Last Wednesday, I travelled up north to Old Trafford in Manchester with Dave for the second day of the Test match.
I first met Dave in the Caribbean on one of our tours, and we’ve become good friends since; we’re both based in West London, so a night out together is a regular occurrence.
This was my one day of international cricket in the summer season, apart from the Ashes. I usually only attend one day live, as I’m away all winter touring with ICT for England’s red- and white-ball tours.
The rest of the time, I mostly follow Surrey in the Championship, 50-over, and T20 formats, and enjoy meeting up with others who tour with us. Bruce and Jeff are frequent partners in crime.
After settling into our hotel, we met up with Jeff and had a lovely Chinese meal. Then it was off to catch up with Roge – who travelled to India with us in January – for a couple of late beers before calling it a night.
After breakfast the next morning, we made our way to Old Trafford, hoping for a great day’s cricket. My main goal on these trips up north is always to meet as many clients as possible who’ve travelled with us on previous ICT tours. This trip was no exception. So many old friends stopped by to say hello at our seats; God knows what those around us thought!
We caught up with Nigel and Ken (India), Paul (Australia), a client from Essex, and Mike and Neil, who have joined us on multiple tours.
Many photos were taken! A lovely touch was that everyone wore their tour shirts. After a great day’s play, we headed to the Old Wellington with David, Roger, and Nigel, and were soon joined by Bil; another well-travelled regular with whom I’ve shared many enjoyable nights over a beer.
We finished the evening with a curry, then returned to the hotel before heading home the following morning.
Having received lots of messages asking whether I’d be at the Oval for the next Test, I managed to get a ticket and again sat with Nigel. It was great to catch up with Ian (another tour regular) and David was there with Tricia. We also saw Bob, who’s joined us on several occasions. Everyone was wearing their blue India tour polo shirts, so we were easy to spot, and of course, more photos were taken!
During the day, I also caught up with David and Alison—long overdue. They’ve been on several trips with us, and hopefully we can meet up for dinner in Australia.
As I walked around the ground, I bumped into Peter, a regular at the Oval and another multi-tour veteran. After stumps, we headed to the Black Dog for a beer and were joined by our “cousins” James and Graeme Brumwell, along with Julie, Don, Steve, and Nigel.
These two days were fantastic. Many friendships have been made through our tours—some people had never met until that day, but cricket brings us together. At ICT, we pride ourselves on being a little different. I’m constantly receiving messages, texts, or emails from clients checking in, asking about future tours, or simply saying, “Hi, will you be at the Oval?”
At International Cricket Tours, we’re one big family. Clients join us as travellers and leave as friends, and I’ve been lucky enough to make many.
If you’re wondering who to tour with and are looking for something well-organised, unique, and friendly, look no further: we’re the company for you.
Thank you to everyone mentioned above for making those two days so memorable, and to all who have travelled with us, or will in the future.
See you soon,
Gary
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