St Pierre leave it very late

THE reverse pull is not detailed in many batting textbooks. But if anyone wants to know how to play it, possibly the best person to ask is Doug Mackay.

The DHS St Pierre batsman, at times a shadow of the prolific run-scorer of just a few seasons ago, strolled out to bat with his side in dire trouble, eight wickets down and needing more than a run a ball.

He proceeded to hare up and down the pitch as Karl Ogier crashed the ball to distant corners of KGV. Then the crowning moment: NRG Pessimists' Dave Piesing back on to bowl the last over, field carefully set, but an inviting gap over point's head.

Mackay switches his stance as the ball is on its way and reverse pulls for three to the very edge of the third man boundary. It was an amazing shot given the match situation. Two byes next ball helped and Ogier wrapped up the points with a two and then a thumping four.

St Pierre's innings was a roller-coaster. It started with a huge bang - Carl Le Tissier smiting the poor piece of leather and cork many a mile, including a straight six off Pierre Moody that crashed through the trees at least halfway up.

Vince Kenny and Justin Walker had gone cheaply, but 60 were on the board in just over seven overs. Then Le Tissier fell - he'd faced just 26 balls. Paul Wakeford, Mike Webber and Phil Cox could have won it but Pessimists turned the screw in the field, bowled straight and held catches.

Cheap lower-order wickets tumbled and the odds were back in the fielding side's favour. Mackay's fine improvisation changed all that.

The defeat took some of the gloss off what had been a very creditable batting performance, notably by Tim Belton, who earned his run-a-ball half-century with a typically well-paced innings. Kenny, though, was aggrieved twice to have good lbw shouts at Belton turned down, compounded later when he received what he thought was a harsh decision against him.

James Warr again showed that he will score many runs in years to come. He looked in fine nick, with everything coming off a gloriously straight bat.