A look back on Wiltshire Cricket's 2022 tour to Sri Lanka!

On the 16th February 2022, the touring party touched down in Colombo ready for 12 days of cricket, culture, and curry. Our safe arrival in Sri Lanka was thanks to a huge effort from all at Lions Sports Travel and Wiltshire Cricket who worked tirelessly to ensure that the tour went ahead.

We were greeted by the warmest of welcomes, both literally and metaphorically, from our hosts, guides, and drivers who, throughout the course of the 12 days, become life-long friends.

The first 6 nights of our tour were spent on the East Coast; the Citrus Waskaduwa hotel which, with its palm trees, pools and fresh prawns was the perfect venue in which to settle in. There was only time for a few lengths of the pool before we were in the bus heading South, to Galle, where only a few weeks before England had beaten Sri Lanka in a thrilling Test match. For the boys and girls, the ground on which we were lucky enough to play our first match was none other than the Galle International Cricket Stadium. This iconic setting, one considered a favourite by many international cricketers, was a stunning ground on which to play our first match.

The girls came up against a very strong side from the Foundation of Goodness, eventually coming 2nd by a deficit of 83. Highlights included 23 from Anna Mae Shearn and 1 wicket each for Anna Me, Holly Evans and Erica Baxter. The boys also played against the Foundation of Goodness, a side with an abundance of talent that included a couple of young Sri Lankan players. Batting first, the FOG scored 209 with George Wilcox bowling superbly to take 3 wickets. Wiltshire put in a valiant effort scoring 128, in the end losing by 81 with Harry Butterworth stroking his way to a fluent 28.

Being the first of 3 consecutive cricketing days, we were set for some sun (burn) in conditions that, for many, had not been experienced before. The heat of Galle certainly made us appreciate the challenges presented by the climate; we were quick to appreciate the importance of preparation (sun-cream and hydration) in order to perform at our best.

The 2nd Match-day saw the girls take on Rathanawali Raliha Cricket Club. Fielding first, the girls weathered the heat admirably putting on a pleasing display of bowling to restrict the gifted opposition to 208. It was Victoria Stone and Holly Evans who led with the ball taking 2 wickets each. With the bat, Anna Mae Shearn hit a superb 58*, whilst Emily Smith and Katherine Cobb made encouraging 20’s. Unfortunately, however, it wasn’t quite enough as Wiltshire were bowled out for 160.

The Boys were fortunate to be hosted once again by the FOG, this time at the acclaimed Hikkaduwa Marylebone Cricket Club, founded with thanks to the MCC following the Tsunami in 2004. Wiltshire won the toss and elected to bat first. Surrounded by the jungle, Danyal Rafiq showed great composure at the top of the order to score an attractive 32, whilst Tom Morton steadied the middle overs scoring an impressive 34 in tough conditions. All out for 151, a total thought to be below par, Wiltshire bowled superbly to bowl the opposition out for 142. The boys were a little concerned following the 2nd ball of the match which sailed over extra-cover’s head for 6, but with 3 wickets for Kit Blomfied and Liam Carpenter, alongside 2 for Harry Butterworth, Hikkaduwa were bowled out for 142 resulting in a fantastic win for Wiltshire.

On the following day, it was the turn of the girls to play at the Hikkaduwa MCC. They were playing against a side formed through the Foundation which, with the huge pool of talent in the area, meant another very talented opposition. The girls fielded first, doing their upmost for 35 overs to constrain what was a batting line-up full of flair. 281 was the total set for Wiltshire to have a crack at. This included a superb 111 from a middle order batter and a destructive 79* from another later-on. This proved to be a few too many as Wiltshire were bowled out for 108. It was, however, a fantastic learning experience for the girls who relished the challenge of bowling at and facing such gifted opposition.

The boys, meanwhile, were in Colombo playing at another International ground, the De Soysa. Wiltshire fielded first on a flat wicket that looked like it had a lot of runs in it. When the 2nd ball of the game again went for 6, we knew we were up against another very talented side. However, when that batsman was caught the following ball, the boys breathed a huge sigh of relief and used that as a real confidence boost. Kit Blomfield bowled an outstanding spell taking 4 wickets for only 25 runs off 9 overs. He was well supported by Liam Carpenter who took 2 for 26. 166 was the total set off 40 overs, a target that Wiltshire reached in the 39th over. Two brilliant knocks from Danyal Rafiq (66*) and Matt Falconer (80*) saw us home.

The next day was spent away from cricket. This gave us the opportunity to visit a wood carving factory, a turtle hatchery, and a stunning set of islands that we waived our way through on a river boat safari. Highlights included holding turtles that had hatched only hours before and tasting cinnamon that had moments earlier been in its natural form of a tree.

We were back on the cricket field the following day, both teams lucky enough to play on the P.Sara oval, an International ground that’s hosted 22 test-matches. This day was particularly hot, but thanks to the exceptional hospitality that we received all tour, we were fed, hydrated, and looked after wonderfully well to ensure that we were able to perform at our best. Some excellent fielding from the girls restricted the opposition, the Central Province Cricket Academy, to 128 off 20 overs: Holly Evans taking 2 wickets and Charlotte Carr, Erica Baxter and Anna Mae Shearn picking up 1. When batting, the girls were challenged with some vicious spin bowling that proved to be a little too good as Wiltshire were bowled out for 72.

Following a productive net session earlier in the morning, it was the boys up next who took on the same local cricket academy. Bowling first, an attacking top order came at us with great intent, finding the boundary with ease and guiding their side to 143 for the loss of 4 wickets, Tom Morton leading the charge with 2. Only Jonny Sadler and Matt Falconer managed to reach 20, spin being our downfall and leading to the conclusion of our innings for a score of 81.

The next morning we left the coast and headed inland. After a picturesque, but steep, testing walk up to the beautiful Dambulla cave temple, we arrived at a hotel that could have, in fact definitely should have, featured on the BBC’s ‘Most Extraordinary Hotels’. The Kandalama was an incredible hotel situated in the heart of the jungle, 20 minutes outside Dambulla. With monkeys on the balcony and elephants at the entrance, this truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Upon arriving at the hotel, half-way up the drive, we stopped at a local cricket ground to partake in a tour highlight. We were fortunate to meet, and play alongside, the management and beneficiaries of the Pranav charity – an organisation set-up to give disadvantaged children an opportunity to play sport. With a huge thanks to our touring party and extended friends and family, Wiltshire Cricket were able to buy and deliver 10 cricket mats to local clubs whom otherwise would have been playing the game they love on unfavourable surfaces. It was a lovely occasion where our players then played with the local children.

The boys played 2 games on the same ground whilst based near Dambulla, the 1st of which was, can you believe it, rained off due to a huge storm that flooded the ground. The flowing day, they returned to Polonnaruwa Royal Cricket Club where they batted first and set a modest total of 152 from their 40 overs. The long grass and large outfield, however, made this score closer to par than perhaps originally thought. The innings was centred around a stylish 43 from Kit Blomfield, Jonny Sadler proving his class too with an effortless 25. Making this performance special was the determination that the boys showed in the field. The consistent line and length that the bowlers held was admirable, but most impressive was the fielding. Kit took 3 wickets, Freddie and Matt 2, but winning the game was a classy run-out by Danyal Rafiq which saw the opposition all out for 149 – a Wiltshire win by 3 runs!

The penultimate game for the girls was played at DC Alpura - the opponents, a local club side named Anuradhapura Cricket Club. Losing the toss, the girls were sent into bat. A superb 67* not out from Emily Smith controlled the innings, supported well by Erica (27) and Isabella (19). 156 was the target set but due to a brilliant bowling performance, Anuradhapura could only manage 123 before they were bowled out in the 33rd over. Olivia Smail’s fantastic 7 over spell was rewarded with 4 wickets, with Charlotte Carr picking up 2. This was a great, thoroughly deserved win for the girls which had been coming following admirable resilience shown all tour!

Rightly so, the girls took a great deal of confidence from this game which they took into their final fixture on tour, played at the prestigious Dambulla International Stadium. Batting first, a real team effort led to a score of 243 on the board. Victoria Stone hit a chanceless 47, whilst valuable contributions from Anna Mae Shearn (33), Emily Smith (25) and Madeleine Loughbrough (23) helped boost the run-rate.  They knew they had to bowl well against a strong batting side, and that’s exactly what they did, restricting the opposition to 208 off their overs. A convincing 35-run victory to end the tour on a real high. Katharine Cobb bowled brilliantly taking 3 for 38, whilst Holly Evans, Emily Smith and Isabella Lowton all took 1.

We left the jungle very early in the morning and headed back to the coast. En-route, yet another highlight was enjoyed, this time a climb up Sigiriya rock, considered one of Sri Lanka’s finest World Heritage Sites. Later that evening, following another beautiful drive past many palm trees and Buddhist temples, our final hotel greeted us. We were staying in another fantastic hotel, this time in Negombo located right on the beach. Here, the touring party had a day and a half to soak up a final bit of sunshine, explore the local culture and take on Gloucestershire in a beach footy match (you’ll be glad to know that Wiltshire triumphed!!)

On our final evening, we were treated to a wonderful celebration of colour, traditional Sri Lankan wear and speeches. The girls dressed up in Saree whilst the boys did their best to wrap a sarong around their waist. In a lovely evening hosted by Lions Sports Travel, our fantastic tour company, the tour was celebrated through speeches, prize-giving, and a final delicious Sri-Lankan buffet.

It was that same evening that we packed our bags, said our goodbyes, and headed to the airport – leaving behind a country that had given the most wonderful life-long memories!

To the whole touring party, Wiltshire Cricket would like to thank you for representing the County so well, for being such wonderful tourists and for joining us on a tour that will never be forgotten!

Thank you to our sponsors

Wiltshire Cricket would like to pay a special thanks to our 2022 tour sponsors:

  • Guy and Wright Limited
  • Mipo at Home
  • IPFGB
  • Barry Aitken

Recognising our Coaches

A thank you to our wonderful coaching team:

  • Lois Wright
  • Sam Dent
  • Tom Morton
  • Jack Mynott

Thank you to our touring Umpires

A special mention to our touring umpires:

  • Barry Aitken
  • Barry Stygal

Our 2022 Players

Congratulations to all of our 2022 tourists:

Wiltshire Girls Team:

  • Olivia Smail
  • Charlotte Carr
  • Holly Evans
  • Victoria Stone
  • Madeleine Loughbrough
  • Emily Smith
  • Erica Baxter
  • Alice Robbins
  • Katharine Cobb
  • Anna-Mae Shearn
  • Isabella Lowton

Wiltshire Boys Team:

  • George Wilcox
  • Liam Carpenter
  • Kit Blomfield
  • Theo Malik
  • Kegan Smart
  • Jacob Hobson
  • Matthew Falconer
  • Harry Butterworth
  • Danyal Rafiq
  • Jonathan Sadler
  • Thomas Morton