Sarasota International Cricket Club

Club Patron

Richie Benaud

Sarasota International Cricket Club
7401 University Pkwy, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202-9069 (Just East of Lorraine Rd)

941-232-9956 Fax: 941-924-2260

Mailing Address: 3701 Bee Ridge Rd Sarasota FL, 34233

laurenceparry@comcast.net

Club Photos:

Richie Benaud's Visit 2004

The Early Days

Early Fund Raisers

Opening the new Grounds

England Tour 2004
Unsurprisingly perhaps, the report on an England tour has to start with a comment on the weather. In the midst of one of the coolest and dampest summers on record we were lucky to complete three matches. One of these was seriously impacted by rain. Our fourth and last game had to be abandoned half way through.
The party of 21 players and supporters gathered at The Comfort Inn in the center of Bath on June 29 in anticipation of playing four games over nine days in locations all within 50 miles drive of the hotel.
We opened the tour the next day with an all day match of declaration cricket against The Wiltshire Queries C. C. on the picturesque Infantry Cricket Ground near Tidworth on the edge of Salisbury Plain.
The Queries won the toss and asked us to bat having sportingly agreed to our request to bat 12 and field 11.
The Sarasota openers, taking time to adjust to the slow wicket, found runs hard to come by. The Queries pace attack conceded just 32 runs in the first 13 overs and claimed two wickets. However with Warren McGregor at the crease runs began to flow more easily. He was joined in succession by Gerry John, Don Bacchus and Sagar Dastidar, who all contributed to productive partnerships. A hundred came up off 33 overs and 150 off 46. After McGregor was run out for 55, the tail went cheaply trying to push the score, and Sarasota were dismissed for 191 off 55 overs.
The Queries innings opened in light rain and both sides were hampered by the slick ball and greasy outfield. Runs came slowly and wickets fell regularly as the Sarasota bowlers kept to a good line and length. With 10 wickets down for 138 the match looked to be over but Paget, one of the Queries openers who had been dismissed relatively cheaply first time around, came to the crease again in place of the absent 12th man. He and the Queries number seven batsman laid into the Sarasota bowling, causing some nervousness on our part, before being well caught by Bill Walch at fine leg off a full-blooded pull. The Queries finished 25 runs short at 166 off 50 overs. Don Bacchus and Warren McGregor both claimed four wickets apiece. But perhaps the most telling bowling performance was by Om Sharma who bowled his leg breaks and conceded only 34 runs in a 15 over spell.
The next day dawned bright and breezy and we journeyed to Marshfield C. C. for a 40 overs limited match. Their hill top ground commands a spectacular view of the surrounding Cotswold Hills but, as we discovered, it can be chilly for spectators. Our hosts won the toss and asked us to bat. We opened briskly despite the loss of an early wicket and reached 100 in 24 overs for three wickets. Chris Persaud was in magisterial form. His first five scoring strokes were all boundary fours. With able help from Lomesh Prasad, Gerry John , Om Sharma and Steve Darlington Sarasota reached 224-9 in 40 overs. Persaud was not out 93. We were perhaps helped by Marshfield’s tactic of giving everyone on their team a chance to bowl.
Marshfield had graciously agreed to bat 12 in order that we could get all our players into the game. Their generosity turned out to be sound strategy. Despite a splendid century by their strongest batsmen, a Wiltshire under-19 county player, Marshfield were still 20 runs short with four overs and one wicket left when their 12th man, no less than Sarasota President, Laurence Parry, arrived at the crease. Unruffled by the good humored sledging of the Sarasota fielders, he resolutely straight batted and stroked the ball to tie the scores at the start of the last over. At this point he was run out attempting a suicide single, leaving Sarasota the victors by reason of fewer wickets lost.
July 4, Independence Day, saw us in Devizes for another 40 overs game against a strong Devizes C. C., Sunday First XI. Sarasota won the toss and elected to bat. Building on a solid opening partnership of 42, we reached 194-6 off 39.1 overs before heavy rain ended the innings. Chris Persaud was undefeated on 64.
Good support came from Om Sharma (38) and Steve Darlington (30 n.o.).
After a protracted tea interval it was agreed, once the rain stopped, that Devizes would chase a reduced target of 145 off 30 overs. The side batting second in rain shortened matches has the advantage, especially as the reduced run target in this instance was calculated in proportion to the overs that could be played before dusk, taking no account of Sarasota’s remaining wickets. Devizes started strongly putting 48 runs on the board for the first wicket. We then claimed three quick wickets and were very much in the game.
Devizes middle order batsmen responded well and, having got their eye in, cruised to 145-3 in 25.2 overs.
It was Sarasota’s first loss of the tour, by 7 wickets.
The final game was with Hinton Charterhouse C.C. on a scenic ground graced with a traditional pavilion shaded by a huge, old oak. We knew in advance this would be a challenging match since several of the tour party had to return home after the third game. To field a full XI we had to rely on two friends of the club whose most recent cricket experience was several years previous and the hotel receptionist. The morning of the match featured a series of telephone calls with our hosts as we pondered how best to beat an advancing weather front with forecast strong winds and heavy rain. We agreed on a 20 overs match which could likely be finished before the weather closed in. However, on our arrival we found that the team captain who had suggested this format had been replaced. His successor insisted on a conventional 40 overs game. Hinton Charterhouse won the toss and decided to bat under threatening skies. Despite the steady loss of wickets they maintained a good run rate, as both sides contended with the now constant rain.
Anchored by a fine innings of 66 not out by their number three batsmen, Hinton Charterhouse declared at 210-9 in 39 overs.
With no let up in the rain during the tea interval, the match was abandoned because of the unsafe playing conditions with out Sarasota going to bat.
From the cricket point of view it was an enjoyable tour. We played on several charming grounds, our hosts were universally and overwhelmingly hospitable and we managed to come out on the plus side in the winloss tally.
Off the field, the tour was no less successful. Bath offered much to do and see and proved to be a convenient base. Between games, some of us were able to take in the ODI between the West Indies and New Zealand at Cardiff. And those who didn’t make that game saw three centuries scored in the West Indies narrow win over England in the ODI at Lord’s. A day which incidentally saw the best weather all summer.