"City tour", golf and henna

Today we had a leisurely start, and at 10am we boarded onto the coach for a city tour of Colombo. Strody kindly took David to play golf, so we all had a day's rest from him (we love you really..!).

 Unfortunately, the city tour was not the most informed - "This is the theatre, built by the Chinese, this is the city hall, built by the Chinese".

Thankfully, it didnt last too long, and we stopped off for some retail therapy at a 'local' mall, which was 7 floors of anything you could possibly want except souvenirs - although there were some lovely saris.

Slightly strange poses of the Sri Lankan mannequins

From there, we each went our separate ways, either for more souvenir shopping, lunch at the beach, or chilling by the pool. We spent the afternoon relaxing, and drawing on henna tattoos.

Tomorrow is our last game, it should be a good competitive match - followed by presentation evening and awards, so look out for a long post tomorrow!

P.s. David won the golf. But only just.

Finally a proper day off

Today was a full day off, so after we all had a lie-in (but all woke up in time to make the most of an impressive breakfast) we split up and each did what we fancied - some braves a tuktuk into Colombo and wandered around the busy markets, some wandered around the hotel area, and of course we all got into the pool and played pool volleyball, and giggles were heard all afternoon.

Match VS Sri Lanka B

After another 6am start, the girls quickly fell asleep on the bus to the next game. With a few funny positions!

We played the Sri Lankan B team today, something that everyone was looking forward to, after deciding to "cough" field "cough" Strody "cough", we got stuck in .

It was a very hard game, as it was incredibly hot conditions and an impressive batting line up. The girls tried their hardest with some excellent bowling from Miranda and impressive fielding from Ellika. Strody also delivered some killer bowling, with Georia B and Gerogia H also contributong. After 40 overs we were chasing 347, something that Strody had full confidence we could do! Maud and Lucy also did incredibly well to keep under such hot conditions.

With a shakey start we managed to bat 32 overs which we were really proud of. Good contributions came from Lucy, Miranda, Emily amd Emilia

On the way to the new hotel we were all gifted with a wonderful tour of the surroundings from the one and only Maud. We are staying at Mount Lavina Hotel, its an incredible place with a beach  front, pool and wait for its cow statues!!!

Turtles, mangroves and an afternoon off.

Today was a day of rest, so naturally we had a 7am start, but it was worth the early morning to have a beautiful boat ride across the river, surrounded by lush greenery and mangrove trees. We stopped off on the way to see how cinnamon was harvested (a young sapling is peeled of the exterior bark, then the inner layer is gently peeled off and dried), which was very interesting especially as it was a small family which hosted us. They had very little material items, and lived in a beautiful mud hut with incredible scenery around!

Parents finally find a way to get rid of the kids

From there, we gently declined having our feet nibbled by fish, and headed off to the turtle sanctuary. This was a great experience - who knew baby turtles could be so cute?! The guide explained to us the elements involved in the conservation, and how they hatch the eggs in the sanctuary, keep the turtles there for 3 days, then release them into the sea - they have released over 3 million turltes so far, of 5 different varieties. They also keep disabled and injured turtles within the sanctuary, some which can be re-released. Most injuries are caused by humans - boat propellors, floating plastic, and fishing nets.

Skipper enjoying the baby turtles

We all split up for lunch and spent the afternoon relaxing - a mixure of shopping, David getting a haircut (it's a long story..!), amazing henna tattoos and of course, sun, beach and pool. Tomorrow is a even earlier start and another match, so look out for a match report and some tired faces!

A Need for Speed

The day started well. One wrong turn and Gary was proved right, as we headed in the opposite direction to where we were meant to be going. Such is the way of life in Sri Lanka. Our ever-smiling driver allowed Alison to reprieve Sandra Bullock's role in Speed, as we hurtled back from whence we came, the speedo never dipping below 100. No-one vomited, thanks be to Buddha.

The tsunami watermark is a poignant reminder of how far they've come.

The Foundation of Goodness is a special place. Rebuilt after the devastating tsunami of 2004, it's testament to everything that's good about faith, hope and charity, and the very best of humanity. Anura De Silva, our charming and articulate guide for the morning, showed us the spoils of many years of hard work and generous funding, not least from the MCC. We began at the preschool, where we were treated to a wonderful medley of English and Sri Lankan nursery rhymes. Every child attending the school receives a pack containing uniform, shoes, and text books, something that they simply couldn't afford otherwise.

As well as the formal schooling, there's an ICT suite filled with computers offering various courses free of charge. Such training would cost 500,000R in Colombo - here, it's absolutely free. Some of the top graduates in ICT are eligible to apply for jobs in a self-contained office, again on site, supporting a large Asian supermarket chain in admin and accounts. There's a women's centre too, with baking, sari-making, and sewing skills on offer.

The medical centre serves over 92,000 people and offers two surgeries a day. Again, medicine is absolutely free. This is an area where people are really struggling and the Foundation has offered an infrastructure that this area badly needed. This was a genuinely humbling experience for everyone, I think.

Moving swiftly on (how else?!) we headed to the Fort in Galle, colonised by the Dutch for 60 years. We split off for separate lunches as buffet-itus had set in and some opted to take a few hours to explore. The usual Chinese whispers regarding arrangements meant that some of us (ahem) may have kept the coach waiting.

It was back to the Foundation of Goodness for some hands-on training as the girls re-united with some familiar faces, and Tim (level 2) and Matt (level 1) got stuck in too. The facilities on offer uare first class and even include the Bryan Adams swimming pool. Thankfully no sponsor music over the tanoy.

So then it was back to the Citrus for the evening, where a few of us headed down the road to a Buddhist festival. Amazing how safe tuk-tuk travel feels now we've travelled by coach. The highlight of the evening had to be the motorbike 'wall of death'. Round and round they went as way too many of us stood in a flimsy wooden structure that felt like it might collapse at any moment.

Life in Sri Lanka is never dull.

By Esmé & Claire

Match 3 at the Foundation of Goodness Lord's MCC ground

After the first night of sleep in the Citrus Hotel, we met for an 8 o clock breakfast to fuel ourselves for the match ahead. There was a refreshingly short journey of just 10 minutes to the ground compared to the 2 hours it took to travel to the last games. The ground itself was aptly named "Lords" considering the standard of cricket that was displayed and the wet weather that was experienced! It was the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, as it has indoor nets, a pavilion and even a fan to keep the Gary and the other scorer cool!

On arrival we met a team of young ladies who were between the ages of 15-25, all of whom had been affected in some way by the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 (either losing one or both parents when they were just 6-13 years of age, or come from poor backgrounds as a result of the tsunami). The Foundation of Goodness had been since helping them with schooling, running sports teams and providing the kit. The foundation had produced many great sportsmen and women since being set up, including the Sri Lankan women's current wicket keeper and opening batter.

After putting the cricket bags into the changing rooms the girls began their warm up and Strody won the toss, meaning we were batting first. Shortly into the start of the game, the girls were surrounded by a group of local school children who found us all very interesting. They particularly liked Maud who spent over an hour playing cricket with them on the side of the pitch, only stopping when the 3rd wicket fell and she had to find her helmet and walk to the wicket. Maud was given out LBW after 20 overs but opening bat Georgia was still standing even though she had not been feeling well at the start of the game - the runs were working for her! However after getting bowled by a leg spinner, many wickets followed and we were bowled out for 81 off 30 overs.

Almost as soon as the last bowl of the first innings was bowled a heavy shower began and the girls stayed outside to cool down! Their antics included playing with the nerf rocket which drew attention from the other side, who all ended up joining in! Both sides retired to the stands to have group photograph and then taught each other some songs in their own languages (including the Macarena and "Head, shoulders, knees and toes" from the English and a local  chant from the Sri Lankans), finally with a Conga line taking them to the side screen which acted as a stage for their dance off!

For over an hour it chucked it down and it looked like the game would be cancelled. Andrea got more soaked by David than the rain as he spat his water all over her when he sneezed! Although Maud was undoubtedly even more wet as she decided (contradicting T-Dogs orders) to belly slide along the water-logged outfield.

The covers were removed and the second innings commenced. Openers Emilia and Strody created pressure, with Emilia getting 2 wickets in her 4 overs. However Charlbury struggled to get the next two wickets and a partnership between two of the Foundations side began. This was only broken when rain stopped play once again and the match was abandoned, resulting in the first draw of the tour!

As the team only played just over 40 overs of the expected 80 during the day, they had to let off some steam. With the exception of 3, every one of the English rushed to the pool and continued to play (pool) cricket with the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach just 20 meters away from them.

Written beautifully by Martha & Julie

Tea, elephants and smashed ipads.

Today we had a days break from the cricket, but no lie-in. After a quick breakfast we got onto the coach and went to the Tea factory. Here we learnt all about different types of tea - gold, white, green black, and how they are made (dried, rolled, crushed) We were able to sample some black tea, which was drunk while nibbling on sugar cubes. We had a lovely guide who explained the process and took us outside to see the plantations.

From there, we went to the Elephant orphanage, which was incredible for many of us! We had an opportunity to see them bathing from the restaurant we had lunch at, then fed them some bananas (the elephants, not the players..). We also went to see more elephants in their sanctuary and took many, many photographs and stroked as many elephants as possible.

Once we'd had our fill of elephants we got on a long bus journey to our next hotel in Hikkadua, ready for a game tomorrow. The hotel is by the beach, and we swam in the pool while the waves crashed down on the beach.

               

It's been a long day with a lot of travelling but look out for the match report tomorrow against the foundation of goodness team!

Match 2 - Same team at Maliyadeva College

This morning was like Christmas morning, some of us got woken up to 'presents' which was some items of luggage, 21 items of luggage out of the 35. This meant some people had their own kit and bats, meaning a more comfortable and confident game for them. Others are still wearing clothes the flew over in. We then all met for breakfast at 6.30am before boarding the bus at 7.15 to head to game number 2 which was held at Maliyadeva College, an all boys college. We warmed up with Tim leading the activities before rain sent us into the pavillion- I say pavillion, was more like an open shed meaning we had to get changed on the bus.

The match began with a small victory - Strody won the toss (!) and chose to bat. The two Georgias (our second and third batsmen) kept us stable and pushed us forward with a partnership of 61 runs - despite a small break to chase a snake off the pitch. Then eventually Georgia B fell to a run out by Jimanjali after scoring a good 28 runs. After a series of relatively short innings, but including a spectacular 4 from Abii off her first ball (her first ever 4!) we found ourselves with a total of 119 runs and an uncertainty of how the opposing innings would go after losing to a team of many of the same players the day before.

The second innings started slowly for us as their opening batsmen gained a partnership of 44 but eventually the wicket of Shanika went down to Miranda (run out) and the team started to crumble, but we continued to grow in strength. The second batsmen was sent back to the pavillion by Emilia (also run out) after scoring a respectable 25 runs. Their captain was also sent back but for a grand total of 0 and Charlbury ladies were away. Wicket after wicket began to fell, 3 to Jacqui, 2 to Emilia and 2 to Kim. Abii also bowled well, and Esme did some amazing fieldin. Jacqui also showed us her amazing football skills by kicking the ball away from herseef while trying to field. Their team was one player short, but we let one bat again as we were there to play cricket, so we played cricket. The runs went up but their total was severed at 90 and we walked home to victory, covered in sweat but full of pride. After taking many pictures and a few cheeky selfies we left with a wave, back to the bus for a long journey home complete with cat naps.

There were many amusing incidents at dinner, including Georgia's silent laugh (there's a video somewhere..), but I leave you with a photo of Maud trying to eat a 'hopper' filled with banana and chocolate:


We also had awards (now the medals arrived):
Match 1:
 - Player's player: Emilia
 - Champagne moment: Goegia B's run out - our first Sri Lankan wicket!
 - Dick of the day: Strody for falling over while batting...

Match 1:
 - Player's player: Georgia H
 - Champagne moment: Abii's amazing 4 off the first ball
 - Dick of the day: Jacqui's football fielding.

Lovingly written by Kim

Match 1 vs District Women's Team 1 at Welagedara international stadium

We had an early breakfast, where nobody was awake really and then drove to Welagedara stadium, which is an absolutely stunning stadium surrounded by the 'Elephant rock' that has an enourmous statue of Buddha on the top.

En route, we stopped off at a cricket store shop to buy the bare essentials - an interesting experience with a very confused Sri Lankan man selling shoes and whites to 14 ladies after having kindly opened early for us. After a while, some stressful moments and relative success, we continued to the ground.

In the end we looked quite smart in our whites and blue polo shirts, and after a quick warm up Strody did the toss - she lost (as usual) and we were put in to field.

MATCH REPORT:

We used the game to get everyone involved as much as possible and acclimatise to the very humid weather. The pitch was dry and bouncy, which is not what we are used to, but lovely to both bat and bowl on.
Emilia and Martha opened tidily, forcing some dangerous running which resulted in a calm run out from Georgia B, followed by a wicket from Emilia in the 5th over, clean bowling their number 3.

Kim, Georgia H, Emily and Miranda picked up a wicket a piece with more great bowling. Jacqui bowled a devastating first over, taking two wickets (both bowled) and the run rate slowed, as other run out by Strody really put the pressure on. Some great keeping from Maud and Lucy also kept the fielding tight and effective.

The last wicket fell for atotal of 124 after a great innings by their opener who reached 57 but was left stranded after a catch by Emilia off Strody's bowling.

Fielding was difficult due to the heat and lined thermal whites, but overall very impressive - a special mention to Abii, who seemed to be fielding every ball brilliantly, and Esme, who fielded the rest with an impressive long barrier (body on the line!)

Tea! Quarduple sandwich containing..something nice and chips

Batting: Jacqui opened and top scored with 26, batting a very patient but dynmic innings, including a beautiful lofted drive for 4. Georgia B also opened with some great shots but fell just after they reached a 30 run partership, with Maud falling soon after - although she did have a raging ear infection...what?
Emilia came in 4, scoring 24 runs, and was supported by Esme, Georgia H and Kim, who all played some great shots against good spin bowling. Strody, Miranda and Martha also bravely faced good spin, but were unable to reach the total, being all out for 84.

It was a great learning experience for everyone, playing good spin and learning to use our feet and watching the ball keenly. There were many great positives to take into our match tomorrow once we've washed our kit in the sink... still no baggage! (Although it might have arrived in Sri Lanka. Maybe.)

The evenng was spent shopping in town and relaxing by the pool ready for tomorrow!

First full day (still no baggage..!) in Kandy

With training cancelled due to lack of kit, we had a welcome lie-in and then a huge breakfast. Jacqui came downstairs with her dress the wrong way around (mornings are hard..but she still looked glamorous).We then went to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Some of the lads had to do some swift shopping to look decent enough to get into the temple, and they looked great..!
News of the luggage was good - it had apparently landed in Colombo, so hopes were high.

HISTORICAL BREAK:
The temple is one of the most important Buddhist temples in the world. It houses a tooth of Buddha, which is enclosed in 7 golden caskets. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics - it's believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a world heritage site mainly due to the temple.


After a lovely tour around the temple, which was beautiful and very crowded, we got on the coach to a restaurant on the lake which conveniently had a clothes shop on the floor below, providing a good distraction with beautiful clothes and a chance to try out our haggling skills. Andrea put her card upsidedown into the ATM, but we won't tell anyone about that. The afternoon was spent either chilling by the poolside and swimming in a variety of t-shirt/pants/shorts (who packs their swimming costume in hand luggage?!) or more shopping in the busy and exciting Kandy markets, where locals promised to come and watch our match tomorrow.

Just before we went to dinner, we discovered that our luggage was still in London! Manic phone calls and arrangements were made (thank you boys for sorting it) , but there wasn't much to be done.
WHERE'S GARY? Search party sorted and ready, and in he sways, bumping into walls, to dinner.
The decision was made to play in the clothes we have, borrow kit from the other team and buy trainers en-route. Look out for some interesting photos tomorrow!

A motivating pep talk from Tim has ensured we are focused and ready for a competitive game tomorrow - after all, that's what we're here for. Everyone went to bed for an early start tomorrow. Keep an eye out for a match report and more updates.

The journey!

All went well getting on the plane apart from a minor problem in Heathrow regarding baggage. The journey went slowly and uncomfortably but eventually we landed!...

...and then found out that our baggage was still in London!

We spent a long while in Colombo airport filling in forms and trying to work out what was happening (we still don't know...). But we then made it onto the coach having met our lovely tourguide Anusha, a very smiley Sri Lankan lady. We all tolerated laughed at Gary's jokes.

On our way to the hotel, we stopped off at a local shopping mall to get the bare essentials i.e. pants, because surely we would get our luggage the day after, right? After a swift journey, including someone (ahem, STRODY) spilling her coke all over Gary's new pants, and Georgia's new top, we were all excited to finally be here!

The hotel is gorgeous, too posh for Charlbury really, but the pool is lush and the food is great! So all good so far.

It's been a long day!

IT begins, finally!

Hello everyone,

Welcome to this blog which will hopefully be updated daily to let you all know the good, the bad and the ugly of our tour!

Before even getting on a plane, we have spotted Mo Farah at Heathrow (apparently he works there now moving bags) and Strody has got the hang of getting on and off the moving walkway without falling over.

Strody apologises after elbowing Maud in the face. Also..check out Gary..