Report by Tom Serby:
The St John's College Long Vacation XI hosted this Remnants' tour match to West Cambridge - a pleasant change of scenery albeit tempered by having to cope with a far trickier batting surface than we are used to, not that SJCCC found it that tricky amassing 135/3 in their allotted 20 overs batting first. Perfidious Remnant Richard Rex claiming ancient Johnian academic connections helped put on 82 for the first wicket, but it was not until the St John's number 3 batsman (whose arrival at the wicket it transpired we had done well to postpone) that a total of potentially matchwinning proportions loomed. Faruk Kara's 2 death overs (1/26) of immaculate line and length, as can be the way in slogs, were expensive, the 20th over conceding 19 runs including 2 straight sixes. Earlier, Remnants had opened the bowling with an attack with a combined age of 27: Felix Serby (4-0-21-0) and Harvey Hughes (also 4-0-21-0), who both contained well. Mana Pandurangan, with figures of 3-0-12-0 (not Mana from heaven in skipper Paul Jordan's books when he arrived 5 overs into the game) kept things tight, while John Moore (2-0-16-0) and Matt Hughes (2-0-17-0) struggled with their line. Paul Jordan (3-0-20-1) bowled well at the death. Felix Serby patrolling the deep leg boundary to the spinners saved numerous runs with some excellent diving stops and raking throws in, as did Rob Harvey with some fine stops in the covers; Serby medium, Samuel, keeping wicket, had a hand in all 3 dismissals, 2 catches and a run out.
Remnants' reply got off to a steady start, Tom Serby (11 off 16) and Mana (20 off 27) putting on 33 for the second wicket after Andy Bell's early departure (which illustrated the importance of foot movement with the odd ball keeping low). With wickets falling regularly the target slowly assumed impossible proportions, apart from a brief passage when John Moore struck 17 (off 12 balls) with some sturdy leg-side biffing. Samuel Serby (13 off 18) and Felix Serby (12* off 16) stole quick singles in company with Faruk (9 off 15) who was getting a workout he might not have anticipated.
So another loss, but at least no one engaged in any spike-wearing on the splendid wooden flooring of the St John's pavilion.