Wave Stops Play

Monday was a “Poya Day”, a full moon and therefore a Buddhist and national holiday. The beach was packed, but we made our way down the railway line to a particular stretch in front of the village which has been the focus of Della and Don’s efforts since the Tsunami.

But we didn’t come for charity - we came for cricket. A “tenty - tenty” grudge match between Udaya’s team and Steve’s team, following the inaugural match on their last visit on New Year’s Day.

The conditions were slightly ,more challenging to the purist than even the slope at Lords, but actually intermittent pitch floods were welcomed as a way of clearing the footholes and flattening the surface.

I was on Udaya’s team, but even my sterling efforts (including a diving catch, a well struck “2” onto the roofs of the village houses/shacks, and 3 wides bowled in my one over) could not prevent a humiliating loss by several wickets to Steve’s team.

Check out a great bowling action, as I bowl to Gav:

Once again, the royal duties were performed by Della.

And you can see that Steve was of course very gracious in victory.

J ignored the chance to watch Daddy’s heroics, and instead playing with a local lad from the village and his mum for over an hour.

However, despite the fun, the immediate surroundings behind the pitch reminded us of why we were here. Although quite a few people (including Udaya), had been rehoused by the government over the past couple of years, too many still remain 5 years after the tsunami, living among the wreckage.

This woman is brushing her teeth from a stand pipe just behind her "house":

others are still living in tents.

Colin’s boat is still here in the village `- the one bought by Della and Don from the initial funds they raised.

One final point of note. After a particularly large wave soaked J, he was lent a new outfit from the boy he had been playing with, which turned out to be a Spurs kit given to him by some British tourists a while a go. Who would have thought J’s first Spurs kit would be borrowed from a boy who lived in a small shack on the beach in Sri Lanka, and whose mother had been disowned by her wealthier family for marrying a fisherman for love?

And don't forget the "official" blog of the charity (http://wwwfriendsofdellaanddon.blogspot.com/) - written by Steve and Gav. More details and photos of the trip (and the cricket) there.