Upcoming, towards b getting Kent v Sussex regarding Gillette Mug in the Canterbury

We registered them and you may stood regarding the longest queue, having Greig’s signature. In the event it is eventually my personal change, We summoned up courage and you may advised him, having a small quaver, it absolutely was an effective “helluva connect”. An alternate idol minted truth be told there following. For another 10 years, as he ran into greater stream, Greig turned-out a worthwhile however, tricky character – a silver doubloon, never ever completely losing the essential lustre however, frequently in need of healing polishing. Across the 2nd few 12 months, We noticed him down from the Hove in most family video game. Save your self for five wickets and a fast 93 up against Hampshire inside the July 1969, Really don’t think about him and work out any significant contribution. But he always did one thing. A thriving safety push otherwise a tow shot jumping off the scoreboard having six.

Sussex thrashed all of them, and you may Greig try People of the Match: 54 in the 1st innings, out-of 199, immediately after which four wickets

Or good bouncer injudiciously aimed at Mike Procter’s head, who upcoming hit your to possess 4, cuatro, 6, 4 as he was clobbered for more than 130 out-of 20 strange overs. And he always signed autographs. I had your seven moments in 2 year. Once, the guy also said, “Ach, it’s you again. We never saw him refuse people. I sat according to the distributed boughs of the greatest tangerine forest. Robbo regaled you for hours which have tales regarding viewing Les Ames, Godfrey Evans and Doug Wright as the a good boy. The center lamb is actually a mind package who’d developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of Kent cricket, and her dad’s apparent pleasure, besides admonished your as he nudged myself and you can mentioned a nice-looking “popsy” throughout the group however, remedied your when he had specific fact otherwise profile incorrect.

Which was will. Robbo are never that getting mathematical detail; it actually was the storyline you to mattered. Kent’s illustrious history – whether truth or misconception – did not help much thereon sizzling hot July day. By the end of the day, both middle mutton and you will Robbo himself have been clearly smitten. We knew that to be real as, even after their child out of earshot, my personal uncle don’t talked of the newest much time streak off piss, however, off “Greigy”.

Greig played merely an assistance part one to time; a simple-flames thirty six throughout the Sussex innings as well as 2 wickets, and additionally regarding Kent’s finest scorer, Graham Johnson, stuck because of the Tony Buss out-of an extended-start

And you will Sussex made it happen once more 3 years afterwards. Gillette Glass quarter-latest, August step 1, 1973, within Hove. Through this big date Greig is actually a newly oriented England member and you may Sussex master. Again, I went with Robbo, so we virtually missed it. My personal bro had organised a single day but when we pitched up ticketless on Tate Doors, we were securely turned aside. An excellent sellout. The brand new stewards (“bloody little Hitlers”) had no vehicle with Robbo’s “Come on, it is the boy’s birthday now.” (It was not.) But, he wasn’t giving up you to definitely with ease of course, if informed a tiny warily about how exactly I had for the floor 100% free which have my personal mates, the next thing I understood I happened to be offering my personal portly bro a feet-up over the garden wall structure of 1 of one’s larger houses one backed on the sea stop of your own surface. Into the, buoyed from the our achievement, Robbo’s appeal struck overdrive and then he somehow nice-talked the shorter draconian inside the-ground ushers very effectively, we ended up in the gangway of your own members’ pavilion, proper next to the players’ balcony. In first innings We noticed once the Greig did his method courtesy almost a complete package regarding Benson and you can Bushes, and you can Robbo, really the only Kent advocate among us, cheered the work with just like the his lads chased 264 on the 2nd. Now a teenager, I found myself a small embarrassed through this, however, luckily indeed there just weren’t several. Works, which is. Kent had been bowled aside to own 135. But one didn’t number. While the professionals stood on outfield and basked on thanks of the ten,000-good bedste mГҐde at mГёde kvinder online gratis audience, Sussex got obtained. We spotted while the small boys in line to discover the skipper’s autograph – I happened to be to start with that today – and you will noted you to definitely Robbo got entered them. The guy and Greig were soon involved with transferring talk. Both was indeed laughing, thoughts thrown right back, as waiting line out of short boys offered, progressing desperately regarding legs to help you legs. Immediately after just what seemed forever, it shook give warmly and you can Robbo patted his the brand new buddy familiarly on the back. The guy showed up bounding back up the newest pavilion measures, clutching their finalized scorecard – “It’s towards middle lamb,” he lied – and you may beaming away from ear-to-ear. “He could be a bloody fantastic bloke.” The sense it was Greig’s Sussex you to definitely acquired the overall game is palpable. John Spencer, the new Sussex bowler, told me recently whenever Greig grabbed over, the whole environment in the a club “dogged from the backbiting, cynicism and negativity” altered almost straight away. Greig is actually an inhale away from bracing ocean sky.