Clubs on tour in St Lucia
Caribbean tour diary
Touring teams from England are
heading to St Lucia in increasing
numbers. Nigel Abbott of Surrey side
Claygate tells their story...
Claygate CC is a small village club who play in the Surrey
Downs league. They’ve been undertaking international tours
for the last 10 years and have toured Sri Lanka, Barbados,
Goa, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago. In 2006 they decided to
return to the Caribbean and chose St Lucia because of the knowledge of
the Barmy Army’s Suranjan Cooray, a long-time member of Claygate,
who was already aware of the cricketing and general attractions of the
island. Cooray also has plans to take several thousand Barmies there for
the World Cup. Cooray liaised with the St Lucian Cricket Association
and set up a two-week, seven-game tour in February 2006.
Friday Feb 10th 2006
A party of 45 players including wives, children and mothers-in-law
arrive at Gatwick. The player’s cricketing skills are already honed to
perfection after several anticipatory months in the nets. This may or
may not be true. On arrival in St Lucia they head for the Bay Gardens
Hotel, Rodney Bay.
Saturday Feb 11th
Net practice at the Beausejour stadium. What a privilege to be able to
practise on this terrific new ground. We feel good about the side,
which is a broad
mixture of ages and
abilities. A touch jetlagged
though …
Sunday Feb 12th
Our first game, against Soufriere. Unseasonal heavy rain waterlogs
the pitch and it’s called off at 9am. Frustrating for some, but good for
a couple of the youngsters who have just discovered the effects of
large amounts of rum. It may not be for the last time.
Tuesday Feb 14th
Our first game at Mindoo Phillip Park (below left) – the main venue
pre-Beausejour, located in Castries. It’s soon obvious that for Claygate,
the locals read ‘England’. The opposition turns out with a couple of
St Lucian and Windward Island players! They score 200-plus … we’re a
hundred short.
Wednesday Feb 15th
Second game against the Police All-stars, including the deputy
commissioner. Best behaviour, then, and hide the duty free. We start
to rue the shortage of one or two key players. Why did they decide
not to come? They score 200-plus … we’re a hundred short.
Friday Feb 17th
Game at Soufriere. A stunning ground under the shadow of the world
famous Pitons. There probably isn’t a more picturesque ground in the
Caribbean, but the temperatures reach well into the 90s and there
were no facilities or shade. Even for all the rum and cokes in the
world we wouldn’t reveal the Claygate score!
Saturday Feb 18th
Second game at Soufriere. We bat first to see if we can change the
run of form. Gap-year student Jamie Henderson knocks a useful 76
and we post a respectable 159. They get them for five. How do they
hit the ball so hard?
Monday Feb 20th
Boat trip to see some of the major sites of the island. The volcano, the
Pitons and some of St Lucia’s fantastic bays and beaches. A really
memorable day … at least until the rum takes hold! There appears to
be a theme here …
Tuesday Feb 21st
Mon Repos. Rain and a mini marathon in the morning means the
game starts a few hours late and we agree 30 overs. It doesn’t make
any difference. They score just fewer than 200 ... we’re a hundred
short. Great interaction with the locals. Post-match atmosphere is
very special. Our coach always travels with copious supplies of Piton
beer! That’s why the locals remember us and turn out in force to
play us!
Wednesday Feb 22nd
Last game at Mindoo Phillip Park immediately after Independence
Day celebrations. The highlight is 17-year-old Joel Watkins taking 5
for 38, his first ever ‘fifer’. What a place to do it and Joel is man of
the match! They score 200 plus … we’re a hundred short.
Thursday Feb 23rd
The cricketing highlight. We play a representative junior side and
have the pleasure of playing on St Lucia’s pride and joy, Beausejour.
Twenty-five Claygate supporters fill the stadium with enthusiastic
support! Closest game
of the tour. They
score 190. We’re 20
short with nine
down. A great game
and a real occasion.
Friday Feb 24th
Claygate secretary Rufus
Legg reflects: “Each game presented a variety of challenges – none of
which we were quite up to, but in overall terms we had a terrific time
on a fantastic island.”
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