A grey old day Cambridge day saw some grey old Cambridge cricketers convene at Fitz to relive their glory days as they took on the Remnants veterans side (a.k.a. The Senior Moments). Actually, it was a remarkably youthful Remnants line-up, with three teenagers (bizarrely, all called Oliver) and only a couple of players even in their forties. The Senior Moments, on the other hand, were all over fifty and included just two current club regulars (Les Collings and Dave Williams), so it really was a reunion.
The Senior Moments batted first and began pretty well as Mike Sneyd (16), Martin Law (16) and Dave Williams (18) all made starts. At 72/2 after 9 eight-ball overs the cricket hadn't really come alive, but there was a sense that the match was in the balance: the oldies needed to accelerate and the pups needed some wickets. As it happened we got both: Les Collings (20) came in and smashed the bowling about in a most entertaining cameo, while Alec Armstrong (1/17 on debut for the club), Oliver Waterfall (1/21) and Oliver Rex (2/17) all got their first Remnants wickets. The fielding also livened up a bit at this stage, with John Moore taking a great out-field catch (to go with his handy spell of 1/17) and a couple of three-man relay throw run outs. There was a third run out a bit later on, but the Moments' eccentric running found its fullest expression when Geoff Hales (batting with Les as his runner) broke his moorings and drifted half-way down the pitch before realising his error; after executing a turn that would have done the QE2 proud he made it safely back to dry dock just in time for a nap. The innings ended with Daniel Mortlock (1/0 to go with a couple of catches) trying but failing to get through Geoff's wall of bat and pad, the Moments eventually being all out for 116 off the final ball of the innings.
This, ominously, was the same target Remnants had failed to chase in last week's match against The CB XI and, when Les Collings (0/15) and Martyn Waterfall (1/15) kept the scoring to a bare minimum, it seemed that the same old story might play itself out yet again. Indeed, it could have been even worse, but for the fact that The Senior Moments had a flurry of senior moments, half a dozen regulation chances going to ground, some of which were so absurd as to have the spectators wondering whether it was all some tactical ploy to keep Nick Clarke, due in next, out of the game. Oliver Rex (13 off 18 balls to go with his wickets) and John Young (22 off 38 balls) seemed set to make the most of their lives, but then Jim Schwabe (2/14) and Martin Law (1/21) made a few critical breakthroughs. Combined with a great diving catch by Mike Sneyd and some disastrous running, the score was suddenly 58/5 in the 10th over -- Remnants needed an unlikely 59 off 42 balls, with just 5 wickets in hand.
Daniel Mortlock (43* off 24 balls) and Oliver Waterfall (9 off 11 balls) then set about a rescue mission, combining some big pulls with, finally, some decent running. But even the best partnership of the day didn't seem likely to be enough when the last over began with 16 needed off 8 balls. After some more scampered twos the equation had come down to 8 needed off the final two deliveries -- once again a Remnants chase was going to fall tantalisingly short. With the darkness near absolute the fielders had become largely irrelevant -- the only way they were going to stop the ball was if it hit them -- so it was mano e mano, bowler vs. batsmen. The penultimate ball was a bit wide and promptly cut to the miniscule pavilion boundary, so the game was still alive. The last ball was, well, a bit crap, a chest-high full toss, called a no ball and pulled somewhere into the blackness. Two runs plus the extra would tie the scores (a fitting result), but in the end the despairing fielder couldn't quite get his sonar working in time, and Remnants had won a last-ball thriller with, paradoxically, a ball to spare.
So for the second time this year an internal game has gone the distance. It would have been perfect if both were ties (and it was highly ironic that the only team to fail to defend 120-odd against Remnants this year was our own); as it was we just had to be content with a tremendously enjoyable game in which everyone did their bit. The general spirit of bonhomie contined afterwards at the bar, which Dave Norman, fresh out of hospital after his lawnmower altercation, heroicly operated one-handed. Dave's right hand is still in a rather impressive splint/bandage, but all indications are, you'll be pleased to know, that he should be okay before too long, without even any serious scarring. More worrying is that, in just over a decade, Dave will himself be eligible to play for The Senior Moments, and then we'll really have our work cut out for us.
