On 31 July, a private cricket ground tucked away in the Sussex countryside hosted its very first match. Coolham Oval – brand new, beautifully set, and built entirely out of one man’s love of the game – welcomed the visiting Hunters CC, a sociable roving amateur side, to take on the Old Grumblers in a fixture that felt like village cricket at its very best: competitive, warm, a little chaotic, and full of good humour.
It’s also, as it turns out, a story about where a great cricket tour can lead.
The Man Who Built a Ground in His Back Garden
The Old Grumblers’ captain, Anton Joiner, is no stranger to cricket tours. In 2022 he led the side on a 10-day playing tour of Barbados, organised by International Cricket Tours (ICT), taking in fixtures at some of the island’s most iconic and picturesque grounds against seriously tough competition. The Grumblers didn’t win a single match – but, as anyone who’s toured with ICT will tell you, that was never really the point. A brilliant time was had by all.
Something about that trip stuck with Anton. Not long after, he retired to Sussex with one simple goal: to spend his retirement playing cricket. So he did what any dedicated cricketer dreams of doing and built a full-size ground from scratch, in a stunning setting, right in his own back garden. Coolham Oval was born – and on 31 July, it hosted its first ever fixture.
A Day (and Weekend) to Remember
The match itself had all the hallmarks of a proper village occasion: players, supporters and friends of both clubs gathered together, the new ground providing a gorgeous backdrop for a day of cricket, conversation and celebration. The scores were tight – Hunters CC posted a competitive 161 – and the match ended in a draw, which felt about right for an afternoon built on friendly rivalry rather than ruthless competition.
What Anton hadn’t let on was that David Gower, honorary President of Hunters CC, would be arriving at 5pm for a post-match Q&A in the courtyard of Anton’s house – a lovely surprise that turned an already special day into something genuinely memorable.
It was there that I found myself pulled from the crowd by John Etheridge, cricket correspondent for The Sun, who wanted to know how ICT had built a successful cricket touring company when so many others hadn’t survived. I gave him the short version: my own first playing tour to Barbados back in 1981, meeting the West Indies stars of that era, and how – 17 years ago – that experience became the foundation for International Cricket Tours. We built the company on three words: generosity, integrity and fun. They’re the same three words that still run through every tour we offer today.
The celebrations rolled on well past the final ball. Anton’s barn, home to his band’s equipment, was set up with a barrel of bitter and a barrel of lager for thirsty players, while an Argentinian asado – lamb and beef cooked slowly over hot coals – kept everyone fed long into the evening. The following night, after a fixture at Christ’s Hospital School, the party continued at the Selsey Arms with Roadkill Rog & The Casualties (Anton on drums). On Sunday, The Stragglers of Asia CC arrived for a 1pm fixture against the Old Grumblers, closing out a genuinely unforgettable cricketing weekend.
For Coolham Oval, it was more than an inaugural match – it was the start of something. The ground is now a welcoming home for future fixtures, and a place where the cricketing community can keep gathering, playing and growing.
Why This Story Matters for Schools and Clubs
Anton’s Barbados tour wasn’t just a holiday with cricket attached – it was the kind of experience that stays with you for years, shapes friendships, and, in his case, inspired him to build a cricket ground of his own. That’s the effect a well-run playing tour can have, and it’s exactly what ICT has been creating for schools, clubs and touring sides for 17 years.
Whether it’s a school side heading off on their first overseas tour, or a club chasing iconic grounds and a proper competitive challenge, ICT can make it happen.
A tour with ICT means:
- Fixtures at genuinely special venues — from historic club grounds to some of the most picturesque pitches in the world
- Competition matched to your side, so every game is meaningful, whatever your standard
- Every detail handled — travel, accommodation, fixtures, logistics — so all you need to think about is the cricket
- Memories that last well beyond the tour — the kind that, one day, might just inspire your own Coolham Oval
Thinking about a tour for your school or club? We’d love to help you plan it. Get in touch with International Cricket Tours and let’s start the conversation.
