Five Summers Five Flags - University of New South Wales Cricket ...

A few overs later - with the score at 2-106, he bowls a short one outside off stump that looks inviting. For the first
time I launch into a backfoot drive, hit it in the middle and am stunned to see it plucked out of the air at short midoff
by Pitty. Shortly after, when Pascoe takes his first breather, Mark gets out to left-hand spinner Radanovic. Mark's
66 turns out to be a match-winning innings.
Then Chappo plays one of his best digs up to then, and with the young colt Livo puts on 44. At the death, Paddy,
Henry and Steve Campbell guts out 20 against Pascoe with the second new ball. It seems like he's bowled all day at
the same pace - the equivalent of 33 6-ball overs taking 7-76. His ferocious attitude makes for an electric atmosphere,
out on the pitch and in the Cracknell. It seems like it's Pascoe v UNSWCC. It's intense pressure all day from his end -
technically, physically and verbally. So for us to get to 214 is a fantastic effort.
Their turn to bat. Enter Steve Small with the flashing three-pound blade, and at stumps they're 0-30 odd from
about five overs. They continue the same way the next morning. Roaring along at 0-66 they look set and we're in
trouble. On comes Paddy Grattan-Smith to apply the brakes and soon it's goodbye Smallie, tied down, frustrated and
finally caught at slip by Jungle.
Lennie Pascoe hurls another one down to JR during the semi-final at the Village Green.
From then on for 60 8-ball overs, it's one of the best experiences a captain can have - three quality spinners going
at less than two an over, supported by a stunning fielding effort. Henry sprints 30 metres from deepish mid-on
towards mid-off to dive and catch the keeper Andrews - breathtaking stuff. Leggie Steve Campbell takes three quick
wickets, two with his flipper, and we've broken them apart. Then, right on tea, at nine down, Pascoe belts Mark high
towards the practice wickets, and Livo sprints 40 metres from backward square to take it over his head as nonchalantly
as you could wish to see. We're ahead on the 1st inning by 58.
There's about an hour's play left in the match. All over Not on your Nellie. Some of our guys are expecting the
umpires to come into the dressingroom any minute and say Bankstown have called it off. But before Andrew
'Splinter' McMaster can come in with the first case of beer, in comes Dion Bourne, Bankstown's skipper. "Lennie
wants a bit more of a bowl before he goes to England, so you can have another bat," he says.
If Pascoe was on fire in the first dig, he's enraged now. Soon the ball rebounds high from Mick Watt's head over
the keeper and Mick has to be helped off with blood all over the place. Jungle comes out knowing Lennie wants more
blood not just more bowling. First ball Jungle ends up on the ground after ducking one that just clears the bails. In
his quiet way Mark is as fired up as Lennie. He launches into the big quick - pulls, cuts, hooks - the lot. Lennie is
steaming in and Mark is waiting for him on the back foot. Lennie has 0 for 35 off five overs. When Mark gets out to
Graham Thorpe in the 10th over for a quick 37, we're 110 in front and it's starting to drizzle. Bankstown call it quits -
as if out of respect to Mark. He and Lennie have words as they walk off.
A footnote: Big Bob Lamaro, who went on to play second row for the Waratahs, left his mark on the Sam Cracknell
with a split in the mirror of change-room no.2 - from a head-butt - so distraught was he after being caught at short
backward square off Paddy, having been rendered strokeless for a long period. On my last visit in the New Year, I was
saddened to see the mirror had disappeared in the refurbishment. For a long time it was a talisman of our victory.
John Rogers
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