We inserted them and you will stood regarding longest queue, to own Greig’s trademark. If it are in the end my turn, We summoned upwards bravery and you may told him, that have hook quaver, it absolutely was a beneficial “helluva connect”. Another type of idol minted around and then. For the next ten years, as he went towards the wide circulation, Greig turned-out an advisable but tricky hero – a silver doubloon, never completely losing its essential lustre but seem to in need of healing refining. Along side second few season, I saw him down within Hove in the most common home games. Save for five wickets and you may a fast 93 against Hampshire in July 1969, I don’t think about your and work out people high share. But he constantly performed one thing. A thriving cover push otherwise a pull sample moving from the scoreboard for half dozen.
Sussex thrashed all of them, and you will Greig is People of the Suits: 54 in the 1st innings, off 199, and five wickets
Otherwise an excellent bouncer injudiciously geared towards Mike Procter’s direct, just who following strike him getting 4, 4, 6, 4 when he are clobbered for over 130 out-of 20 strange overs. In which he always finalized autographs. I experienced him seven times in two 12 months. After, the guy even said, “Ach, it’s you once more. We never ever spotted him refute people. I seated beneath the dispersed boughs of your famous tangerine forest. Robbo regaled us all day with tales out-of viewing Les Ames, Godfrey Evans and you will Doug Wright since the a good boy. The guts lamb try a head container that has developed a keen encyclopaedic knowledge of Kent cricket, and to their unique father’s visible pleasure, not simply admonished your when he nudged me and you will mentioned an appealing “popsy” about crowd however, remedied him as he got certain facts otherwise profile wrong.
That has been will. Robbo is never ever one having statistical outline; it was the story you to mattered. Kent’s illustrious records – whether or not facts or myth – don’t assist far thereon very hot July date. Towards the end of the day, each other middle lamb and Robbo himself had been obviously smitten. I understood one to be real given that, despite their child away from earshot, my sibling no further talked-of the new enough time move out of piss, however, off “Greigy”.
Greig played merely a support character that go out; an easy-fire thirty-six regarding Sussex innings and two wickets, along with that Kent’s most readily useful scorer, Graham Johnson, stuck of the Tony Buss of an extended-rise
And you may Sussex made it happen once more 36 months after. Gillette Glass one-fourth-last, August step 1, 1973, on Hove. Through this time Greig is actually a recently built The united kingdomt athlete and you may Sussex captain. Once again, I opted for Robbo, therefore we virtually missed it. My personal bro got organised the day nevertheless when i pitched right up ticketless at Tate Doors, we were securely turned into out. A great sellout. The newest stewards (“soft nothing Hitlers”) didn’t come with vehicle that have Robbo’s “Come on, it is the boy’s birthday now.” (It wasn’t.) However,, the guy wasn’t stopping that effortlessly while advised a tiny warily exactly how I had toward surface free-of-charge with my friends, next thing I understood I found myself providing my portly bro a base-up-over a garden wall of a single of your larger property you to recognized on the ocean avoid of crushed. Inside, buoyed because of the our victory, Robbo’s appeal hit overdrive in which he for some reason nice-spoke this new faster draconian in-surface ushers thus effectively, that individuals ended up from the gangway of the members’ pavilion, correct near the players’ balcony. In basic innings We saw since Greig spent some time working their means owing to almost a circuits romantiques pour hommes whole packet off Benson and you can Bushes, and you can Robbo, the only Kent supporter among us, cheered all the manage as the his lads chased 264 regarding the second. Now a teenager, I became a small ashamed by this, but thank goodness indeed there just weren’t many of them. Operates, that’s. Kent have been bowled away to own 135. But one failed to matter. Due to the fact players endured to the outfield and you will basked regarding the cheers of ten,000-strong audience, Sussex got acquired. We noticed since quick boys in line to discover the skipper’s autograph – I found myself first of all you to now – and you will listed one to Robbo got joined them. The guy and you will Greig was soon involved with mobile talk. One another were laughing, minds thrown right back, given that waiting line out of small boys prolonged, progressing desperately off legs to legs. Immediately following what searched forever, it shook give passionately and you may Robbo patted his new buddy familiarly on the rear. He emerged bounding backup the fresh pavilion tips, clutching his closed scorecard – “It’s into middle mutton,” he lied – and beaming away from ear to ear. “He’s a soft great bloke.” The feeling it absolutely was Greig’s Sussex you to acquired the video game try palpable. John Spencer, the brand new Sussex bowler, explained recently when Greig got more than, the whole conditions in the a bar “dogged by backbiting, cynicism and negativity” changed almost quickly. Greig try a breathing away from bracing ocean air.
