Last night, the Fitzwilliam College playing fields saw the second traditional Remnants v UCLES fixture of the season. With pockets of cloud gathering ominously like groups of young men in nightclubs, the skippers agreed the use of 15 eight-ball overs - a swifter alternative to the traditional 20x six-ball efforts.
Winning the toss, The Remnants had first use of a dry wicket speckled with the occasional glimpses of green - like mold coming through on a three day-old slice of Hovis. Two Remnants players joined UCLES in the field early on, one of whom was soon replaced by the delayed Barber, resplendent in explorer beard.
Danson and Thighe produced a tidy enough opening spell, with the 'senior pro' displaying no ill-effects from the extra demands of the longer overs. Indeed, the Finance Fizzer struck in his first set of eight, Bean taking a good catch at a widish gully. Runs and wickets thereafter began to appear at a canter, with Linsdell and Danson conjuring a run-out before Danson skittled a productive if bizarrely helmeted Remnants batsman.
The impressive Bean replaced Thighe from random-goalposts end and, with the assistance of the ever-reliable Danson (down the hill, with the wind), curtailed the run-scoring. Danson was then replaced by Barber, who may wish to look away now. Struggling with a swirling wind and a leg-side boundary so short that one of the wicketkeepers' feet was beyond the rope, Barber, and indeed the pavilion roof, came under assault. Skipper Lawrence later informed Barber that he 'may have bowled him from the wrong end' - Barber's response was admirably restrained.
Siyambalapitiya restored order with an impressive set of three, whilst Linsdell bumbled an over away from the other end with the help of an umpire that appeared to have forgotten his 'wide' signal. During which, their came a moment that will live forever. The Remnants' Barber-destroying right-hander (who Linsdell had already dropped off the unfortunate Bean) flicked a leg side half-volley to deep mid-wicket where Danson produced a truly sensational catch, twisting his body like a salmon caught in carrier bag. Danson took the moment of magic in his stride, pausing slightly to re-string his truss before continuing with the game.
To disprove the one-catch-a-season theory, Danson then pouched a simple chance to give Siyambalapitiya a deserved wicket whilst Bean and Linsdell combined for the second run-out of the evening. Thighe then delivered the final over and was unfortunate to see his decent figures abused in a final onslaught by another man performing beneath a lid. As the old Chinese proverb says...beware the man with his own helmet. The final Remnants total was a gettable 133-7.
Siyambalapitiya began the chase for 134 with an elegant first-ball boundary. Briggs however was less fortunate. Backed by a run of scores that read like a thermometer in the Sahara, Briggs was awarded the traditional prize of the in-form - a first-ball duck. His absence however brought Wylie to the wicket who began dismantling the Remnants 'attack' with an economy of effort. Wylie was soon joined by Bean after Siyambalapitiya was stumped for a promising 12 and Soames had succumbed without score. And that's where the Cartoon Capers began...
Without a broom, disgruntled dog or large Jamaican woman in sight, Tom and Jerry began the pursuit of victory. Resisting the urge to chase each other around the large open field, the traditional comic foes drove the total upwards, Bean lifting two elegant sixes to the pavilion and Wylie unleashing a succession of handsome straight drives. Within a matter of minutes, the cat and mouse combo had added 88, Wylie moving past fifty with a rather bizarre wave of acknowledgement.
Winning the toss, The Remnants had first use of a dry wicket speckled with the occasional glimpses of green - like mold coming through on a three day-old slice of Hovis. Two Remnants players joined UCLES in the field early on, one of whom was soon replaced by the delayed Barber, resplendent in explorer beard.
Danson and Thighe produced a tidy enough opening spell, with the 'senior pro' displaying no ill-effects from the extra demands of the longer overs. Indeed, the Finance Fizzer struck in his first set of eight, Bean taking a good catch at a widish gully. Runs and wickets thereafter began to appear at a canter, with Linsdell and Danson conjuring a run-out before Danson skittled a productive if bizarrely helmeted Remnants batsman.
The impressive Bean replaced Thighe from random-goalposts end and, with the assistance of the ever-reliable Danson (down the hill, with the wind), curtailed the run-scoring. Danson was then replaced by Barber, who may wish to look away now. Struggling with a swirling wind and a leg-side boundary so short that one of the wicketkeepers' feet was beyond the rope, Barber, and indeed the pavilion roof, came under assault. Skipper Lawrence later informed Barber that he 'may have bowled him from the wrong end' - Barber's response was admirably restrained.
Siyambalapitiya restored order with an impressive set of three, whilst Linsdell bumbled an over away from the other end with the help of an umpire that appeared to have forgotten his 'wide' signal. During which, their came a moment that will live forever. The Remnants' Barber-destroying right-hander (who Linsdell had already dropped off the unfortunate Bean) flicked a leg side half-volley to deep mid-wicket where Danson produced a truly sensational catch, twisting his body like a salmon caught in carrier bag. Danson took the moment of magic in his stride, pausing slightly to re-string his truss before continuing with the game.
To disprove the one-catch-a-season theory, Danson then pouched a simple chance to give Siyambalapitiya a deserved wicket whilst Bean and Linsdell combined for the second run-out of the evening. Thighe then delivered the final over and was unfortunate to see his decent figures abused in a final onslaught by another man performing beneath a lid. As the old Chinese proverb says...beware the man with his own helmet. The final Remnants total was a gettable 133-7.
Siyambalapitiya began the chase for 134 with an elegant first-ball boundary. Briggs however was less fortunate. Backed by a run of scores that read like a thermometer in the Sahara, Briggs was awarded the traditional prize of the in-form - a first-ball duck. His absence however brought Wylie to the wicket who began dismantling the Remnants 'attack' with an economy of effort. Wylie was soon joined by Bean after Siyambalapitiya was stumped for a promising 12 and Soames had succumbed without score. And that's where the Cartoon Capers began...
Without a broom, disgruntled dog or large Jamaican woman in sight, Tom and Jerry began the pursuit of victory. Resisting the urge to chase each other around the large open field, the traditional comic foes drove the total upwards, Bean lifting two elegant sixes to the pavilion and Wylie unleashing a succession of handsome straight drives. Within a matter of minutes, the cat and mouse combo had added 88, Wylie moving past fifty with a rather bizarre wave of acknowledgement.
The dismissal of Wylie for an excellent 56 brought Linsdell to the wicket who helped Bean guide UCLES home, the game ending with the new man straightening some of the pavilion roof tiles loosened during Barber's over from Hell.
