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THE TOURING Awali Camels cricket stars went out to bat over the summer in Brazil where they were bowled over by the country’s hospitality and undiscovered talent on the pitch.
They believe football fans heading for the World Cup Finals football fiesta in South American next year are in for a treat too.
The Bahrain-based squad of sports-lovers, made up of seasoned players from the Awali Cricket Club’s Taverners team including Keith Veryard, Steve Turner and Tony Shepherd along with young bloods such as brothers Charlie and Dan Viles, spent 10 days touring Brazil as part of an annual exotic cricket trip.
The players hit popular cities such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Ipanema for some sun, fun festivities and thrilling games.
Veryard, 64, a senior consultant at Nexus Financial Service, from Saar, and captain of the Taverners, said: “We had a fantastic time on tour and I would definitely do it again, without a doubt. It’s a great place to go. I was initially surprised when I learned that they play cricket there as well as football.”
An Australian acquaintance had suggested the country as a cricketing destination and the team members decided to put it to the test.
Veryard’s wife, Samantha, set the wheels in motion by organising the flights and accommodation to provide the team with ‘an amazing experience’.
The Camels first stop was in São Paulo where they played a game against the local team on a coconut matt laid over a football pitch. Game one ended with São Paulo scoring 171 runs with the Camels notching just 58 for 8 wickets.
The leading batsmen putting the runs on the scoreboard for the Camels were Charlie Viles out for 20 and Paddy Bateson with 30.
According to Veryard, the reason they faltered was due to an amazing Pakistani fast bowler called Ziad who bowled six overs taking two wickets for just six runs.
Veryard said: “This guy was quick. He completely cleaned out our top order. But we had loads of fun.
“It ended in a losing draw with Steve Turner and me batting out the last five overs to make sure that we were not all out. I even made a magnificent ‘not out’.
“They tried to get us all out but they couldn’t. We wouldn’t let them. It was great to see the Viles brothers in action. They are the sons of Steve who used to play in Awali and sadly passed away due to a heart attack at the age of 49, three years ago. They used to play with him when they were very young.”
The Camels travelled to their next destination and were greeted with plenty of smiles and open arms in Rio.
Veryard said: “We received an amazing welcome from the Rio team on arrival. They were extremely friendly and welcoming, which was right up our alley.”
In the first game the Camels scored 123 runs and restricted Rio to 111. It was very tight at the end. Dan Viles scored 36 and Bateson scored 15. The game was won at the end by some impressive bowling by Turner.
The Camels played better in the second game with Rio making 170 runs to the Camels 122. It was another losing draw despite a superb innings by Richie Ryan, who scored 51 not out.
Afterwards the Rio squad hosted a barbecue feast for the Camels to enjoy. The Camels even managed to take in some sightseeing at the Sugar Loaf Mountain and attend a carnival.
The Camels fun wasn’t done yet, as they ended the trip in August with a cricket match on a beach in Ipanema. This time it was ‘young versus old’ in a Camel battle. The old-timers thrashed the young guns, amusing the startled locals on the beach.
Although the most exotic trip to date, in recent summers the Awali Camels have toured Wales, the English cricketing hotspots of Nottingham and Yorkshire and the Irish capital, Dublin. As for next year, Hong Kong looks like it may be on the cards.
