The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Guide to

Touring Europe / Middle East / Subcontinent / Africa / Caribbean – where to play... where to visit...

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Making friends for life My first cricket tour was to the North York Moors. It doesn’t sound particularly glamorous. It wasn’t. It was with my Latymer School 1st XI and we stayed in little pubs and for one night six of us dossed down on the floor of a local farmer’s sitting room. It didn’t matter. It was the most fantastic trip, leaving us with indelible memories, like the little ground at Goathland where sheep had to be shifted off the outfield to enable us to play and the evening match which was interrupted by rain and had to be finished in near darkness, illuminated by the headlamps of the school minibus positioned at mid-off. The friendships we made – with the school staff who travelled and the village players we met – have lasted until this day.

And that is the real point of cricket tours. Great memories. The time we travelled to play a village in Tamil Nadu and were greeted by banners across the main road ‘welcoming England cricketers’ and a crowd of 5,000 sitting patiently under temporary awnings.

The sitting on the back of a ute until after dark at a ground in the middle of the New South Wales bush playing silly drinking games (and turning on the electric blanket in a sleeping player’s

motel room that night when the outside temperature was 30 degrees: he lost about two stone overnight.) The Maharajas palace we ended up in one night during a tour to Sri Lanka. The large rat we tried to shoo out of a Delhi cricket club dressing room until we were told: “Leave him, he’s one of the members!”

Cricket tours are the best way that I know of seeing the world and making friends. The welcomes you invariably receive – usually garlanded in Asia – the hospitality you are offered, the places you end up (often playing at Test grounds), the food you eat and the insight you get into other people’s lives is fascinating and special. It is far better than being a tourist. Cricket – the nature of the game, the time it takes and its intrinsic sociability – gets you under the skin of a country, revealing them warts and all. It gives you a real sense of place as well as some unique experiences and you make friends for life. But always remember the golden rule: what goes on tour, stays on tour… unless you are caught on camera.

SIMON HUGHES Editor @theanalyst

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Guide to

Touring Europe / Middle East / Subcontinent / Africa / Caribbean – where to play... where to visit...

On the cover

Marvel at Sri Lanka’s love of cricket in this beautiful land, the teardrop in the Indian Ocean

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BOUNCED IN BARBADOS

& adventures with Beefy Bunbury legend David English says nothing beats being on tour, even if you being bashed on the head by Sylvester Clarke’s brother, or being woken up at 4am by Sir Ian Botham My first cricket tour was to Barbados, with a team called the Southern Drifters, in 1977. I was in the music industry at the time, although I had played for Middlesex 2nds. It was organised by Norman Graham, who took more than 600 first-class wickets for Kent. He was a seamer who wore size 15 boots and seemed to drink 15 pints of lager a

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day! His co-organiser was Chris Brown, son of former England captain, Freddie, who played for Wimbledon CC. It was a three-and-a-half-week trip and we stayed in villas on Flamingo Avenue, Sunset Crest, on the West Coast.

We had a game at Banks Brewery Sports Ground, but preparation the night before was not

ideal. Norman insisted that we visited The Great Neck Club to drink, non-stop, until the sun came up.... “Come on Dave, son, you’re drinking like a budgie!” That was his catchphrase. We were also told, “You’ve got to see the sun come up!”

Sylvester Clarke’s brother, Stamford, was playing, and this was in the days before helmets.

“I’m going to hit you on the ----ing head,” he told me. Lo and behold he did, right on the side of it.

I arrived at St Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, and, in my concussed state, I tried to talk to a guy sat next to me. “I’ve just been hit on the head,” I said. The doctor came out and said, “Don’t talk to Leroy. He is dead!” Another bloke came in, wearing a red shirt. I thought he was drunk. I said, “Don’t talk to Leroy, he is dead,” to which he replied, “I’ve just been stabbed in the back!” He had been to the Belair Jazz Club, and his shirt was soaked in blood. I felt much better, sitting between the dead man and a stabbed man… it certainly took my mind off my sore head!

The doctor then said, “Cricketer in”, to which I pleaded, “but doctor, there is a dead man and a stabbed man out here!” He replied: “Cricketer more important!”

He shaved my head and inserted stitches in the wound. I said, “What now, doc? Antibiotics and no alcohol?”

He laughed and said, “No man, plenty of rum and cricket!”

I saw Stamford in the bar later, and he said: “Sorry man, nothing personal!”

I also had great fun touring with Ian Botham and Viv Richards, as the compere on the ‘King and I’ show (the poster read Viv as the ‘King’, Ian Botham as ‘I’)’.

He was a seamer who wore size 15 boots and drank 15 pints of lager a day We were in a town called Berri in South Australia. In the day Ian got his hands on the wheel of a boat on the Murray River.

He said to me, “Watch this!”, and wrapped toilet roll around his head to look like Martin Sheen’s character in Apocalypse Now. He steered our boat right into another hosting a party, sending a

band flying – the drummer and saxophonist fell into the water.

That evening for the show, a man put his hand up and asked Ian, “I have a question for the fat one, if you nick it, do you walk?’ To which Ian replied, “I tell you what mate, I’ll walk out there and put your lights out!”

The tour moved to the Middle East. Beefy’s an insomniac, and Viv came to my door at 4am pleading with me to take Ian off for a bit. Another night Ian called me at 2am. “What are you doing Loon? (he always called me Loon), it’s Uncle Beefy”. “I’m asleep!” “Rubbish,” he said, and came to my room.

“What do you want to eat?” He looked at the menu, and rang up room service. “Scampi please.

Black-forest gateau. A bottle of wine.”

“Chef gone home!”

“Rubbish, it’s a 24-hour menu! I’m coming down.”

Ten minutes later, Beefy returned with his arm around the poor concierge... In the space of a few minutes he had become Beefy’s best pal... but we never did get our scampi in the basket! n

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On the

Crusade Cricket in continental Europe owes much to the greatest of all Australian touring clubs, writes James Coyne

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The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Jonathan Campion, Crusaders Australia

Globalisation’s reputation has taken a bit of a battering since the 2008 economic crash. But it may well have been the greatest thing that ever happened to cricket in mainland Europe.

Suddenly every major capital had a British, Australian or Asian expat desperate for a slice of home.

Among the first touring sides to truly understand this was Crusaders Australia. They are a wandering club from Melbourne, founded in the heat of the World Series Cricket upheaval in 1977 by Robert ‘Swan’ Richards – a cricket ‘nuffie’ who defies definition – to give promising young cricketers in Victoria the chance to learn from wise old heads in the Melbourne district scene.

Shane Warne, Damien Fleming and Matthew Elliott are among those to have been Crusaders.

Richards, who has severe dyslexia, was taken on at the age of 12 by the former Test wicketkeeper Barry Jarman to work on behalf of Gray-Nicolls Australia. Anyone in doubt as to the effect of the Packer boom should consider that Gray-Nicolls sold an unprecedented 37,485 bats in Australia from 1977 to 1979. Richards remembers the number off the top of his head.

Crusaders, clad in blue and gold blazers, with a martlet on their crest, have been touring Britain and Ireland roughly every two years since 1995 – playing at the great grounds in the land, from Hambledon to The Grange. The Queen prefers horseracing to cricket, of course, but she and the Duke of Edinburgh still find time to watch Crusaders every time they play the Royal Household at Windsor.

Australians are famously keen on travelling, and it was Crusaders who took the first tentative steps into European cricket when pockets opened up in the 1990s. Word was put out by Simone Gambino and Andrew Simpson-Parker of the Italian and Austrian cricket boards, and Richards answered. In 1999 Crusaders took advantage of the first cheap flights around Europe to tack on games in Vienna, Velden am Wörthersee, Florence and Milan.

Tour co-ordinator Ian Scholefield is Richards’ right-hand man and a veteran of 12 Crusaders trips, and he has a rich fund of memories: “We played at some great places in Italy, and some not so good. Simone was doing a lot of interesting things at the time. We flew into Milan and played somewhere near the airport, at a soccer ground, on a rolled-out synthetic mat. The pitch was diagonal and rectangular. A lot of our guys got hit.

The walls were 10ft high with wire mesh.

“These days, Velden is a stunning ground, with a lovely pavilion. But when we first went over there, in 2001, there was nowhere to change.

I remember changing in the cornfield, with our heads peeping over the farmer’s crops.

“In Russia in 2009 we turned up to a park in St Petersburg the day before our match against

the British Embassy, and there were these two women hacking at the pitch with a motor mower.”

As you would expect from a team of serious Australian weekend cricketers, Crusaders play to win. But they manage to strike the right balance between winning and developing young cricketers – on both sides. This is the essence of touring Associate cricketing countries: knowing when to give it your all, and when to take on a missionary role by reversing the batting order, or throwing the ball to the occasional bowlers.

With immigration to the EU continuing apace, good Asian cricketers can be found in most cities. In 2011, Crusaders – fielding this writer as an English guest – pitched up at Benetton Treviso rugby club’s training ground, and were bundled out on coir matting imported from the subcontinent. Cue a stern talking-to from Richards.

“Germany is a fascinating one,” adds Scholefield. “We played in the Olympic Park at a field called Körnerplatz, but they had to move because passers-by kept getting hit by flying cricket balls. Now they play at the Maifeld,

in the shadow of the famous Olympiastadion.

In Barcelona we actually played in the Olympic Baseball Stadium. You couldn’t hit anything behind the wicket – a bit like in baseball, come to think! The home side, mostly Asian, played everything well, and were strong hitting in front.

They learned to bowl short there, and we found that tough on that surface. We got thrashed.”

But, if touring sides look hard enough, they will find handsome grounds and surroundings.

Velden, in the shadow of the Karavanks mountain range, has a billiard-table outfield and a high-quality artificial wicket. Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, near St Moritz in Switzerland’s Engadin Valley, has three pitches on a stunning complex.

Not long ago, Cricket Romania laid down the first turf wickets in Eastern Europe, at Moara Vlăsiei.

“We have also played on a turf wicket in the Loire Valley,” says Scholefield. “We were under the impression that the only place you could find turf wickets on the continent was the Netherlands and Denmark. But there are surprises around every corner.”

Where Crusaders go, others tend to follow. n

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Sun and cricket closer to home One does not have to venture to traditional Test-playing haunts to go on tour: European venues Croatia, Cyprus, Spain and Jersey are just short flights away

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The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Croatia

Best Time to Tour So stunning is the Pre-season (but the Croatian coastline climate is reliable all – the jewel of the year) Adriatic, no less – that Price £400–800pp it is hardly surprising that hungry cricketers chose to set down stumps in this rocky paradise.

Perhaps the only surprise is that it happened as long ago as 1811, when a Royal Navy squadron captained by Sir William Hoste defeated the French at the Battle of Lissa during the Napoleonic Wars. Hoste wrote to his mother: “We have established a cricket club at this wretched place, and when we do get anchored for a few hours, it passes away an hour very well.” So when Croatian-Australians and New Zealanders returned to their ancestral homeland in the 1990s, they honoured Hoste by naming their new cricket club on the island of Vis (also a wartime hideaway of Tito, leader of the Yugoslav Partisans) after Hoste. William Hoste CC play at Plisko Polje – one of the few cricket grounds in the world entirely surrounded by a vineyard.

The scoreboard is formed from an old wine barrel, and sun-drenched cricketers can retire to the Konoba restaurant next door owned by club president Oliver Roki. Vis also hosts an international sixes tournament each May. There is no shortage of opposition on the Croatian mainland either, with clubs in Split, where Sir Oliver CC play at a ground near the airport, and Zagreb, home of Hrvatski Sokol CC (terrific teas). Sokol’s founder and captain, Jeff Grzinic, also launched the Mediterranean Cricket League, and has written a book, Machine Guns and Cricket Bats, on his experiences. Organised tours to Vis and Split are available through Frozen Tomato Events.

Cyprus

Long hot summers, mild winters – sounds like a cricketer’s paradise. With its delightful Mediterranean climate that is exactly what Cyprus is turning out to be. Having long been a location for the more social touring sides, it now offers great facilities and a good standard of cricket for a wider range of club sides. The variety of bars, restaurants and more late-night options will always mean good fun is had by all, the virtual guarantee of sunshine allows you to get your fair share of cricket in as well. Nicosia – the capital – and Limmasol are the two biggest cities on the island. The latter provides a good base for the less cricketBest Time to Tour inclined among Pre-season (but the us and was third climate is reliable all on TripAdvisor’s year) Destinations on the Rise Price £500–700pp back in 2014.

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The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Spain

Spain has long been a popular destination for clubs and schools. Offering an affordable and convenient spot for some warm-weather training before the season gets under way.

Both Desert Springs and La Manga offer superb facilities – with Desert Springs boasting mainland Europe’s only resort-based grass-net facility. The Balearic island of Majorca can offer a slightly more relaxed touring environment, perfect for adult teams looking for a more spirited break.

The England team, among many others, have regularly used Spain as a warm-weather training base in the run-up to an English summer or a winter tour – including one such jaunt in Lanzarote. There are many opportunities to tour in conjunction with a number of other groups

Jersey

The most southerly of the Channel Islands. Probably best known for Bergerac and tax-avoidance, but as an Associate Member of the ICC it gives you a chance to test your skills against an international cricketplaying nation. A short flight from the UK means it is a perfect spot for a long weekend tour at the end of the season and has always proved popular with touring schools. Scenic beaches and great seafood, combined with some of the best facilities outside of the first-class circuit, makes it a great location to take a side.

Despite being the largest of the Channel Islands, it is still only nine miles by five. This means travelling around is probably easier than any

Best Time to Tour April to September Price £250–650pp

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Best Time to Tour Pre-season (but the climate is reliable all year) Price £300–500pp

Fun boy three: Knight, Atherton and Hollioake (A) and attend one of the cricket festivals or training camps. Not only will this give you competitive cricket outside of the regular season, but is usually at a lower, fixed cost.

of the other destinations in this guide. In Farmers Field, you have a ground that 20 years ago, as the name suggests, was an agricultural field belonging to Jimmy Perchard. A labour of love, it is now a fantastic and sole-purpose cricket ground – as well as being particularly hospitable to touring sides.

Due to the proximity of the neighbouring Channel Islands, it is possible to build in a day-trip away from Jersey, to fit in a game. There is a friendly (fiercely) competitive rivalry between Jersey and Guernsey – the two biggest islands – and the yearly inter-insular is always a spritely affair.

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The Cricket Performance Centre is world class with 18 grass nets, 5 astro nets, 2 grass pitches and a range of other great facilities.

Matches can be arranged both against the Spanish Academy and other touring teams from the UK and across Europe.

It is the ideal year round destination for any cricket tour and we also organise training camps with top professional coaches, pro-am competitions and several tournaments throughout the year for both clubs and schools.

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Abu Dhabi

Like Dubai, millions have been invested in sporting infrastructure in Abu Dhabi. Also like Dubai it offers excellent cricket weather all year round. It is home to the impressive Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium. Built in 2005. It has been hosting international matches for more than a decade. Many tours are organised to include a match at the stadium – usually in conjunction with another school or club – under floodlights.

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Abu Dhabi Cricket has been tasked with improving the game within the region, and is ably supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

They are therefore encouraging of visiting sides, with the provision of excellent facilities.

This was highlighted by MCC choosing it as the host location for the MCC v champion county pre-season match for the last eight seasons, which usually runs alongside a T20 pre-season tournament for a number of first-class counties.

Best Time to Tour There are many October to May options outside of Price £1,500–2,000 playing time. Desert safaris are popular – either by jeep or camel, and while you cannot get behind the wheel of an F1 car, the racetrack is a good option for an excursion. With the Middle East being far more accessible with a number of low-cost carriers now offering routes, it is a great place to go for some pre-season training.

The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Magical Middle East With a burgeoning passion for the game developing in the area, and guaranteed good weather and outstanding facilities, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are wonderful places for touring sides from the UK to visit

Dubai

There are probably few destinations in the world that offer such stark contrasts, within such a small area. Ancient mosques stand close to glass monoliths, showcasing the vast amount of wealth that comes through the state on a yearly basis.

With the ICC headquarters being housed in Dubai, there is a strong association with cricket in this part of the world. You will therefore be greeted by fantastic facilities, competent and

keen opposition and Best Time to Tour virtually guaranteed October to May sunny weather.

Price £1,500–2,000 In recent years it has become a very popular destination for schools, with a number of festivals being held which include the unique opportunity to play in day/ night fixtures. Dubai’s much lauded Sport City contains the ICC Global Academy, which has produced some excellent facilities. n

There is a passion for the game in the UAE

thecricketer.com | 17

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Start planning about 18 months to two years before departure

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Work out your budget and be realistic in what you aim for

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Speak to other clubs or schools – it is always good to get first-hand feedback from your counterparts

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Be honest about your level of play – some countries

(such as St Lucia and Malaysia) are better suited to developing teams, while others (such as Australia and Sri Lanka) can offer top-level competition

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Work out what your tour objectives and priorities are – is it a performance or reward tour – is it fully sport focused, or a cultural tour with some sport?

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If you’re planning a tour for a school or junior age group, ensure you travel within the playing season of your chosen destination

and if you are looking for school fixtures, make sure the schools are not on holiday!

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Give parents/guardians and players lots of notice to save up and also give them the option to ask questions on the chosen destination. Travel companies should be willing to come and do a presentation to parents, for example on a parents’ evening, or for clubs one evening

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Decide if you will fundraise or not – and if you do, set up a committee nice and early to make a plan

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Ensure you are covered for Health & Safety/Risk Assessment both internally by your school’s trip co-ordinator or club secretary, and that your chosen travel company is externally audited for its H&S practices

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Finally…book with an established company that is fully bonded to ensure your money is safe and secure. Gullivers is ABTA, ATOL and IATA bonded, as well as STF and LoTC accredited

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Islands of fun in the sun

West Indies’ displays may be inconsistent but cricket in the Caribbean, in Antigua, Barbados or Jamaica, still makes for a magical touring experience 20 | thecricketer.com

The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Antigua

Like many of the other Caribbean islands, cricket is the most popular sport in Antigua. This is in no small part down to it being the birthplace of one Sir Vivian Richards. Along with other legends such as Sir Andy Roberts and Sir Curtly Ambrose, it is easy to see the impact world-class cricketers have had on this island.

Due to the popularity of the sport, fixtures (and competitive ones at that) are not hard to come by, and no matter what time of year you will always be overloaded with options. Two of the most famous innings of all time took place in Antigua, Brian Lara flogging the England attack to all parts as he made his way to his world-record 375 in 1993/94 and 400 not out in 2003/04. Depending on timings, there is the opportunity to play a match

at the famous old Antigua Best Time to Tour Recreation ground that January to April hosted these knocks.

Price £1,800– Exhausted from chasing 2,400pp leather around in the heat, there are plenty of more relaxing options to include in any tour to Antigua. A private catamaran cruise always offers a good day out, along with at least two or three lobster-style sun tans. Dinner up at Shirley Heights is a lovely way to spend an evening, looking out over English Harbour and enjoying some excellent food. Being an island, beaches and water sports are never too far away and the warm sea should mean even the most reluctant seafarer may be tempted into being thrown off a banana boat.

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The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Jamaica

An overseas tour is the ultimate christening for any cricketer. And what better to place to be anointed than the island of Jamaica, an intoxicating mix of the old and the new; the cultured and the colourful. A chance, yes, to bask in some of cricket’s proud history, but also – perhaps more importantly – enjoy a bit of a party, calypso style.

Jamaica is an island bustling with Caribbean culture and adventure. In your free time, be sure to explore the world famous Blue Mountains, indulge in the diverse music scene – even visit the house of Bob Marley – or, for the more statically inclined, spend an afternoon reclined on the famous Seven Miles beach; can of Red Stripe in hand, Jerk chicken on the barbie.

The island is hot all year round, but can be wet. The rainy season lasts between May and November, making it the perfect destination for an off-season tour – although winter is peak tourist season. To avoid lengthy rain delays, set

up camp in the south, the Best Time to Tour driest region of the island January to April by some distance.

Price £1,600–2,200 On the pitch, conditions favour the batsmen. The low, slow modern Caribbean tracks are hard toil for bowlers. The standard of club cricket is probably down on 10–20 years ago, which is a good thing for medical bills. Nevertheless, the first port-ofcall for the skipper is to seek out a fixture against Melbourne CC, a famous side that has produced 13 West Indies international, and nursed over 800 Test wickets – courtesy mainly of Michael Holding and Courtney Walsh.

And should you wish to broaden your cricketing education further, be sure to explore Sabina Park – Jamaica’s most famous ground and only Test venue – the scene of Garry Sobers’ then-world record 365, countless other great West Indian achievements and, less good for the home side, Steve Harmison’s 7 for 12 in 2003/04.

Jamaica’s legendary quick, Courtney Walsh

Barbados Barbados is a name synonymous with cricket tours. Located in the East of the Caribbean it is one of the most popular global touring destinations – for good reason. With miles of sandy white beaches, turquoise-coloured seas and palm trees at just the right angle, it is a postcard destination. It also has one of the richest cricketing histories in the region. From the Three Ws in the 1950s and Sir Garfield Sobers to the fast-bowling production line of later years, Barbados has always been a hotbed of cricket.

Not surprisingly cricket is the No.1 sport on the island. No matter what standard team you are, there will always be willing and well-

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matched competition – and no shortage Best Time to Tour of old heads on the boundary offering January to April advice. With a number of tour operators Price £1,200–2,000 offering package deals and/or multi-team tournaments, there are a plethora of options to suit all budgets. The Kensington Oval is the Test ground on the island and a great place to watch a day’s cricket, should your dates coincide with a match being scheduled. Outside of this you have stunning golf courses, beachside restaurants, a vibrant nightlife and the rolling quiet of hiking in the hills to keep you occupied.

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The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Time to start paying attention to the Caribbean Premier League Sofia Westaby says West Indian cricket is alive and kicking, especially In St Lucia The prevailing view of the day is that Caribbean cricket is nigh-on dead. Or at least unable to compete with track and field or football.

CPL/Sportsfile

In 2016 this was challenged when West Indies achieved short-format world domination, winning the men’s and women’s World T20, and the Under-19 World Cup. The world has been wowed by the skills of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy and newer names like Carlos Brathwaite. With this kind of pedigree at hand, the jewel in the region’s crown – the Caribbean Premier League – maybe needs more of our attention.

I was apprehensive that it might be too brash or commercial. Far from it.

What the CPL has done is position itself as a vehicle for West Indian culture, embracing the unique make-up of each of the six Caribbean regions represented.

It is vibrant. The grounds ooze in the sounds, sights and food of the region.

Blocks of home games played by each team in their respective country provide a logical sequence. It also gives opportunity for fans, and visitors, to get behind each side, pilling into grounds across the Caribbean, to produce an

atmosphere for live cricket that I simply have never experienced before.

Attending only the St Lucia leg, I made it my mission to discover just how crazy for cricket these people are. “Are you watching the cricket?” I asked every person I came across. The answer unanimously was “yes”.

A deceptively engaged audience I armed myself with a stat or two for each trip to the hotel restaurant. The waiters and waitresses wanted to talk CPL, the World T20 final, or even West Indies’ Test form (let’s perhaps gloss over their failure to qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy).

St Lucians, in particular, have a lot to cheer about. Sammy, the only cricketer to captain a side to two World T20 titles – is the first professional from the island. Hot on his heels comes Johnson Charles, the dynamic short-form opener.

But this did not stop ticket sales at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground – renamed in his honour, alongside the Johnson Charles Grand Stand – from being slow. The first two St Lucia Zouks clashes failed to fill their stadium. That is down to Carnival, I was told; the St

Lucians have spent their money. And also perhaps because their side had been playing poorly.

Nonetheless, it was like no cricket match I have witnessed in England. Two man-of-the-match performances from Sammy brought back the crowds: 59 off 35 – having come in with his team 115 for 5 – against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, then 3 for 18 to restrict the Barbados Tridents to just 137. Returning to my hotel I soon learned that a sparse crowd does not equal a poor following. “It was live on TV, of course I watched it!” “Did you see Sammy?” were just some of the remarks from the staff.

The CPL might be doing an excellent job at exciting the Caribbean and beyond – the USA leg at Lauderhill, Florida, drew capacity crowds – but across the pond there is little recognition. This in spite of the fact that the CPL was the only cricket on British free-to-air television in 2016, with Dave showing pre-recorded and live games.

British audiences and tourists should remember that nothing in the Caribbean is half-hearted. The CPL is well worth a watch, and the Caribbean well worth a visit.

Top games and game reserves In South Africa and Kenya tourists find tough opponents on the field, great hospitality off it, and the chance for unforgettable wildlife encounters

South Africa

South Africa has been a production line of cricket since they became the third Test nation in the winter of 1888/89. From brilliant batsmen like Graeme Pollock and Barry Richards, and Robin Smith and Allan Lamb, who left to play for England, through to fast bowlers Peter Pollock, Mike Procter and Neil Adcock, the game has been historically popular. Since the collapse of apartheid, Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Jacques

26 | thecricketer.com

Kallis, Graeme Smith and Dale Steyn kept the international game alive, and – upliftingly – a new generation of black African stars are emerged, including Makhaya Ntini, Kagiso Rabada and Temba Bavuma.

Touring sides in South Africa are guaranteed a high standard of opposition and top-class facilities. With South Africa being a proud nation, there have been tales of visiting teams winning the first match of the tour, to then be confronted

Best Time to Tour by a couple of ex-pros October to May with the new ball in Price £1,700–2,300 the second game.

While this may have been embellished a little, there is no doubt that all games will prove as competitive as the touring side wants. However once off the field, you will no doubt be treated to a braai with the opposition and an excellent level of hospitality.

The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Kenya

Kenya is a bit off the radar when it comes to cricket touring destinations, but what you will find is patriotic and competitive teams, fantastic weather and an off-field experience unlikely to be recreated anywhere in the world.

Cricket is the second-most popular sport in the country, and they have been moderately successful, competing in the World Cup since 1996 (before that they were East Africa). Steve Tikolo was their longstanding star batsman. With Nairobi hosting the majority of ODIs, this is a great place to spend the majority of your playing

With Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban all providing great bases to play cricket – as well as being culturally diverse – you have a number of options to choose a base. Cape Town proves the most popular with spectacular Table Mountain and the Cape itself providing stunning vistas.

Like Kenya, South Africa is also famous for its wildlife. Cheetah sanctuaries, beaches teeming with penguins and private game reserves all provide unique experiences. n

The beautiful Cape Town coastline

tour. Kenya play in the Best Time to Tour World Cricket League October to May and the top division is of a Price £1,600–2,200 good standard.

Kenya, of course, is famous for its wildlife, so the option to build in a safari to the tour is something that should not be passed up. The Maasai Mara is world famous for its abundance of wildlife – including the ‘big 5’ (elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo and rhino).

Many tours will offer the option of including a visit to the reserve.

Newlands under Table Mountain

Best Time to Tour October – May Price £ £ £ £

thecricketer.com | 27

Shots and spin on the subcontinent Experience unrivalled passion for the game and wondrously exotic conditions if you take your touring side to Sri Lanka, India or Nepal

28 | thecricketer.com

The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Sri Lanka An increasingly popular destination, for schools in particular, Sri Lanka offers value for money and a great cultural experience. The popularity of cricket cannot be underestimated and this is probably why the international team continue to punch above their weight – particularly in limited-overs cricket. It would not be uncommon for a crowd to develop watching a club or school game, especially featuring a visiting team.

For a relatively small island, it has a diverse climate, meaning you can visit across most of the year. However, most will choose between October and April, as it falls well for pre-season.

This will mean a predominantly east-coast visit. Arriving in Colombo will hit you with the

noise and bustle and Best time coinciding with an to tour international match September– is a great idea. Galle December Fort is a popular & early spring destination: it is a Price £1,500–2,200pp world heritage site.

Off-field activities include heading along the south coast and surfing near the famous stilt fishermen in Welligama.

From a cricket development perspective it allows players to experience wickets and conditions they will have never seen and are the antithesis of England: sweltering conditions, dusty pitches and attacking batsmen.

thecricketer.com | 29

The Cricketer Guide to Touring

India

Cricket in India has been justifiably compared to a religion. The big names like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are treated as deities and are mobbed whenever they appear in public.

It was documented that the former allegedly employed a team of lookalikes just to get a moment’s rest.

With cricket played all over this vast country, you have a few options when you choose your touring base. There are world-class facilities all over. From Feroz Shah Kotla, M Chinnaswamy to Eden Garden and Wankhede, visitors travelling to explore the sporty side of India may often get a first-hand chance to witness the madness that is associated with playing cricket in the most popular stadiums of the country.

India is also home to some of the finest cricket academies of the world, which have been training young cricketers under the influence of some of the biggest names of Indian cricket. The Sehwag Cricket Academy, based primarily out of Delhi, is

Best time to tour Sept– Dec & early spring Price £1,800– 2,500pp

Youngsters play on the Maidan in Kolkata

one such institution that has been in operation since 2011.

If you time your touring schedule right, you would be wise to build in a trip to one of the fixtures in the IPL. This heady cocktail of cinema and cricket was somewhat confusing in the initial years of its inception, but gradually gained acceptance in the eyes of the Indian audience,

who were accustomed to one-day matches and Tests. After a decade, with a plethora of brand names attached to the game, the reunion of some of the biggest names in sports, the unveiling of unknown and raw talents in India and elsewhere, the journey of IPL has managed to capture the imagination of the world like no other.

All the major cities are well served by all the international airlines. There are direct flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. The other cities such as Goa, Kolkata, Kochi and Jaipur are served by middleeastern airlines with a pit stop in either of Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha.

Information on India provided by Rahul Ranjan of Indebo Sports, a company that helps schools make the most out of India. For more information contact gill@moulden-marketing.co.uk

Nepal A long-standing participant in ICC Associate tournaments, and recently involved in the World Cricket League Championship (although they did succumb to relegation). The Cricket Association of Nepal was founded in 1946, and although the game is mainly situated around Kathmandu, you will still find passionate and knowledgeable players across the capital.

While not offering the spread of games and differing conditions as an India, Nepal offers a completely unique experience of playing the game. From the moment you fly in, a landing which is considered the

30 | thecricketer.com

most difficult in the world by many airline pilots, Best time you sense the enormity of the Himalayas – a to tour sentence not often associated with cricket.

September– The MCC toured Nepal in 2015 – following the December & earthquakes that shook the region – and were early spring suitably impressed with the talent and enthusiasm Price £1,600–2,400 of the local players. With the Tribhuvan University ground drawing incredible crowds when Nepal play, teams will want to get a fixture in at this central ground.

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Discover a thriving, cricket loving Island with Red Dot Tours Red Dot Tours (www.reddottours.com) were proclaiming the attractions of Sri Lanka for the cricket traveller – favouring it to other venues such as the Caribbean, Australia and South Africa – long before the island became one of the hottest travel destinations in the world.

It was a love for cricket that was first behind Red Dot’s formation at the turn of the century and since then they have grown into one of the leading companies for tailor-made holidays in Sri Lanka.

Now they are restating the love for cricket that attracted them to the island in the first place with the development of a specialist sports division - organising tailor-made tours on behalf of clubs, schools and travelling supporters.

Nobody knows this beautiful teardrop island more intimately.

As Sri Lanka specialists, Red Dot directly sell and ground-handle all their own tours and holidays from their headquarters in Colombo, which allows them justifiably to claim to be among the most price-conscious of companies offering cricket tours to Sri Lanka.

All bookings are made with their UK company,

so offering the full protection of UK law and an ATOL licence from the Civil Aviation Authority for total peace of mind.

Red Dot offers a collection of more than 400 carefully-vetted properties, all of them regularly checked, ranging from the most luxurious escapes on the island to the smartest little budget properties around. That enables you to tour Sri Lanka at the price and quality you want.

Expertise in arranging holidays, and wide choice of accommodation at keen prices, also makes Red Dot’s parent company in Sri Lanka, TFG, a chosen ground agent for many famous names in the travel industry.

Subject to availability, clubs and schools touring with Red Dot get the chance to play at a selection of Sri Lanka’s top-class international venues, such as the Galle International Stadium, the SCC Colombo and the Pallekele Stadium.

Top venues are in heavy demand these days, and plans in Sri Lanka can change at a moment’s notice, which means that a company with widespread contacts and first-hand knowledge is more important than ever.

Individually-designed tours are further

enhanced by a liaison officer and tour assistant, and Red Dot offers the services of expert coaches at the island’s top training facilities.

Travelling cricket supporters also benefit from our close relationships with hotels, the local knowledge of our driver guides and our prime access to the best match tickets.

Plans for England’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2018 are already well underway and travellers on individually-designed tours will have the option of attending special events to make their stay even more enjoyable.

Red Dot does not just stop at the cricket.

The company offers an expanding range of activities and experiences to make your holiday just a little bit more special.

Away from the pitch, explore stunning beaches, the heritage of the Cultural Triangle and the spectacular hill-country. Visit one of the island’s game parks, try a variety of water sports, and play golf on some of Asia’s finest courses.

The island is thriving – and with Red Dot you can discover it for yourselves.

Enquiries@reddottours.com or call +44 870 231 7892 or +94 11 789 5810 .

Do you come from a land down under?

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The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Cricket tours to Australasia are far more accessible than the days of spending six weeks on a ship, and they can be unforgettable experiences. Taking a side to face our antipodean cousins at any level will provide fiercely competitive matches on the field and first-class hospitality off it.

Huw Turbervill recalls lessons learned from England cricketers in Ashes series since the War 1946/47 – ENGLAND LOST 3-0

Don’t drink beer straight after a day in the field.

After bowling 158.6 eight-ball overs in the first innings of the first Test at the Gabba, the teams shared a keg in the dressing room, which was just a corrugated iron hut with no air conditioning.

Even though it was in a bucket of ice, beer is not good for rehydration (alas). England also had an old squad (only three under 30, and old fellas cannot handle their booze like the youngsters); they had hardly played any cricket during the War unlike the Aussies; and the management also gave them worsted-wool suits. What were they thinking of?

1950/51 – LOST 4-1

Make sure England are well fed before they go. “There was still rationing in England [until 1954], but there were no remnants of the War in Australia,” said Brian Close. “The amateurs wanted to enjoy the cricket. I had never been out of England before. I could not understand the scene. They played to the best of their ability, but after play they wanted to enjoy the hospitality.”

1954/55 – WON 3-1

Take somebody darn quick and hope the Aussies hit him early doors. Frank Tyson was struck by Ray Lindwall at Sydney. He was “very angry”, and bowled the “quickest [Tom Graveney] had seen”.

He took 28 at 20.82. The hosts didn’t like it up ’em.

1958/59 – LOST 4-0

Beware the draggers (and hope the authorities do not change the front-foot no-ball Law before the series starts). A recent book, Front Foot! The Law That Changed Cricket, by Doug Ackerly, says such a step is needed to protect quicks from injury. Peter May and Co would argue differently, with bowlers like Lindwall, Gordon Rorke and Ian Meckiff – not needing to worry where their front foot went down in those days – delivering from 18 yards away.

1962/63 – DREW 1-1

Do not let cliques develop in the tour party.

On this trip the amateurs never invited the professionals to dinner. The amateurs also nabbed the four cars given to them. Ray Illingworth was forced out of his sickbed to field

for Colin Cowdrey because he wanted to go to the cinema.

1965/66 – DREW 1-1

Beware planes! This was the first time England travelled all the way by jet, and author EM Wellings said ‘viral diseases’ picked up on the flight hindered the cause.

1970/71 – WON 2-0

Don’t put your pace ace on the boundary.

John Snow bounced Terry Jenner and was manhandled by a fan. Then bottles were thrown.

Stick him at mid-on instead.

1974/75 – LOST 4-1

Pack the right equipment. David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd had only ‘a little pink plastic box’ against Jeff Thomson. “It cracked open and what I had inside fired through before it snapped shut again like a guillotine coming down.” He retired hurt. Captain Mike Denness said: “As the plane left Australia for New Zealand, some of the lads said they were glad to get out alive.”

1978/79 – WON 4-1

Catch the Aussies when they were weak. The first team had been poached by Packer. England’s nickname for captain Graeme Yallop was ‘Banzai’ – “he was all up and at ’em, attack and attack. He was all talk,” said JK Lever.

1982/83 – LOST 2-1

Don’t be persuaded into giving Australia first use of a belter. Ian Botham told Bob Willis to do just that in the third Test at Adelaide and Australia won by eight wickets. The papers called Willis ‘Father Christmas’.

1986/87 – WON 2-1

Don’t peak too early. England were abject in the warm-ups, prompting Martin Johnson to famously write: “There are only three things wrong with the English team – they can’t bat, they can’t bowl, and they can’t field.” Making him eat his words, England won the Tests, Perth Challenge and World Series. Also, make sure you have a good DJ for the victory parties. England had Elton John.

1990/91 – LOST 3-0

Take the right antibiotics. Graham Gooch split his finger in practice in Perth. It became infected by a ‘rare but lethal organism’. He nearly lost his hand.

England lost any hope.

1994/95 – LOST 3-1

Refuse to play in a tournament involving Australia and their B team (called Australia A).

Humiliatingly the tourists saw both homes sides make the one-day final at their expense. When England practised at Sydney the music for The Muppet Show played over the loudspeakers.

1998/99 – LOST 3-1

Don’t get too hot. Only ‘mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun’, and with Gooch as manager it was no surprise that England trained too hard. The hosts laughed as England performed sprint routines, while they stretched and consumed energy drinks.

2002/03 – LOST 4-1

“When you win the toss – bat. If you are in doubt, think about it, then bat. If you have big doubts, consult a colleague – then bat.” Nasser Hussain ignored this old advice, giving first use to the Aussies at Brisbane. He will never live it down.

2006/07 – LOST 5-0

Don’t be over-defensive. In the second Test at Adelaide, England were spellbound by Shane Warne. They made 70 for 9 in 54 overs, giving Australia time to go 2-0 up.

2010/11 – WON 3-1

Hope Australia’s matchwinners are out of form.

Mitchell Johnson (save for Perth) had a mare, and the hosts had no spinner of note. Pick a strong squad: Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan were supersubs.

2013/14 – LOST 5-0

Console yourselves that it cannot be as bad as last time (can it?). “I’ve been on a few bad tours of Australia – both as a player and observer – and this is the worst because of the scale of the defeats against what I don’t think will be perceived as a great Australian side,” said Mike Atherton. Things can only get better!

thecricketer.com | 33

Touring = most fun ever Is anything more fun than going on cricket tour?

Some people may say sex, but then some tours have even been known to include a bit of that on the itinerary. What goes on tour stays on tour and all that.

I led my (very) recreational club on its 13th annual tour to Suffolk this summer. Three games in three days. OK, OK, not the longest trip. We are not exactly talking MCC in Australia and New Zealand 1946/47 here. More a mini-break. It was still wonderful to play at two fabulous grounds, and talk cricket, cricket and more cricket with about 50 friends.

Woodbridge School is a lovely venue, and on Sunday we played at the sublime Little Lord’s, owned

by Framlingham College. It is at the bottom of a very green, plush valley, next to a river, and in the shadow of the castle that Ed Sheeran likes singing about.

There were lots of questions about The Cricketer, what Simon Hughes is like to work with, whether people in the press box are good blokes and so on. I was also spoilt with choice anecdotes and theories from people who truly love the game.

I found out Tom Westley played in Woodbridge and Old Woodbridgians’ cricket week about 13 years ago. He made a composed Test debut against South Africa at The Oval before his form tailed off, and I was told he looked equally assured in Suffolk. It was a grisly afternoon, and the hosts and Westley’s side, West Suffolk Wanderers, thought about abandoning it as they kicked footballs; but a majority – and especially an enthusiastic Westley – were determined to play. The pitch was skiddy, it was drizzly and he was facing two lively young bowlers, good club quicks. Apparently he played sumptuously, making 60-odd in 10 overs.

Other topics of conversation included: Would James Vince (in an observer’s opinion the most elegant English batsman around) have another chance? (He has). Is James Anderson on his last legs? (39 Test wickets at 14.10 this summer suggests not). Whether people were pre-emptors (they don’t play regular cricket because they are going to get grief for it); or soakers (they play and accept the consequences)?

I heard a funny story from a team-mate. At a dinner party he was talking cricket with a new acquaintance, who admitted that he was having a poor season. “You haven’t troubled the scorers much then?” said my friend. He gave him a look of horror (not hearing that expression before). “Who told you that?” Apparently he had been having an affair with the team’s scorer for six months.

I wrote a piece about sledging reaching epidemic levels in recreational cricket in August. Judging by mail received, it struck a chord. It occurs to me that a lot of club cricket can barely be called ‘recreational’. The dictionary definition is “relating to or denoting activity done for enjoyment when one is not working.” One man’s meat is another man’s poison, of course. Some like being sworn at and swearing back. But true recreational cricket for me is like the games I played on tour. Mates loafing about, chatting, praising; a bit of gentle mickey taking (Rupert had not batted on the Friday and Saturday, so opened on the Sunday, was hit in the box first ball by a 16-year-old girl only to see the ball bounce on to his stumps)… but nothing more offensive than that.

I spent four hours on the Sunday doing exactly this.

I bowled just nine balls, and did not bat. Yet I came away entirely satisfied. That is why there is no other game like cricket.

Huw Turbervill

Mates loafing about, chatting and a bit of gentle mickey taking

34 | thecricketer.com

The Cricketer Guide to Touring

Travel Operators Directory Rayburn Tours – Sports Tours for Schools Website: www.rayburntours.com/sports-tours/ Contact Number: 01332 347 828 Email: sport@rayburntours.com Destinations Covered: Barbados, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, India, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand & more

Inspire Sport Website: www.inspiresport.com/tours/cricket/ Contact Number: 02920 390 747 Email: info@inspiresport.com Destinations Covered: Caribbean, New Zealand, Australia and Dubai

Burleigh Travel Website: www.burleightravel.co.uk/cricket/ Contact Number: 01453 755 733 Email: sales@burleightravel.co.uk Destinations Covered: Worldwide – including Argentina, New Zealand, Jamaica, Hong Kong, South Africa and Dubai

Preston Reid Website: www.prestonreid.com/SportsTours/ CricketSouthAmerica.aspx Contact Number01347 889 332 Email: info@prestonreid.com Destinations Covered: South America – Guyana, Brazil & Chile

Sports Travel South West Website: www.sportstravelsouthwest.co.uk Contact Number: 01736 797 168 Email: enquiries@stsw.co.uk Destinations Covered: UK Tours – Cornwall, Cheltenham and Eastbourne

Edwin Doran Website: www.edwindoran.com/ Contact Number: 020 3051 3719 Email: ed@edwindoran.com Destinations Covered: Worldwide – Barbados, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand

Top Order Cricket Tours Website: www.topordercrickettours.co.uk/ Email: enquiry@topordertours.co.uk Destinations Covered: UK Tour Specialists International Cricket Tours Website: www.internationalcrickettours.co.uk/ Contact Number: 0203 824 8444 Destinations Covered: Caribbean and South Africa

Travel Places Website: www.travelplaces.co.uk Contact Number: +44 (0)1903 832861 Email: clubsandschools@travelplaces.co.uk Destinations Covered: Worldwide- Inc. Cyprus, Malta, Kenya, Antigua, Sri Lanka, Barbados & Namibia

Smile Travel Website: www.smile-group-travel.com/sports Contact Number: 01708 893250 Destinations Covered: Barbados, Sri Lanka, Spain, South Africa & Argentina

Absolute Travel Website: www.absolutetravel.co.uk Contact Number: 01279 647566 Email: tours@absolutetravel.co.uk Destinations Covered: La Manga, Barbados, South Africa

Halsbury Sport Website: www.halsbury.com/sport/ Contact Number: 0115 9407 189 Email: sport@halsbury.com Destinations Covered: Sri Lanka, South Africa, India & Dubai

Desert Springs Resort Website: - www.desertspringscricket.com Contact Number: - +34 950 091 518 Email: - info@desertspringsresort.es Destination Covered: - Almeria, Andalucía Spain

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