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8-15am outside the Queen’s starting another Belgium tour. I’m going to pace myself this time.....In the Mogul pub, Dover, and the beer’s tasting good. watch Senegal beating France 1-0 and miss the ferry. No problem another along in an hour.

Short ferry trip and a free meal, also weather looking good...excellent. Steady cruise to Antwerp and England doing well in the test. Is this a good omen? . Encounter a 9 mile traffic queue but fortunately on the other side of the road Arrive at Ibis Hotel, Antwerp with barely a wrong turning. Meet PS in hotel bar already sampling Belgian beer. Now we are 7 (PS,RH,MP,PH,JH,BP,DC).We get changed and head into town.

I guide the party to a bar recommended as ‘one of the world’s best beer cafes’ ...the KULMINATOR. Smells like a petshop but lives up to description. Fantastic range of beer at nice prices. I want to stay forever but we move on to main square with 2 Yanks in tow. More beer at ‘Paters’ Vaetje’ (Priest’s Casket) near cathedral. Drag PB off some woman old enough to be his mother and go into main square. Things get blurry and I go home with the Larks at about 3am leaving the Owls (mainly MP & PS) out for 3 more hours drinking.

Up for breakfast at 9am. Where are rest of Nomads? Look round open market outside hotel and go into Ruben’s House just up the road. Meet the guys for coffee and omelette at local cafe - nice waitress and japanese trying to sell fishing tackle(!). Set off for MCC (Mechelen Cricket Club).

Directions good and ground found with little trouble. Meet PG, KG & chairman RJ. Realise I have only 7 fit regular players. Lose the toss and we field. Pakistani openers again - looks bad. Open with RH and PH. There’s a lot of sixes into the woods....they seem to be going at about 10 an over. PH misses tough c&b. Bring on PB and KG who comparatively slow it down. PB bowls really well but gets hit on knee. RH catches 2 in a row...amazing. A few wickets down I’ll come on for my cheap wickets. Get one - fine edge down leg side, good catch by PG. Batsmen scoring so I come off. PS gets 2 overs. Even their bottom order hit big sixes. Last over from Chairman coming out of retirement... takes wicket - stumping!!!. Kept them down to 276 ..... could have been worse. RH & PG open. Oh no, Pakistani fast bowlers as well. RH proud to have got thin tickle to good away swinger, 1st Kwak of tour. PH & PG contribute runs at good rate, about 6 per over. Now I’m in, just try to stay there to get PG his century Unfortunately he’s out in the 80s. PB in, that’s a good clip off his legs, pity it’s straight to the fielder, he’s running , ’No’ , that’s the 2nd Kwak. . PS in and I try to keep strike but get singles off 1st ball of every over but PS frustrates their bowlers. End up with 170 and I’m 27 not out. Have a drink in club house. They’re a good bunch, we give them a bottle of beer for their best player and they give us nice plaque. Head on to Brussels.

Really lucky to find hotel straight away. Other cars drift in later. Out on the town. PS & PB shocked to discover their first drink is Bush at 12%alcohol. Go to Grand Platz, it’s great as ever; some woman dressed in motorbike helmet on her hen night asks us to sign her card. It’s a tradition. PB writes something rude. PB claims he is reformed and is now a WOS (Wise Old Snapper). Try to find bar we’ve been to before. Can’t. Larks head back to hotel and find bar on way back. Hit hotel about 2-30am.

Strange morning. Go for a walk and when I get back find a fight taking place in reception, continues outside and 8 police arrive. Even stranger no Nomads involved. Later find MP had accident getting into bed....possible broken nose, split lip and loose teeth. PB disclaims responsibility and asks what he was doing coming back drunk at 6am. Going to be late for match as we watch England match at Hotel. RH has left car in carpark, which does not open ‘til 1pm, as excuse. PG, KG &RJ leave early. Disappointing draw and we try to leave Brussels. Takes ages to find right road and RH urgently wants petrol. Eventually arrive Mechelin and forget where ground is . Find it 1½ hours late for match.

PG has grovelled apologies to opposition and we start a 30 over match. We bat on a bouncy wicket. RH out to only ball that keeps low. Lose wickets quickly. I’m in again with PH bowled off full toss, then DC who can’t run. I try to hit ball in air as outfield is thick grass...out caught. Opposition start bowling wides to give us some runs. Persuade chairman to bat, he sees PB hit in chest off full toss, and he changes his mind. Persuade him again and when he gets in, he hits a 4 and runs a single. Final score 96. PH & RH start, but are unlucky as we face 2 Pakistani openers again. Fielding lets us down but we are tired, hung-over, dehydrated and carrying injuries. We miss early catches that would give us a chance. I come on and get upset when no-one goes for a skier. Excuses are ‘I should have gone for it’, ‘I can’t run, I’m injured’, ‘I lost sight of it because I had a helmet on’ and ‘I thought someone else would go for it’. I sulk down at fine leg and miss a catch. The end is quick , required runs off 15 overs. Only good thing is PH’s bowling. Have a drink then back to Brussels. Three Kwaks required. PB down in one, RH a steady savouring and KG does not like his. Some are disappointed to find our favourite Lambic bar shut...others are delighted. Go to couple of recommended bars but can’t find 3rd . Perhaps the ‘Mort Subite’ has experienced a ‘Sudden Death’ Most places shutting so we have early night.

Final morning. Buy souvenirs - beer, chocolate, lace. Back to Calais and this time catch earlier ferry. On way back to Lichfield PB finds GB has nearly burnt house down. Relaxing beers in Queens and back for some much required sleep.

John Hoddy.

11/5/02

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