall sum. However, the guy usually did things. A thriving safeguards drive or a tow attempt bouncing off of the scoreboard to have six.
Sussex thrashed them, and Greig are People of the Fits: 54 in the 1st innings, of 199, following five wickets
Otherwise a bouncer injudiciously geared towards Mike Procter’s head, just who following strike your for 4, 4, six, 4 when he was clobbered for more than 130 regarding 20 weird overs. In which he usually closed autographs. I experienced him seven minutes in 2 seasons. Just after, he actually told you, „Ach, it is your again. I never noticed your reject anyone. We sat within the dispersed boughs of popular orange forest. Robbo regaled you for hours which have reports regarding watching Les Ames, Godfrey Evans and you may Doug Wright while the a boy. The center mutton was a mind box that has build an encyclopaedic experience in Kent cricket, in order to their particular dad’s noticeable satisfaction, not just admonished him when he nudged myself and you can discussed an appealing „popsy“ regarding the crowd however, corrected your when he had particular reality otherwise figure completely wrong.
That has been usually. Robbo was never ever that having statistical outline; it absolutely was the storyline one mattered. Kent’s illustrious records – if truth or myth – failed to assist far on that very hot July time. Towards the end during the day, one another middle lamb and you can Robbo themselves have been certainly smitten. I understood you to to be real because the, even after their child out of earshot, my buddy no more talked-of the fresh new enough time move away from piss, however, out-of „Greigy“.
Greig starred just an assistance character one date; a simple-flame thirty six throughout the Sussex innings and two wickets, as well as that of Kent’s best scorer, Graham Johnson, stuck from the Tony Buss from an extended-leap
And you can Sussex achieved it once more 36 months later on. Gillette Cup one-fourth-final, August 1, 1973, at the Hove. By this day Greig is a freshly oriented The united kingdomt pro and Sussex master. Once again, We went with Robbo, and in addition we virtually overlooked they. My brother had organized a single day however when i pitched up ticketless on Tate Doors, we had been securely became away. An effective sellout. This new stewards („soft absolutely nothing Hitlers“) didn’t come with truck which have Robbo’s „Get real, it’s the boy’s birthday today.“ (It was not.) But, he wasn’t letting go of you to definitely effortlessly of course, if informed a tiny warily about I had to the ground free-of-charge having my personal friends, the next thing We knew I happened to be giving my personal portly sibling a base-up over the backyard wall structure of 1 of larger home you to definitely backed onto the ocean prevent of your floor. In to the, buoyed from the all of our triumph, Robbo’s attraction strike overdrive in which he for some reason nice-spoke the fresh new smaller draconian for the-soil ushers very effortlessly, that individuals ended up about gangway of the members‘ pavilion, best next to the players‘ balcony. During the first innings I saw because Greig worked their ways through almost a complete package away from Benson and you will Hedges, and you may Robbo, truly the only Kent supporter among us, cheered every run once the his lads chased 264 regarding second. Now an adolescent, I found myself a small ashamed by this, but thank goodness around weren’t a lot of them. Runs, which is. Kent had been bowled away to own 135. However, one failed to number. As professionals stood into the outfield and you Application Latin Feels can basked on thanks a lot of your ten,000-strong group, Sussex had obtained. We saw because the short boys in-line to discover the skipper’s autograph – I happened to be first and foremost you to now – and you will noted you to definitely Robbo got registered them. He and you will Greig were soon engaged in mobile conversation. One another were chuckling, minds tossed right back, just like the waiting line of brief boys expanded, shifting seriously out-of base in order to foot. Shortly after exactly what appeared for years and years, they shook hands passionately and Robbo patted his brand new pal familiarly on the back. He appeared bounding backup the fresh new pavilion steps, clutching their finalized scorecard – „It’s on center mutton,“ he lied – and you may beaming out-of ear to ear. „They are a bloody great bloke.“ The sense it absolutely was Greig’s Sussex one acquired the video game are palpable. John Spencer, the Sussex bowler, told me has just if Greig took over, the entire environment at the a bar „dogged because of the backbiting, cynicism and negativity“ altered nearly overnight. Greig try a breathing off bracing water air.