Ten year challenge

Not sure what Antigua airport has against me.  The last two times I’ve been there it’s cost me thousands. 

In 2009 I had to shell out $2000 just to get on an aeroplane I had already paid a ticket for. 

This time I left $1000 lighter after a blunder between the Antiguan equivalent of Bureau de Change and Santander.  It was a case of ‘from me to you’ between them with both saying the US dollars I’d tried to withdraw lay with the other.  The upshot?  I left the airport with plenty of sympathy but no cash.

Thankfully while it took the best part of three months to get my money back in 2009 it’s only taken five days in 2019.

It’s weird coming back to a place that I haven’t been to for such a long time.  Memories that have lain dormant are suddenly sparked off. 

From the Susie’s hot sauce to the Old English Rum, the posh yachts in the harbour, the cramped streets of St John’s and even the traffic jams leading to the Sir Viv Richards Stadium it’s all coming flooding back.

And the goose bumps were in overload when I returned to the Recreation Ground. 

The last time it was used for a cricket match was the last time I was there. With the shadows lengthening and fans allowed to stream in for free the atmosphere as the West Indies hung on for a famous draw got louder and more intoxicating as the day reached its conclusion.  Who says five day draws are boring?  The reaction among the home fans at the time suggested otherwise.

And what a wonderful way it was to spend a couple of hours. 

Unlike Plough Lane or other quietly crumbling sports stadiums in England you can still walk straight out onto the outfield.  Health and safety doesn’t exist in the same way outside of England and with no security in sight there’s nobody to stop you taking your life into your own hands by walking up to the scorers box where huge holes in the floor have now appeared. 

Nosing around the decrepit scoreboard reminded me of being a kid when you’d stumble upon and explore an abandoned house or deserted building.  The thrill of being caught or injuring yourself outweighed by the feeling you were somewhere you should be.  While half expected a flashlight to be shone on your face or an alarm to set off you also knew treasure and adventure was just around the corner.  This is living.

What I think about when I’m watching the cricket

What time will this match finish / Do I want to go out tonight / Has that money gone in or out my account / What’s for lunch / Any chance of a wicket / Is there anything on my to-do list that I can do / How will the sunburnt and drunk spectators feel when they wake up tomorrow morning / Why can’t batsmen bat any more / The shadows are starting to appear around the ankles of the players / Is that a rain cloud on the horizon / England have been lucky / England have been unlucky / Have children ever come to Test matches or was it just me / How many football matches can you fit into a five Test series / God, it looks cold out there / How is there still 42 overs left in the day / How was that not given out / It’s hot in here / Half the crowd here look bored out of their minds / I’ve eaten too much sugar today / What’s the football score / What’s the weather like tomorrow / What can I write about / Back to back Tests are a killer / I wonder if I could take a day off in the Oval Test and spend it with my family getting drunk watching the cricket / That’s a strange fielding position / I could do with a cup of tea / Wonder if I have enough time to go for a wee before the end of the advert break / What are New Zealand’s fixtures in 2020 / What time will I get home tomorrow / When will I see Franklin next

talkSPORT Tour Diary

It’s been a terrific few days in Barbados with the talkSPORT team reunited after a Christmas apart.  Our two month tour across Sri Lanka brought us all close together and there were big grins and even bigger hugs all round when the likes of Neil Manthorp and Darren Gough arrived. 

Possibly this was more to do with the relief of their long journey from South Africa being over than the pleasure of seeing Andrew Mckenna and Jarrod KImber.  But it was a lively first evening out with plenty of tales from the tour we’ve just completed.

One man who wasn’t looking so happy is young Producer Sam Ellard.  Sam is known as a talk-first-think-later type of guy and it had landed him in trouble. During the back end of the tour to Sri Lanka he agreed to a bet that he soon regretted.

Sam would be the first to admit he could do with losing a pound or two and thought it would be wise to challenge former professional sports man Matt Prior to a contest called #talksportsbiggestloser.  Whoever arrived in Barbados having shed the most weight would be taken out to one of Barbados’s most expensive joints.    

When a restaurant on Barbados is known as expensive you know you’d better start extending the overdraft.  The day after I arrived I was charged £8 for two litres of milk.  I thought my jet lag was playing tricks with me it wasn’t just the milk.  A packet of corn chips is more than a fiver and a steak will set you back £13.  Let’s hope the talkSPORT bean counters aren’t reading this. 

Either way Gareth Batty, who will be part of the team for the limited overs leg, was so confident Sam wouldn’t be able to cash the cheque his mouth had tried to pay offered to front up the money for the entire 12 strong team if Matt lost.  Suffice to say his money is safe.

Fair play to Sam though when the big day came he fronted up.  He was thankful that Matt has decided not to drink this tour so when the bill came in it wasn’t anywhere near as horrendous as Sam had feared.

Aside from Sam losing the shirt off his back it’s been a wonderful week.  Every member of the talkSPORT team is a cricket tragic and for many it has been a first experience of visiting the Kensington Oval. 

Just walking past the famous statue of Sir Garfield Sobers, then across the lush green outfield where the names of the legendary figures leap out at you from the stands is enough to give us all goose bumps.

From the first black man to captain the West Indies, a man who reshaped the identity of the side forever, Sir Frank Worrell, to the most fearsome opening duo to ever play the game, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, to the bowler who looked up to no man, Joel Garner.  A reminder that Barbados has provided our wonderful sport with some of the best to ever play the game.

With stadium facilities and view of the pitch nearly as impressive as some of those who’ve represented Barbados and the West Indies we are an excited bunch less than a day out from the 1^st Test.  We hope that this enjoyment and delight is apparent when we take to the airwaves on Wednesday.