Paris Tour 2008      

August 22nd-26th       

Chantilly, Thoiry & Standard Athletic  

Tour Summary Won 2 Lost 1 

TOURING PARTY:JeremyLascelles, Andy Smith, Ollie Smith, Bill Johnson, Andrew Woodhouse,Paul Wakefield, Charles Fellows-Smith, Michael Blumberg, Joe Ireland,Andy Hill, Tom Newman (w/k),  
Occasional players:Robert Butlin(Umpire), Phillip Woodhouse(Pianist) 
Supporters:Vicky & Linda

Reserves:Jack Hardy,Richard Clark

Chateau de Chantilly which most of the party visited on Saturday morning  

Another year, another tour. Could it be another clean sweep? Well almost, but not quite. After having wrapped up the first two games relatively comfortably, the Virgin lads seemed set at the halfway stage of their final game to make it 3 out of 3 again, only for a combination of good batting from the home team, and a moment of huge controversy, to deny them at the last. Game by game Jeremy Lascelles reports: 

 Wakers, Michael Blumberg scores, Joe Ireland, Phil Woodbridge, Andy Hill sets off to bat, the ladies prepare tea 

  Sat 23rd August: NOMADS/VIRGIN CC 153-8 in 40 overs (J.Lascelles 51, A.Hill 32, C.Hedley 4-21) beat CHANTILLY 86 all out in 27.3 overs (J.Ireland 4-12, M.Blumberg 2- 0, A.Woodhouse 2-32, N.Shepherd 51) by 67 runs.  

   
                                           Nomads at Chantilly                                                                                The Chantilly Mob

A curious game this. For some reason all of the batsman struggled to find rhythm and timing on the artificial surface, so that Jeremy Lascelles' rather scratchy 51 and Andy Hill's far from fluent 32 seemed better with the benefit of hindsight than they probably did at the time. Even so, a final score of 153-8 off their allotted 40 overs appeared to be somewhat below par, especially as we were 99-1 after 21 overs. However a good disciplined bowling performance, spearheaded by 15-year-old butter-wouldn't-melt-in-his-mouth debutant Andrew "Woody" Woodhouse, ensured that Chantilly were never really at the races (maybe because they weren't being run at the internationally famous nearby track), or even at the polo field. In fact they were on the cricket pitch, but with the exception of opener Shepherd the only man in double figures with 51, none of them for very long. An excellent spell from Joe Ireland of 4-12 pretty much put paid to their hopes, which were finally extinguished by the Mighty One picking up their last two wickets in the 3 balls that he bowled.  

   
                                       Party time in Chantilly                   Dinner in Chantilly Saturday evening                                                                 

 Sun 24th August: NOMADS/VIRGIN CC  271-5 in 40 overs (T.Newman 75, W.Johnson 61, A.Smith 55*) beat THOIRY 145 all out in 32.2 overs (O.Smith 4-46, R.Clark 2-20, W.Smatti 37) by 126 runs. 

A   pretty substantial total of 271-5 meant that Thoiry needed to bat exceptionally well and/or for Virgin to bowl and field exceptionally badly (all extremely possible), but not even the presence of Paul Wakefield in the opposition ranks for this one, was enough to upset la carte de pomme. A terrific opening partnership of 120 between Sir Wiiliam of Johnson and Tom "Son of Bill" Newman set the tone. After refusing to walk when given out lbw (well he had hit the cover off it) Bill unleashed some mighty blows, but it was the batting of the 17-year-old left-hander Tom that caught the eye, standing upright and playing very elegantly, fully living up to his extravagant pre-tour reputation. And some lusty blows by Andy "I'm so damn old I've given up counting" Smith and young Woody (butter was by now very much starting to melt in his mouth) who put on 53 runs in the last 6 overs, ensured an imposing target was set. But with Wakers and young Jack Hardy opening the innings - both very used to the dream Thoiry batting surface and well capable of big runs - nothing was being taken for granted. Enter Richard "King Cock" Clark, decked out in ill-fitting borrowed gear and his painter's boots. His bowling was as tight as his trousers, he instantly found his length (the contour of which was visible to all), and he deservedly picked up both openers in a fine spell. The result was then never really in doubt, despite some big hitting from Moodly and Smatti. Ollie Smith twirled away for a 4 wicket return, and Michael "Not the Mayor of New York" Blumberg(despite his opening three balls going for 14, in complete contrast to his efforts the previous day) picked up a couple of expensive wickets. The end came none too soon - the Pizzeria awaited.

      Alexandre & Mum try to take the orders                                                        Problem solved Nomads feed once more at Pizzeria Thoiry   

  Mon 25th August: Nomads /VIRGIN CC   200-7 in 35 overs (P.Wakefield 65, A.Smith 38) lost to STANDARD ATHLETIC CC    201-4 (J.Grant 64, J.Riches 52) by 6 wickets.

A   good, keenly contested 35 over game was finally won by SACC in the penultimate over, but not before a moment of high controversy. Virgin batted first for the third time on tour, and appeared to post a competitive total of 200-7. There were contributions pretty much all down the order, but Paul "Yoda" Wakefield - batting like an Uzbec warrior - was in particularly shining form before inexplicably running himself out. There were some fine cameos too, notably from Andy "I've run out of nicknames" Smith, and a 25 in not much more than a dozen deliveries from Tom Newman, this despite the considerable handicap of batting in a cravat. But SACC had a strong batting line-up, and although they remained behind the run-rate, started with an opening partnership of 70. But it was the arrival of Riches at no.3 that sparked the game into life. He had delivered a couple of mighty blows into the forest of Meudon before seeming to chip one back into the hands of Bill Johnson. Caught and bowled. Out. Goodnight, Charlie. Or so we thought, to a man. Not so the batsman, who stood his ground claiming a bump ball. To the disbelief of our entire team, the umpires agreed with him. Some very fruity dialogue ensued, and carried on ensuing. Even the most mild-mannered members of the team were chuntering away in anger and bewilderment. It was the defining moment of the match, so much so that by the time that he was finally dismissed (Ollie Smith coolly taking the second of two huge skiers), the odds had slipped dramatically in SACC's favour. Virgin still kept it tight (sounds like the title of some soft porn movie) and stayed competitive, but SACC finally got over the line with 9 balls remaining.

 Full Scorecards  &   More Pictures     

Some Previous Paris/Thoiry Tours     
 2007 Tour 3 wins     
2006 Thrashed by Thoiry/Dreux Lose 2 win 1 
 2005 Season Tour to Thoiry & Meudon,2 wins 1 loss
2004 Tour to Thoiry, lose twice 
2003 Tour to Thoiry Scorecards & Pics     

1982 Tour to Meudon 2 Draws 
1979 Tour to Meudon Won 1 Lost 1  

Virgin XI CC, then an independent club, has been visiting Thoiry since the mid 1990s. Nomads have been visiting SAC since the mid 1970s. Nomads as CWXI visited Thoiry in 1990. The tour originally just to Thoiry extended in 2005 to SAC and in 2007 to Chantilly.  

Virgin CC in the early 21st century met formally to agree to a merger within Nomads CC. By a narrow majority the Virgin members present voted to continue as an independent club. However two of those present namely Jeremy Lascelles, a founder Virgin, and member of Nomads and Michael Blumberg, a Virgin member and Hon Sec Nomads subsequently took the decision to encompass Virgin XI within Nomads CC and there has been no howl of protest since. 

More about Virgin XI

 Henri Duc d'Aumale (1822 -1897) who rebuilt the Chateau de Chantilly and bequeathed it to the Institut de France lived in exile in Twickenham Middlesex(1848-1870) during which period he built up his magnificent collections which are now on show in the Chateau.  It is not recorded whether the Duc  ever played or watched cricket though he supported horse racing and commisioned.The Duc a distinguished soldier was also Governor General of Algiers for whom the writer Albert Camus played football goal keeper. Algiers is still not a member of ICC! Cricket is now played beside the Polo Ground. 

   Honore Daumet  redecorated the Chateau and also built the Grand Stand at the race course