Report by Julius Rix:
Seat 7A, Coach 12
Train AVE 3943
Somewhere between Cordoba and Cuidad Real, enroute to Barcelona
16/9/2024
Dear Remnants,
It is with trepidation and fond memories that I pen this letter and match report for what is hopefully not my last game for Remnants. The trepidation for the move to Australia is compounded by the worry that I won't be able to find a cricket team to join in Brisbane anything like Remnants.
Consulting the amazing Remnants website, it was in 2004 when I was doing my PhD that George Speller invited me to come with him to nets at The Leys School. Completely intimidated initially, I certainly didn't understand how special the club is, but I started to get an inkling when certain members of the team started to give me whites so that I didn't have to turn up in vaguely white tee-shirts. 193 games later [20th most for the club - ed.] it has been part of my summer life in Cambridge. Remnants is a team where someone like me with average cricketing skills and virtually no kit can thrive and knowing that I'll get a bowl or a bat and a fun run around with a bunch of true gentlemen who won't get too upset when I do something crap. A team where a successful season is where we just win more than we lose.
And so, onto my final match for Remnants (this season).
With Dan giving me the privilege of leading the team and only adding a little stress to the major stress of packing up my house, I turned up early as Coton wanted to start as early as possible. Coton won the toss and elected to bowl, with the agreed format 15 eight-ball overs, retirements at 40 and swapping ends only after 8 overs to save time with the sunsetting early. Despite the teams mostly being there by 5:15, Coton took their merry time, and it was past 5:30 before they got started. This gave me time to rejig the batting order (having been persuaded to by Chris Badger) so that I opened alongside JP Joubert.
After a few dot balls it wasn't long before JP reached the boundary. A couple more fours in the first over and it was clear that the outfield was fast, and JP wasn't going to hang around. At the other end I flailed around until I got a thick edge and was able to get off the mark. And so it continued, with JP brutalising the Coton bowlers and one end and me not quite timing everything. A final six from JP meant he had to retire (on 40* off 22 balls) early in the 6th over. By this time, I was starting to reach the boundary with some lucky aerial shots over the infield. Cameron Petrie (bowled for 1 off 6 balls) and Chris Badger (caught for 4 off 4 balls) both fell unusually quickly, but were replaced by Seb Hammersley who started to play some beautiful shots. I had got used to Nick Johnson's donated bat and started to connect properly which meant I was able to retire (for 45* off 34 balls) with a nice slogged six off some slower bowling. Stephan Mandelbaum was then bowled (for 1 off 4 balls) by the 14-year-old Coton wicket-keeper who had swapped with another fielder the over before. Arad Sethia (18* off 16 balls) then played some lovely late cuts to complement Seb's glorious shots and it was starting to look like a very good score. Quentin Harmer (4* off 8 balls) was needed to finish off our innings with Seb inevitably needed to retire (for 42* off 29 balls).
With three retirements and 171 from our 120 balls, it was looking like our match to lose. We got off to a good start with Tim Simmance (0/18) and Paul Jordan (1/41) opening our defence, but after an initial breakthrough with Seb taking an excellent catch on the boundary to get rid of the Coton opener who looked very tidy. Unfortunately, this brought in one P. Gotherwal, who confirmed that the outfield was indeed very fast by immediately scoring 4 fours. This put their score rate above the remnants innings after 2 overs and suddenly the 171 wasn't looking like such a high score. Remnants slowly turned the screw with some good bowling and great deep fielding from Chris, Seb, Stephan and JP. Slowing things down by bowling Arad and myself also helped especially with the retirement of P. Gotherwal. Switching to even slowing bowling at the other end (now with the pink ball in the fading light) led to the next breakthrough. A top edge off Iqtedar Alam (2/32), was skyed high into the air. Quentin and Arad both went for it, with Arad shouting "Mine!" at the last minute, taking the ball cleanly . . . but unfortunately hit Quentin in the head in the ensuing collision. Despite the blow to the head, Quentin (2/38) bowled the next over. The light continued to fade, so much so that the deep fielders, especially Tim, who was a ball magnet for the last 3 overs, had to be constantly guided by Cameron from behind the stumps. A steady fall of wickets and a mounting required rate meant that when I again indulged myself, by bowling the last over, the game as all but won. With the fading light I was able to pick up a late wicket with Coton falling 13 runs short on 158/7. A thoroughly enjoyable game not only because we won but also as the opposition was great and the weather perfect despite the shorter evening.
Unfortunately, I had to get back to the packing so couldn't have a last drink after the game, so I'll have to come back soon.
It will be with fond memories like this that I will judge any teams that I look to join in Australia, but I fear that a team like the Remnants doesn't exist anywhere else. Remnants is precious, and I want to thank everyone who has made it so enjoyable over the last 20 years. I know it is in good hands and I look forward to future games when I visit the UK.