Grace's played host to Touring Theatres CC, eager to overturn last season's surprise defeat. When Shofiq removed one of the visitors' opening batsmen with the first ball of the match, they were always struggling to set a competitive score on a good wicket with a very fast if slightly uneven outfield. With a more limited bowling attack than usual, Grace's did well to restrict Theatres to 151 for 7. Thanks must go to Ahkter for a very accurate spell and to the occasional bowlers like Hardisty and Camberwell, while Shofiq enjoyed the spectacle of watching the middle stump cartwheeling out of the ground.
However the Grace's progress towards their target looked anything but assured as first Stockinger then Hope quickly followed by Mendis were back in the pavilion to good catches for a total of 19 runs between them. Then came what proved to be the miss of the match when Shofiq was dropped by the wicket keeper when on 10. With the help of first Henderson and then Scott, he set about Theatres bowling with devastating effect, finishing the match and reaching 88 not out with a huge six, giving Grace's their ninth win of the season out of sixteen matches with one drawn.