Just home from thumping The Philanderers. Had them at 27/9 and should have finished them off, but no big deal. Made pathetic pleas for help in changing room after game - pleas unsuccessful (but did manage to get a tenth player for tomorrow).
Wednesday, May 26Stuck in dull meeting in London when should be playing cricket against St Barnabas in Cambridge. Get home at 8pm as drizzle starts - hope it hasn't prevented a stirring Remnants victory.
E-mail from Les Collings just before my bed-time (and several hours after his): "The game was won by the unexpected combination of Johns Young and Richer's opening stand of 74 whilst chasing a pretty tough total." Result! But more tails of fielding woe: "My riding the outfield experience reached even greater surreal heights than usual. Tonight I managed to 'lose' (in both the trees and twilight) the usual square leg slap off Jordan snr. (catchable to a younger man!), only to make a splendid recovery by taking it cleanly on the first bounce . . . and then stepping back . . . for four runs." Note to self: put Les at silly mid-off in future.
Going to bed wanting to know the full story of glorious Remnants victory . . .
Thursday, May 27Wake up to e-mail from Paul Jordan filling in gaps. "We won with 3 overs to spare chasing down 158. Fairly average bowling performance and some ropey fielding. Standout was a great catch from John Richer off Dave Williams to get their top scorer out." First time the batting's saved us this year . . . but the fielding apparently needs work.
Apparently fielding needs even more work: "Comedy highlight was when their rather portly batsman (quite obdurate and effective) called for a single from non-striker's end - he was refused and was well and truly stranded. Andy Owen retrieved the ball off his bowling and could have crawled with it in his hand and run him out. Instead he underarmed it at the stumps with the ever vigilant Geoff Hales in attendence . . . who was struck firmly just below the knees by Andy." A poor reward for Geoff, who'd stepped in at the last moment to make up the eleven. Further note to self: be ready to call police to Brampton Road in case of dispute between neighbours.
Right: time to do some work now . . .
. . . once I've read another mini-report, this time from Dave Williams. "Good win last night - though Remnants fielding not good." Okay, basic story confirmed . . . but the elaboration "Les with mesmeric changes of pace" means everyone's favourite antiquarian book-seller was being modest again.
Most importantly, corroborating evidence of "Grotesque missed runout from Andy Owen, nearer the bowler's end than their chunky batsman, could have walked down to the stumps and run him out. Instead, he threw underarm, missed but clonked Geoff Hales (behind stumps) on the knee."
Further note to self, though: don't let bowlers umpire: "John Richer was given out LBW by Tom Jordan when John's front leg (a sweep at full stretch) was at least 2.5 metres forward from the stumps."
Right: that's enough fiddling around with cricket web-sites, now back to those ultra-high energy cosmic rays . . .
. . . once I've answered a phonecall from Geoff Hales, not calling from Addenbrookes A&E, but still with a very sore shin. More praise for John Richer's outfield catch, and also for the two Johns' opening partnership, in particular John Young's straight-driving.
Friday, May 28Never one to miss an opportunity for anecdotage, Rob Harvey filed an executive summary:
"I can confirm all that you've written. But as is so often the case, it's what's not written that's as telling as what is. I need to 'fess up to another very mediochre performance. Lack of signalling of byes and leg byes from the umpires flattered my performance behind the stumps. I think something nearer 15 was the fact of the matter. And my excuse for not going in at No. 4 above Dave Williams is quite simply that he's a much better bat then me, was also padded up and I hadn't looked at the batting order that Andy had written in the book." So now we know.
