France gained a great confidence boost for the Championships in Canada from recent victories over Switzerland and a good performance against Belgium in the traditional May matches. The beautiful Thoiry ground near Paris was the scene of the outstanding performances against Switzerland with a wonderful display from Pondicherry-born all-rounder Arun Ayyavooraju. Just ten days after his 15th birthday, Arun scored 40 on the Saturday and took 3-40 on the Sunday.

In the first game France capitalized on a bright start with the opening stand between James and Wakefield worth 90 before Wakefield fell to a stunning catch from Boshoff at backward square. 259-8 in their 50 overs with all the top eight into double figures and 96 coming from the last 10 was enough to set France on the way to victory, though not without drama. Swiss left-arm seamer David Franklin was called for throwing and withdrawn from the attack, but,to balance that, another Swiss youngster, Mounir Barone, posted his best ever bowling performance of 6-55.

Skipper Tom Brink led the Swiss reply with a hard-hitting 47 but a mean 6-over spell mid-innings from French offspinner Sujeewa Mahavidanage clamped the brakes on the Swiss reply and they fell 60 runs short on 199.

In a 40-over game on May 20 France's win was even more emphatic. France were struggling at 37 for 3 in the 11th over but Simon Hewitt carried the attack to the Swiss bowling with 89 off 73 balls and, even though the French were all out in the 38th over, their total of 223 was still a stern challenge despite the setback of pace bowler Valentin Brumant forced out of the attack after pulling a hamstring in the second over. The Swiss made only 151.

France were back at Thoiry three weeks later for their next ICC Trophy warm-up games. It's unusual for both sides to be bowled out in a game on Thoiry's hard, true 'Tom Graveney' artificial strip and, helped by 3 weeks of unremitting sunshine, the Thoiry outfield was just as hard as the pitch when Belgium came to visit on June 9/10. Batsmen dominated the two 50-over ODIs: 1175 runs were scored during the weekend at almost 40 runs for each wicket.

Chief contributor was France's Shabir Hussain. Shabir was a regular in France's ECF European Championship-winning side in 1997, playing mainly as a keeper. Now aged 36 he produced the best batting of his life as a late call-up to the French side following a shoulder injury to regular keeper Carl Igolen. His first 50 for France, came off just 47 balls, and he followed up with a match-winning 125 not out on Sunday, to become just the 6th French player to record a century for his country.

But it was Belgium's Amjad Mohamed who was outstanding in the Saturday match. His 151 formed the backbone of Belgium's huge 346-9, a score that threatened to be even higher with Belgium perched on 247-1 with 15 overs left after a stand of 209 between Amjad and Naveed Iqbal, who hit a brilliant 77.

France, playing their 100th-ever international fixture, made a spirited reply but fell 81 short on 265-8. Five players passed 30, including Arun Ayyavooraju (34*), 16 year-old Sulanga Richmond (37), and Guy Brumant, who celebrated his 75th game for France with a ferocious 26-ball 40. If Brumant was jetlagged after his 8–hour flight back from Guadeloupe, where he is making tremendous progress as Cricket Development Officer in taking the game to the French Caribbean, it certainly didn't show, as his all-round effort also included figures of 3-53 bowling off-spin.

The following day Belgium played brilliantly to finish with 280-9 with skipper Wasiq topscoring with 64. For France Wakefield and Sulanga raced to 50 in 9 overs before Sulanga was run out for 27. Shabir made a steady start but, after Wakefield, 54, had fallen lbw, and Arun had stroked an effortless 17, Shabir cut loose. His stand with Nigel Jones was worth 101 in 10 overs, Jones contributing just 22, to leave France at 245 with 10 overs left. They then cruised to victory with six wickets and three overs left.

Arun Ayyavooraju and Sulanga Richmond will spearhead France's efforts to become European Cricket Council 'B' Division Under-17 Champions in Corfu in July. Seven clubs will be represented in the French 'Cadets' side, to be managed by former Cambridgeshire batsman David Smallwood, now a university lecturer in Bordeaux, with Marmande-born David Bordes, 27, named as coach. Seven of the squad played for France in the Isle of Wight Under-16 County Festival last August. Newcomers include the Haak brothers, Bernard and Christian, from Entrecasteaux in Provence, who fêted their debuts for the South-East senior side by blowing apart the South-West batting during the annual regional fixture in May.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd