THE Harlem Globetrotters of international cricket, Bahrain’s Awali Camels, have arrived in the UK for their annual summer tour which this year takes then to the cricketing hotbed - the English south-west county of Wiltshire.
Expectation is building to feverish excitement in the old market town of Marlborough, as the touring team’s reputation for explosive batting, sometimes gritty defensive bowling and happy-go-lucky attitude precedes them.
Once again skippered by timid Australian Doug “Baggy” Perrins, the Camels team has been very carefully assembled for the much-anticipated five-match series in some of the most picture-postcard grounds in this cricket-mad county.
The holy trinity of Camels veterans, Steve “No-tea-please” Turner, Keith “Hammer” Veryard and Guy “Jeepy” Parker are reunited again – having each played on the first-ever tour of Wales in 1995 – and are relishing the prospect of continuing the team’s proud record of counting only a handful of losses in over 140 tour matches.
Drafted
Perrins has drafted in an extra 200 years of experience in the form of doughty wicket-keeper Dave “Never-say-bye” Mason; Trevor “Harlequin” Burt and David “Coruscating” Starkie, while specialist openers Dave “Paris” Hilton and Graham “Frosty” Hoar have received the call-up to outwit the wiles of the Wiltshire wicket-hitters.
Middle-order batting strength has meant signing up Paul “Ringo” Curwen, Charles “Bokke” Blyth and David “Quicksingle” Axtell and no Camels touring party would seem complete without the expert silly cover fielder Martin “Subtitles” Saunders.
Bringing the average age of the touring side to under 55 are two late signings in Roland “Butter” Burt and George “Colt” Axtell – widely regarded as the fastest bowler in Jeblat Hibshi.
Accompanying the tour as umpire-in-chief is Tony “Best foot” Forward, who still fondly recalls giving Douglas Jardine out in 1937.
Bishops Cannings CC provides the Camels’ first opposition in the picturesque setting of Coate in a 40-over fixture that promises so much.