Sussex Tour

ROMANY SUSSEX  CRICKET TOUR  03-07 AUGUST 2014

Once again it is that time in the year  when I write to give you preliminary details of this season’s cricket tour which will be held in the first week of August. It will be 40 years since we first took part in the Chichester Priory Park Cricket Festival in 1974. We shall be looking to take a fairly strong squad down to play in what is  usually a good class of cricket in the lovely settings of Sussex.

All the usual fixtures have been confirmed. We shall be travelling down to Midhurst on Sunday 03 August to play the first match in Cowdray Polo Park. This will be followed by the fairly strong fixture against Pagham near Bognor Regis where we managed to win off the last ball of the day last time  in a rain shortened match. On Tuesday we are returning to Singleton with their Sussex barn as a pavilion to play against this friendly non- league side which has proved to be such a popular match in recent years.  On Wednesday the highlight of the tour is the all day match against Chichester Priory Park at their lovely former county ground . As usual it is expected that they will be providing lunch, tea & an evening meal for the whole touring party with some possible entertainment in the evening in their superb club house. On the final day I hope we shall have a sufficient squad to cross swords once again with our old friends at the 240 year old club at Slinfold where we just lost a close match two years ago.

As usual I have provisionally reserved accommodation on the Bishop Otter campus of Chichester University which is so well suited to our needs. This time Standard rooms will cost £52 a night & En suite rooms £58. I have booked 12 Standards & 10 En suites for the four nights from Sunday to Wednesday inclusive & tourists will be able to come & go provided they confirm relevant details when the final letter& booking forms go out in late April or May. For those who have not been before, the Campus provides parking good quality bed & full English breakfast & is only 10 minutes easy walk from the Chichester Club House to enable us to drink there in the evenings. There is also a cheap Travelodge in Dorking just near the M25 for those not wishing to travel all the way back to Leeds after the Slinfold match.

So there we are. All is set for another cracking tour. Harwood Williams has indicated that he will be joining us as usual& we shall be seeking to strengthen our ranks with a number of Romany friends who are league players including a 5 strong contingent from Cheddar who have fitted in so well in recent years. In particular I am hoping that we shall be seeking to attract some younger members in the bowling department especially seam bowlers.

I shall be grateful to hear from those members who are interested in coming down so that I can guage the general response. I  therefore look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Martin Grayshon

Tour Organiser