Printer-friendly pageWednesday, March 22, 2006
Day Three of the biggest tour undertaken by LSSC in its history - the cricket club in Sri Lanka. A total of 23 middle-aged blokes, eight partners and a baby flew into Colombo on Thursday afternoon and to date (this is Sat morning), there have been no hospitalizations, arrests or disappearances (although skipper Dave Thomas inexplicably fell over in a Chinese restaurant last night and Eric Shadick was seen on The Hut dancefloor at 2.30am at our Mt Lavinia hotel).
Our new umpire Smudger (he of the white beard and fuller figure) has been mistaken by Sri Lankans for WG Grace and Karl Marx and Reggie twice threw a tantrum at crazy golf (he lost).
Tour shirts and caps were handed out at dinner on Thursday night, including new squad members Flop Flip (ok, ok, a printer's error), Where's John and Little John, Rammas and Sicknote. The two Rotarian guests who are arranging our matches did not look unduly worried.
But spare a thought today for Eric Shadick, The Taxman, whose squad number if 1 in recognition of being the founding member of LSSC (the newest member, Ian (Sicknote), is number 150. Today will be the first league game Eric has missed since 1979. And next week will be the first Cup match he has missed since 1976.
In preparation for the first of our three games tomorrow, eight have gone white water rafting this morning, so team selection could be revised later. More are playing beach cricket and Neil Hotston is improving his sunburn. Five more will head south with Kumar today on tsunami-related stuff (for more read www.timesonline.co.uk/travellogs)
And for match reports and more tour news, log back onto London Saints on Monday for news of a thrilling victory. But we hope to make a match of it.
