Report by James Houlder:
Not a game for the purists, but nonetheless a very exciting couple of hours, and a stark change from the usual FAS dominance of the past couple of years. Late arrivals from FAS's travelling contingent, caused by heavy traffic in Cambridge, resulted in an engineered toss, won by the Remnants, who inserted FAS on the ever-flat Fitzwilliam deck.
Despite a strong batting line-up, the FAS soon looked in disarray, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Fortunately, Gorgeous George Houghton (50) was able to save our blushes, if not those of the spectating ladies, with a fine innings of controlled hitting and sensible judgement, and we managed to limp to 97 all-out, a sub-par score for the true pitch with a quick outfield. One might say that the obvious reason here is that after so many years under the close tutelage of Baz at the FAS Academy, Blockley only produces "proper" cricketers, unaccustomed to the barbarity of the twenty/20 format, and our shortfalls here were ruthlessly exposed by the Remnants' six-pronged "flighted", straight-break bowling attack. [FAS should, at least, have been used to that! - ed.]
So, with 97 to defend in 20 overs, and Remnants' captain (and FAS's in-house Australian) More Tea Vicar, fresh off the back of his maiden hundred a week earlier, we knew we had our work cut out from ball one. With JimJam Houlder keeping wicket, Houders (sporting a ginger beard more worthy of grizzled Celtic warrior than a yuppie advertising executive), assumed control of the field, and expertly marshalled the troops to apply constant pressure to the Remnants batting line-up. Superb bowling from the likes of White Lightening, C. Lion Esq., David and Mike Harrop, combined with an increasing complacency from the batsmen, soon saw a significant climb in the run-rate, and much to everyone's surprise, by the 15th over to FAS were very much in the ascendency. Special mention must be made of the high-quality fielding across the team, with numerous tourists already setting their stalls out for the coveted 2013 Best Fielder award [which was duly lost in the senility of the FAS committee, but more of that anon. - ed.]. In particular, Mike Harrop led the way here with an array of selfless diving stops and an excellent catch at mid-wicket. As the game hurtled towards the closing stages, the Remnants found themselves requiring over 10 an over to secure victory, and despite a final push from The Vicar and the Remnants' "pro", Dave Norman, they were unable to wrestle the game away from vice-like grip of the FAS, and with Norman stumped with three balls to go, we knew the game was ours. As the Remnants finished with 93/8, skipper Mortlock summed the game up perfectly: "How the **** did we lose that?"
In all, a tremendously exciting and pleasingly even game of cricket, and a great start to the 2013 Hawd 'n' Fawst.