Lift Off (In Red)

Finally the great day has arrived! Your mysterious correspondent returns, hoping to be the first to relay news of magnificent victories as BEWCC's finest bestride the sub-continent. Alternatively to get in the excuses before we land back in Blighty.

Yesterday was marked by the final arrival of our kit. We are truly magnificent. The colour red is sweeping through the club, red strides are very much the order of the day as essential number 1 wear. (Though one or two mutinous views have apparently been encountered). Kit delivery to London was slightly later than expected and the first confrontation of the tour was only narrowly avoided by the courier in question being too fearful to face the wrath of Lord Percy. He shot off like a rat up a drainpipe as the magnificent LP strode out with purpose to challenge him. Purpose we all hope to see again as LP sets about the Aussie attack with veuve and élan.

The playing kit is topped off by a shockingly red cap. Williams, if his routinely sedentary approach to fielding is to be seen again in the sub-continent, may well be mistaken for a letter box. His magnificent pre-tour weight-loss program seemed to suffer a sad reversal in recent weeks. Rumours abound that he intends, once again, to be the only tourist able to boast of a weight gain after the constitutional demands of Indian cuisine and hospitality. The cut of our playing trousers does seem to have been modelled on the JPR rump. But even billowing pantaloons will surely fail to slow down the urgent running between the wickets that shall be shown all of BEWCCs batsmen, and possibly even JBS! He of course has little to prove as in the words of Sir G Sobers "the boy can bat".

Pre-tour nets have brought the BEWCC Knights to a fever pitch of ability. Corinthian spirit abounds as we set out to put our opponents to the sword. Rumours of over confidence can be scotched though it has been suggested that our Mighty Skipper has reached a point of such confidence that he felt able to miss certain pre-tour preliminaries in order to cultivate his baby caring technique! He is, as ever, an example to us all.

Today we leave our shores for a wonderful adventure in the Orient. 

Sadly dearest Doddy is unable to join this tour, but his wise advice, "Never go out to bat on the middle ball of a hat-trick", rings in our ears!

The game is afoot...........