Frocester

Trip Start Aug 15, 2006

Trip End Sep 19, 2006

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Flag of United Kingdom Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Sunday, August 20, 2006

Following the pattern of late, today dawns drizzly and cricket seems almost like an afterthought. There is a phenomenon associated with touring BOCC teams known as "Tour Brain". Tour Brain occurs when the collective members of the squad cannot come to a consensus, for example regarding where to eat, what to do or other important decisions. As a result, the decision they finally arrive at doesnt really make anyone happy, as it panders to the lowest common denominator. Tour Brain was threatening to kick in this morning regarding what to do before the game, as most of the guys went to Gloucester, a generic mid-sized town where nothing would have been open anyway. Stubbsy suggests that he, Richard and I head off by ourselves and explore the countryside. This turns out to be a sound idea and we dawdle throgh some interesting English settlements, including Painswick, a very antiquated village with uniformlz geriatric sandstone buildings with crumbling facades and tottering chimneys.

Frocester, our destination for the daz, finds us rather than the other way around and we take lunch in the lounge bar of the local watering hole. Stubbsy and I have an illuminating discussion about Judaism with Richard, a very orthodox Jew. Richard has the sidelocks and yamukah, strictly observes the Sabbath (no cars, no electrical switches, etc) and even travels with his own kosher food.

The game itself isnt much to write home about. They bat first and pile on 226 in 40 overs. I am the leading wicket-taker with three, but cannot be too proud because I am thrashed for 69 runs off only 8 overs. Then I am dismissed for only 1, leaving me 68 in deficit for the day.

We have a couple of drinks with their team after the game before Tour Brain kicks in again regarding where to eat. We settle on a nearby Chinese restaurant, which has edible food and provides a fun meal but ends up costing a rather steep 18 pounds a head, thanks to some people ordering bottles of wine for themselves. I am feeling more energetic today than previous days (probably due to not tiring myself out batting) so I do some laundry and then, at midnight, head down to the bar. I manage to procure a drink and then sit around with some of the lads as the conversations drift on- and off-colour.