We played our second match today - and we won! The boys were very impressed with
Beausejour - we arrived early and had some time to look around and take it all in. It was wonderful experience to be able to play in such a fantastic stadium.
We won the toss and elected to field, having agreed to play a 40 over match. Our opponents
Anse-la-Raye lacked depth in their batting order, but their captain made an excellent 60 before being caught on the boundary by
Sleightholme off Brown. The extras count was too high again (35 wides!) and
Anse-la-Raye managed 148 all out off 39.2 overs.
The conditions were once more very testing, with temperatures above 30 degrees in the shade, and the boys kept their discipline and work rate up throughout the
innings. Lunch was more than welcome, with excellent sandwiches and the all important very cold water!
Our innings began fairly disastrously, with us sinking to 20-4 off the first six overs, before
Sleightholme and Hogan steadied the ship with an excellent partnership of 63 for the fifth wicket. Some good bowling and questionable strokes brought us to 142-9 (including their 35 wides!), leading to a tense finish. As Mr Cox reminded us, the West Indies once required 1 run to win with 3 wickets standing ... and lost the match! But it was our day and Ben James and a limping Sam
Hulley saw us home safely in 29.3 overs. Every member of the touring party was able either to bat or to bowl today so it was a real team effort!
Our special thanks must go to Messrs Shaw, Busby and Knowles - fathers of Liam, Nick and Richard - for their invaluable contributions to umpiring the match after the official umpire was taken ill before the start of the game ... we are very grateful for your efforts in such hot weather. Mr Busby also helped Mr
Fitzsimons to develop his
new-found scoring skills further so a big 'thank you' there too!
A quiet night in with another match tomorrow against local side
Gros Islet, with perhaps a gentle game of water-polo in the pool to let off steam?! And great news - Mr Cox has managed to arrange that our last two tour matches will both be played at the wonderful
Beausejour Stadium, with Saturday's game being against the St Lucia ladies national side! We saw the ladies practising in the nets today and they looked formidable - the boys can't wait for that one!!!
We won the toss and elected to field, having agreed to play a 40 over match. Our opponents Anse-la-Raye lacked depth in their batting order, but their captain made an excellent 60 before being caught on the boundary by Sleightholme off Brown. The extras count was too high again (35 wides!) and Anse-la-Raye managed 148 all out off 39.2 overs.
The conditions were once more very testing, with temperatures above 30 degrees in the shade, and the boys kept their discipline and work rate up throughout the innings. Lunch was more than welcome, with excellent sandwiches and the all important very cold water!
Our innings began fairly disastrously, with us sinking to 20-4 off the first six overs, before Sleightholme and Hogan steadied the ship with an excellent partnership of 63 for the fifth wicket. Some good bowling and questionable strokes brought us to 142-9 (including their 35 wides!), leading to a tense finish. As Mr Cox reminded us, the West Indies once required 1 run to win with 3 wickets standing ... and lost the match! But it was our day and Ben James and a limping Sam Hulley saw us home safely in 29.3 overs. Every member of the touring party was able either to bat or to bowl today so it was a real team effort!
Our special thanks must go to Messrs Shaw, Busby and Knowles - fathers of Liam, Nick and Richard - for their invaluable contributions to umpiring the match after the official umpire was taken ill before the start of the game ... we are very grateful for your efforts in such hot weather. Mr Busby also helped Mr Fitzsimons to develop his new-found scoring skills further so a big 'thank you' there too!
A quiet night in with another match tomorrow against local side Gros Islet, with perhaps a gentle game of water-polo in the pool to let off steam?! And great news - Mr Cox has managed to arrange that our last two tour matches will both be played at the wonderful Beausejour Stadium, with Saturday's game being against the St Lucia ladies national side! We saw the ladies practising in the nets today and they looked formidable - the boys can't wait for that one!!!