Page 176 - AGC_Journal 2018(FINAL)_Neat

AGC JOURNAL 2018

Cricket Club Tour

to Sri Lanka

By Major Matt Haslett
Having undertaken a very complex and prestigious
tour to New Zealand in 2014, the Adjutant
General’s Corps Cricket Club agreed that a ‘back
to basics’ approach would be undertaken and Sri
Lanka was chosen as the tour destination.

Tour Itinerary
The twenty man squad formed up at Heathrow airport
and after a bit of team admin we proceeded to check in
for our 13 hour fl ight to Sri Lanka. The tour itinerary saw
us travel the island during our stay with four nights in
Colombo, four nights in Kandy and six nights in Galle
with eight games thrown in.
Opening Match The Corps
Cricket Club
The opening match of the tour was a 40 over match
against Lancarsher Cricket Club. We won the toss and
elected to bat in order to gain time to acclimatise to the Will Chapman saw the side reach a respectable 215 for 9 with no batsmen reaching double fi gures. Defending a
conditions. Lancarsher Cricket Club bowled consistently after 40 overs. But, that would be the end of play; the rains small total was always going to be hard, but two wicket
well throughout their overs taking wickets regularly, but started during the lunch break and did not stop for two maiden overs from Reagan Mclean gave the team hope.
we posted a respectable score of 211 for 9 thanks to 74 days, the match was unfortunately abandoned. However, this was short lived with the hosts getting the
runs from Liam Farrell and 53 runs from Will Chapman. required runs in six overs. After some refl ection on where
In reply, our bowling attack performed well, with Reagan Final Leg we went wrong in game one it was time to move on and
Mclean taking three wickets. Assisted by the rest of take to the fi eld for the second game. We bowled well with
the bowling attack, we restricted the hosts to 197 for 7 We then departed for Galle and the fi nal leg of the tour Sarabhjeet Singh taking four wickets and Ananda Gurung
wickets. with three matches left to play. En route we stopped at with three wickets which restricted the host to 142 for 9.
Matt Haslett the Spice Gardens where many herbal remedies could be The batting reply started better than the fi rst game. We
celebrating
The Next Game after taking purchased. made good progress reaching 100 runs off 10 overs with
two wickets Varun Bali hitting 84 off 42 balls and after a few quick
After a day of rest and a sightseeing tour of Colombo We played another two Twenty Twenty fi xtures against wickets we reached the required total with an over to
with lunch at the famous Cricket Café it was time for the Marylebone Cricket Club’s Charity, the Foundation spare.
game two; which was another 40 over game and again change. Sumith Surendram’s 30 not out and 15 not out of Goodness, which was established in 2005 after
we won the toss and elected to bat. The hosts bowled from Keith Cupid helped steady the innings and saw us the Tsunami. Game one was to be the worst batting Cyclone Stops Play
well throughout their innings taking wickets regularly. win by fi ve wickets. performance on tour. We struggled to 48 runs in 12 overs
We really struggled to get any momentum and were Although we had one more fi xture to come, the two
bowled out for 184 in the 39th over. The only star in After a quick turnaround it was time for game two Twenty Twenty games against the Foundation of Goodness
our batting performance was 61 runs from Liam Farrell. and we took to the fi eld again; another very good turned out to be our last games on tour. The elements
In reply the hosts made steady progress chasing the performance with the ball with all bowlers getting were against us and for the last three days in Sri Lanka it
wickets restricted the hosts to a low score of 108. The
modest target, but some good bowling from Sarabhjeet rained with a cyclone hitting the Southern Indian Ocean.
Singh and myself taking two wickets each almost turned reply started well with an opening partnership of 55 We did take in the sights of Galle with a trip to the 15th
the tide back in our favour. However, the hosts rallied but then a collapse of fi ve wickets for 18 runs shifted the Century Fort and a drive past of the Galle International
getting the required runs in the 36th over. momentum. Some sloppy bowling from the hosts saw us Stadium, the ground we should have played our last game
get the required runs in the 16th over. on.
Kandy Fourty Day Off Successful Tour

The next day we left Colombo and headed to Kandy; A well-earned day off for the team included a tour of the
stopping for lunch at the Pinnawela Elephant The Sri Lanka tour turned out to be our most successful
Orphanage on route. The next two games were quickly city of Kandy, incorporating a tour of the Temple of the tour to date, winning four games, losing two and
upon us; seeing us face the Kandy Fourty Cricket Club in Tooth and lunch in the Kandy Kitchen. We were then unfortunately losing two to the weather. However, the
two Twenty Twenty games. In the fi rst game we took to ready for the next game. team gave an excellent account of themselves on and
the fi eld. A steady bowling performance, in particular Match Abandoned off the fi eld of play, against good quality sides. The Tour
by Sumith Surendram with three wickets restricted the Team achieved all its objectives and exceeded the expectations
hosts to 141 off their 20 overs. Captain, of the committee in respect of bringing on a number of
At the next game the toss was won by the hosts, and in ‘rising stars’ within the club, developing ethos and esprit
Our reply started well with an opening partnership of true sporting fashion we were put into bat. Our innings Reagan de corps none of which would have been possible without
McLean
70, but three quick wickets saw the momentum briefl y was steady, but 80 runs from Noel Gurr and 53 runs from the support of Corps Headquarters.

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