10 May 2017
Over the Easter break, 27 boys, representing a senior side and an U15 side, toured Sri Lanka in preparation for the new season and to experience playing cricket in a new and different environment. Visiting the cities and towns of Colombo, Kandy, Dambulla, Bentota and Galle, the boys enjoyed some magnificent opportunities to play on fantastic grounds and sample the vast cultural experiences that Sri Lanka has to offer.
Off the cricket field, there were so many memorable highlights which include the scaling of Sigiriya Rock Fortress just outside of Dambulla (on probably the hottest day of the tour!); the evening release of baby turtles in to the Indian Ocean in Bentota; the precious time that the boys spent playing with the children in the SOS Chldren Orphanage in Galle, which was such a lovely occasion to experience, and certainly not least, Mr Broadbent and his 'wearing' of the two pythons at Sigiriya.
Whilst all of the grounds that the sides played at were fantastic, the opportunities for them to play at two international venues were cricketing highlights. Dambulla, a venue used mainly for Sri Lanka's floodlit T20 and ODI fixtures, was a vast stadium with amazing views of both the cricket and surrounding area from the top of the stands. The iconic test match ground at Galle, with Galle Fort in the back ground and one that was heavily impacted by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, hosted our final T20 fixtures and was a memorable way to finish the 12 night tour.
I am sure that the boys took many valuable and precious memories from the tour and learnt a lot about their cricket. Special mention must also go to our guides Upali and Kumar who kept us on our toes and provided great amusement during our visit!
