Barry Chambers reported regularly for CricketEurope on the Eurasia Cup tournament in Abu Dhabi.
It's been quite an eventful start to the trip, with last minute flight schedule changes, people not being booked properly by the organisers, and to cap it all, Thinus Fourie is in limbo at the Abu Dhabi Airport Hotel.
All credit to Ivan Lapsley and Matt Dwyer, who have handled it all in their stride to date, despite being under severe pressure at times. The first honour went to Matt, who saved a fortune in excess baggage charges at Dublin Airport, thanks to an old contact he knew.
Next up was Ivan and Joe Doherty who managed to get Gillian Rodgers, the physiotherapist, a return flight to Abu Dhabi, after she was omitted inadvertently by the competition organisers. With myself and John Wright in the middle, receiving e-tickets literally up to the last minutes before departure, you get an idea of the chaos which has ensued.
Gary Wilson, Jason Molins, and skipper William Porterfield met up with the squad at Heathrow, and it didn't take long for Gary to mess up. He threw his sterling allowance, along with the envelope it came in, into a dustbin. When he discovered his error, he was seen rummaging like Great Uncle Bulgaria out of the Wombles through all the bins at the airport. Luckily he did manage to recover the lost money.
One of the funniest sights of the trip has to be Boyd Rankin using the toilets on the plane. 6 feet 9 inches into 5 feet 9 doesn't go, so when a call of nature beckoned, he resembled Toulouse Lautrec!
The real drama was about to unfold at Abu Dhabi airport, when after initially allowing Thinus Fourie to enter the country, immigration detained him at the baggage carousel. The organisers hadn't secured the required visa he needed, and with Friday being the day off for offices in Abu Dhabi, he wasn't allowed to leave the airport, and is spending the night in the Airport Hotel. Cue frantic telephone calls, but as yet the matter isn't resolved, but should be by the morning at the very latest.
Before leaving the airport, we were told 4 different versions of which hotel we were staying at, before they finally decided on the Al Futaisi Country club. Now to reach the hotel or resort to be more accurate, it is a 40 minute coach journey, and then transfer to a speedboat for a hairy 20 minute jaunt. As Matt Dwyer put it, 'They've sent us to Alcatraz!' I reckon Alcatraz would be easier to escape from. Matt and Ivan suspect the hand of Roy Torrens in the hotel allocation, but as yet no proof has emerged!
To be fair it's a beautiful location, and the accommodation is spot on, with a walk on beach and the sea, but with no internet access and no alcohol, it could be a long two weeks. Temperature is in the mid 30's, and the team are practising at the absolutely superb Sheikh Zayed stadium under floodlights at 6:30pm.
Let's hope for a winning start against the UAE tomorrow in a day nighter, and everybody is willing the senior side to do well against Hampshire at Clontarf on Sunday. Hopefully scores, reports and photos will be on the sites as soon as I can get them to you.
Off now for a spot of sunbathing – some rather attractive Italian Ladies have come out onto the beach. Now, where did I leave those sunglasses? It's a hard life!
An 8 wicket loss to the UAE was disappointing, but there were some positives to be taken from the performance. Gary Wilson batted with great patience and maturity, and if he hadn't held the innings together, one shudders at what the score could have been.
The stadium is absolutely superb, and with all the games being shown live, it's a great experience for all the players. William Porterfield has handled the media very well, although quite what the viewers made of his explanation that we were missing a player because of ' belly Debbie', I'm not sure.
The Bready duo of Trevor Britton and Boyd Rankin were slightly under the weather. Trevor had a runny nose, which was quite more preferable than where Boyd's was coming from!
Thinus Fourie was finally set from his Airport Immigration hell, but not in time to play. It's remarkable how well he coped with his ordeal, but I'm sure the quicker he gets his Irish passport, the better he'll feel when travelling abroad.
Back at Alcatraz island, the Italian ladies have disappeared. What I didn't bargain for yesterday was the appearance of their boyfriends about 5 minutes after them. Still, the good news is that it meant I didn't have to hold in my pot belly for 2 weeks in an effort to impress them!
Matt Dwyer reckons this is the ideal location to hold all the Youth tournaments. No need for discipline committees when you have no alcohol and no night life whatsoever.
Ivan was in his element talking with the Prince who attended the game. I didn't hear cricket being mentioned too much, but I think they were discussing their comparative reserves of oil – don't be surprised if you see a UAE oil tanker pulling up at Killea or Broadbridge filling stations in the next few weeks.
The players have a morning off, with practice in the afternoon. Off then to watch some of the India versus Holland game. Myself and Ivan are off to Dubai on a reconnaissance mission first thing, and also to pick up some gear at the ICC offices.
No need to fill you all in with a weather report – I'm reminded of the weather reports in 'Good Morning Vietnam', or 'The Fast Show.' – 'damn hot,' and 'scorchio.' I see it's 12C in Dublin – add 28C to that, and you're near enough. Next bulletin will be after the Sri Lanka game tomorrow.
Sunday saw the team go to training, while the dynamic management duo of Lapsley and Chambers were dispatched to Dubai to pick up kit from the ICC offices, which had been posted there by Paul Ryan of Lekka Sports. The gear looks good, and the commentary team were delighted because of the huge lettering and numbers on the back, which made it easy to identify the players. The officials were not so enamoured with it, due to it being collarless, but couldn't find anything in the regulations to prevent it being worn.
Dubai is an altogether more happening place, with plenty of shopping, pubs and activities. A mini break there is on the cards over the next few days. To give you an indication of the heat, an ashtray on our table exploded due to the effects of the sun.
On our return trip, our intention to meet with the players at the stadium was changed, as news filtered through of a finger injury to Conor Armstrong, which meant a trip to the hospital for him. Fortunately, it wasn't too serious, and he made the game the next day.
A scorching Monday saw the team face a Sri Lankan side with 6 Internationals. With the temperature topping 42C, William Porterfield called wrong, and the side faced an ordeal. John Mooney bowled superbly, while in between the wides, Boyd Rankin bowled some useful deliveries. The commentary team of Ramiz Rahja, Haroon Rashid and Madan Lal were all impressed by the Irish display.
The heat had its effects on the players, with Boyd Rankin being particularly distressed. Physio Gillian Rodgers and the subs were certainly busy people yesterday. Sri Lanka were let off the hook recovering from 75 for 5, and 154 for 7, but full credit to Weerakoon and Chandana who both batted well.
William Porterfield looked accomplished, and Thinus Fourie looked at ease, but with the rate creeping up, desperation kicked in, and the inevitable collapse came. Still, Ireland were very much in contention for 80% of the game, and the team and coach can be happy with their work.
With the team now not having a game for 8 days, a bonding session was held at the hotel, where the 'Miracle at Canaan was reinacted.' A morning off for everyone, before an afternoon training session in the nets, and a look at the Holland v Pakistan game. Details of that game in due course.
Day 5 saw the Irish players have a morning in the swimming pool recuperating from the effects of the Sri Lankan game the previous day. They all seem to have come out of the game with no real problems, and are in good spirits after their performance against a strong side.
The afternoon sees the players and management take part in a North v South game of football, which ends with honours even in a 3-3 draw, thanks to a last minute goal-line clearance from Ivan Lapsley – the only problem was, he prevented it at the wrong end!
The players then continue with a 3 hour training session, with everybody working hard.
Went into to watch the Holland versus Pakistan game, and watched Hasan Raza bat. Yasir Arafat also bowled well, and with real pace. The Dutch battled well, but much like ourselves, wilted in the last 10 overs, when Pakistan added 105 runs.
Had a good chat with Roland Lefebrve, and compared notes about the hotels. They are staying in 5 star luxury, with a bar, gymnasium, satellite tv, internet cafÈ, restaurants, bowls, fishing, shooting, entertainment, etc. – well we've got a kids zoo, and a play castle!
Can you see me telling John Mooney that we're off to the zoo?n nOur attempts and those of the other teams to get off the island have so far proved fruitless. The players are paying their own money now to get down to a hotel in Dubai for 2 days, and hopefully that will stave off any mutiny.
The team was granted 48 hours parole, and a trip to Dubai gave everyone a chance to chill out. There is a massive amount of construction going on there at the minute, with skyscrapers and cranes dominating the skyline. Even this trip didn't go as planned, with the organisers deciding to have a press conference on the Rest Day. They invited all the media and dignatories, but forgot one small matter – nobody told any of the teams!
Cue frantic phone calls once again, and eventually 3 hours after the scheduled time, the conference got under way, with no Sri Lankans, no Pakistan captain, and only the Irish and Indians had the full complement as requested. A typically staged affair was livened up when in the Q&A session, an Indian tv presenter asked why Hasan Raza, the captain of Pakistan, wasn't present. The Pakistan manager angrily explained the circumstances, and one of the main organisers was forced to come in front of the cameras and explain the error of their ways.
Back in Dubai, the players went to a Water Park, and had a very enjoyable time. We were given a driver who, when he wasn't trying to kill us by cutting across 4 lanes of traffic, spent 2 hours driving around in a circle. Patience exhausted, we jumped out and phoned two taxis to get us to the hotel. A last minute change of accommodation turned out to be a blessing, with a great location, and very reasonably prices.
I always say the world's a better place after two pints, and that was indeed the case, as we had a very enjoyable meal while watching the Milan versus Barcelona game. There is plenty of night life in Dubai, and after the isolation of the island, it made the players appreciate it even more.
The next day saw an expedition to a shopping centre the size of Limavady, with an amazing variety on offer. It gave everyone a chance to spend some of their dollars, and that night, many of the purchases were on view, with Mr Lapsley sporting a bright orange number, which should go down well on the 12th July.
Friday saw us back on the road after a day at the beach, and we called in at the Pakistan versus India game, where there was a huge crowd. We were shown to a corporate box, and enjoyed a high scoring game, which saw the Indians make 269, 34 runs too many for Pakistan. That means a huge game for us on Tuesday, facing an Indian team keen to impress, and packed with Test and One Day International players. It promises to be a memorable experience for all concerned.
We arrived back at Alcatraz to find that both the Sri Lankan and Pakistan teams had departed, along with most of the UAE team. The good news is that now we have the table tennis and play castle all to ourselves, and won't have to queue at the kids' zoo.
Back to the hard work on Saturday, with Matt Dwyer planning a tough work-out for the team, in preparation for the Indian game. With the world's media taking a keen interest in the game, nobody wants to let themselves down. The weather continues to be extremely hot, but everyone taking sensible precautions, and there are no injuries to report.
Roger Whelan has promised the players a fantabulous night's entertainment, by playing some of his band's songs – The Stimulants – while John Mooney is organising a talent contest. Should be entertaining. Hoping to catch the Sri Lanka versus Netherlands game later on as well.
The weekend saw the players return to serious training ahead of their eagerly anticipated clash with tournament favourites India. The players have put all the off the field problems to the back of their minds to focus on the challenge ahead.
India only scored 196 yesterday against the UAE, but their opening attack blitzed the UAE, and they were bowled out for just 70. How will Ireland cope with hostile bowling of over 90 mph?
Training has been disrupted due to the disintegration of the practice wickets, and the breakdown of the roller right in the middle of the training facility. Matt Dwyer has adapted well, and managed to secure training on the outfield of the main stadium before the beginning of the matches.
The travelling to the stadium has become something of a chore, with 3 hours being wasted every day. The organisers relocation of both Pakistan and Sri Lanka from Alcatraz, means that the island has taken on an even more abandoned feel.
I now know why the ICC insist that all teams must be located in the same hotel during tournaments – it removes any accusations of favouritism, and makes communication a lot easier.
The boat ride on Saturday night was eventful, with the boat breaking down 5 times on the way across. The sight of our liason officer, Kashif, who couldn't swim, looking for rescue numbers lightened a tense situation. Nobody was laughing at Kenny Carroll, who was wearing the only life-jacket that the boat had. I didn't notice the name of the boat, but I'm sure it reads as Titanic in Arabic.
There was a somewhat surreal feeling as we drifted in the middle of the Arabian Gulf, with all the text scores coming in from the games back in Ireland. A big thanks to everyone who kept us abreast of all the developments.
The spirit and commitment of the players has been nothing short of magnificent, and they have knuckled down to their task well. They are aware that there are World Cup places up for grabs, and are determined to do their upmost to secure them.
The news that Ireland had beaten Gloucestershire gave everyone a tremendous boost, and suddenly the world is a much better place. Great performance by the team, especially considering the criticisms levelled at them during the past week.
A defeat then to India, but certainly no disgrace. The local organisers were delighted with the Irish performance, having feared that they would be steamrollered by India. 182 was a great effort, but having been 168 for 5 with 10 overs left, 220 was on at that stage. The John Mooney lbw decision saw us collapse against the opening attack, with the tail struggling with the pace – 83 to 87 miles per hour.
Kevin O'Brien hit two giant sixes, both of which went into the main stands, silencing the large Indian contingent who attended the game. He mustn't have fancied too much running, especially after breaking the world pork chop eating contest – the night before the management of the hotel had laid on a barbecue and entertainment for the team – Kevin certainly kept the chef busy, as he put away 21 pork chops!
The Irish contingent certainly know how to eat. The chef had food for 4 teams in stock, but with only us remaining, along with a couple of the UAE team, he still thinks he's cooking for 70 instead of 20. The look of joy on his face when we devour his food has to make you smile.
Back to the night's entertainment, and we had a belly dancer and a magician. Manager Ivan Lapsley, who has been complaining about a knee injury and a bad back, overcame those injuries, with a gyrating performance on stage along with the team. I've never seen so many cameras and videos taken of a display!
The magician was the hotel driver, and he was clearly delighted at being in the limelight. He went through his routine of tricks to great applause, although as we were in the dark and 50 yards away from him, we couldn't really see what was going on.
All credit to the hotel, who have gone out of their way to try and make us happy, in spite of the complete absence of any sort of facilities. A day at the pool is planned, with a game against the UAE on Thursday to round off our tournament. Jason Molins flew back this morning to return to work, while John Wright is expected to arrive here in the morning.
The tour ended then as it had begun, with a loss to the UAE. This time though, it was a vastly improved display, with 3 dropped catches proving to be Ireland's downfall.
All the bowlers performed well in the extreme conditions, with Gary Kidd playing exceptionally well. He picked up 3 wickets and had 2 catches dropped off his bowling, which ultimately cost him the MOM award, and the $2600 which goes along with it.
Ireland allowed the run rate to increase too steeply, and the tail were left with too much to do. Kenny Carroll impressed, and if he hadn't been caught right on the long on boundary, then Ireland might have sneaked it.
Coach Matt Dwyer felt that the concession of extras were crucial, and he wants to see bowlers having an increased workload in domestic cricket. His view that the bowlers aren't getting enough overs under their belt may have some weight.
With the game going on till nearly 11 at night, there wasn't much time for a post match drink, but the players enjoyed their last few hours of captivity on Alcatraz island.
The squad have been nothing short of remarkable for their patience and understanding , in at times very difficult and trying conditions. Their fitness levels and fielding were comparable to any of the nations on view. Some of the players' techniques have been found wanting, and a lot of hard work is needed if they are to be successful at the higher grade.
Some of the squad have risen to the challenge, with William Porterfield, John Mooney, Gary Kidd and Gary Wilson all now very much part of Adrian Birrell's plans.
There are opportunities for others to join them, particularly in the seam bowling department. The trick will be to convert the promise shown into real achievements.
There's no doubt that this tour has been a valuable resource for all involved. The worldwide media exposure has brought Irish cricket to the attention of the Asian viewing public, and it has given the players a chance to show what they can do.
I'll sign off now by personally thanking all the squad for their help, with a special mention for Matt, Ivan and Gillian for putting up with my rants about life without the internet and alcohol.