Nomads Tour to Provence April Easter 2004 

Nomads Win Two, Lose One but share the Entente Cordiale Cup 

Match 05 Entrecasteaux CC  v Nomads CC at Entrecasteaux, April 10th 2004, Entente  Cordiale  Trophy –     40 overs per side (max 8 per bowler) 

Result: Entrecasteaux won by 2 wickets
Toss:   Nomads   chose to bat
Umpires;Mike Lomax and Richard Kershaw
Scorer; Bob Bartlett and Bill Rodwell 
 

NOMADS Innings
J. Lane      c Bandaranayake b Yeomans       35
R. Mann      c + b             Randhava      28
P. Wakefield c + b             Bandaranayake  2
R. Woolhouse run out                         12
M. Surridge  not out                         43
V. Gavin     st Cope         b Bandaranayake 22
J. Rezko     not out                         12
Extras      (12w, 7b, 7lb)                   26
TOTAL       (40 overs,5 wkts)               180
Dnb:
O.Croom-Johnson +M.Hodd D.Williams *M.Blumberg
 
 

FOW.1-54,2-60,3-88,4-91,5-152 

Bowling-Linhart 4 0 19 0,Coates 8 0 36 0,Perera 8 0 29 0,Yeomans 8 0 21 1,  
Bandaranayake 8 0 39 2,Randhava 4 0 21 1.

ENTRECASTREAUX CC Innings
C. Cope           c + b         Lane       5
+S. Randhava      c Woolhouse b Rezko     53
R. Perera         c Woolhouse b Williams  60
D. Coates         lbw         b Rezko      2
U. Bandaranayake  bowled        Williams   5
L. Amiot          c Wakefield b Rezko      0
M. Mitchem        c Hodd      b Rezko      0
*S. Burke         not out                 26
I. Linhart        c Hodd      b Wakefield 12
L. Terry          not out                  3
Extras            (2w, 2nb, 11b)          15
TOTAL             (38 overs)  for 8 wkts 181
Dnb:T. Yeomans
 
 
 

FOW:1-20,2-104,3-118,4-123,5-130,6-136,7-136,8-164

Bowling-Croom-Johnson 8 0 30 0,Lane 7 0 41 1,Wakefield 7 0 55 1,Williams 8 0 20 2,Rezko 8 1 24 4.

         Entrecasteaux 9th wicket pair secure victory

After the first toss for the initial Entente Cordiale Trophy match neither Sean Burke nor Michael Blumberg could decide which side of the coin was heads or taills so in the spirit of the occasion a second toss was made and Nomads captain Michael Blumberg called heads and chose to bat in the first of two matches for the Entente Cordiale Trophy. The game was played to a traditional continental format of limited overs format – forty per side and no more than eight overs per bowler.
 
Paul Wakefield was driving swiftly from Nice airport  so Nomads opened with Jamie Lane and Russell Mann  who started promisingly, scoring 42 off the first ten overs, but were then slowed down by an excellent spell from Trevor Yeomans, who bowled his eight overs straight through at the cost of 21 runs, including the wicket of Lane, caught by Uddika at midwicket. Uddika then snapped up dangerman Paul Wakefield for two, caught and bowled, and Nomads reached lunch on 74 – 2 off 24 overs with Russell Mann not out  twenty. Russell hogging the strike struggled to score yet defended his wicket stoutly. Possibly the after effect of driving non-stop from Calais to Provence in his Porsche effected his contribution which  was very much to Entrecasteaux's advantage.
  

Lunch was a grand affair, and included speeches by Simon Lever, British Consul-General in Marseille, Paul Pourrière, the Mayor of Entrecasteaux, and Jeanine Bellot, President of La Ligue Contre le Cancer. Sean Burke noted that Nomads seemed to digest it the better, and scored 106 runs off their remaining 16 overs, Mark Surridge contributing 42 not out, to close on 180-5.Their mistake was to get  poor old Russell out for 28 in the 27th over.
 
Entrecasteaux's reply was built around an excellent second wicket partnership of 84 in twelve overs between Satpal Randhava and Roshan Perera, but after Satpal was well caught around the corner by Richard Woolhouse for 53, the home side collapsed to 136-7, four wickets falling to the seemingly tasty off-breaks of John Rezko. A valuable eighth wicket partnership of 28 left just 17 to win, and appropriately it was club President Len Terry, returning to the side after a year out injured, who scampered the winning bye to give Entrecasteaux victory by two wickets with two overs to spare.
 

Nomads were without a wicket keeper on tour and reluctantly veteran Mike Hodd stood behind bravely taking two catches but missing several chances. However the crucial miss was the alarming head on clash of Ollie C-J and Mann in the closing overs which meant the catch was spilled,the 9th wicket continued and our hosts ran out proud winners.
 
A substantial sum of euros was collected during the match  for La Ligue Contre le Cancer.   Later that evening both teams and the ladies met for  a very enjoyable dinner  together.

Match 6   Nomads CC v Cabris CC at St Vallier De  Thier Provence France Sunday April 11th   2004  12.00 noon  40 overs match 8 max per bowler     

Result:      Nomads won by 25 runs  
Toss  :        Nomads  
Umpire(s):   Philip Levi & AN Other

NOMADS CC Innings <
P Wakefield c Denne  b Park     64
M Hodd      bowled     Flynn    21
M Surridge+ c Flynn  b Campbell 37 
J Lane      run out             54 
V Gavin     not out             13
D Williams  run out              4
M Blumberg  bowled     Staitton  2
R Woolhouse bowled     Bardon    2
J Rezko     not out              0
Extras      (b9,lb6,w9,nb2)     26
TOTAL       (7 wkts, 40 overs) 243

Dnb:R Mann,W Rodwell 

FoW:1-79,2-99,3-184,4-184,5-196,6-208,7-218.

BowlingPark 8 0 44 1,Croom-Johnson 8 1 30 0,Flynn 4 1 22 1,Campbell 8 0 51 1,Taggart 3 0 15 0, Bardon 6 0 36 1,Staitton 3 1 10 1.            

CABRIS CC Innings 
L Lancaster     lbw         b Williams  0 
G Kelsey        c & b         Rezko    88 
I Irfan         lbw         b Woolhouse 1 
F Park          bowled        Woolhouse 0 
P Taggart       c Hodd      b Blumberg 25   
K Flynn         c Williams  b Rezko     1
S Staitton      c Wakefield b Rezko    16 
T Toby          bowled        Lane     16 
O Croom-Johnson run out                 2
A Campbell      bowled        Rodwell   9 
Extras         (b7,lb5,w14,nb2)
        28 
TOTAL          (All Out,39.5 overs)   186

FoW:1-2,2-14,3-14,4-90,5-116-160,7-169,8-181,9-191,10-198.  

BowlingWoolhouse 8 3 27 2,Williams 7 0 18 1,Wakefield 6 0 30 0,Blumberg 8 0 42 1,Rezko 6 0 34 3,Lane 4 0 28 1,Rodwell 0.5 0 7 1.

Match 7   Entrecasteaux v Nomads at Entrecasteaux Var Provence Monday April 12th 2004, Entente Cordiale Trophy Time Match 12.00 start 20 overs from 5.30

Result:Nomads won by 7 runs,Entente cordiale Trophy shared 1-1.
Toss: Nomads chose to bat          
Umpires: Maurice Mitchem and Philip Levi 
Scorers:Bob Bartlett,Bill Rodwell & Others  
Man Of Match: Richard Woolhouse

NOMADS Innings   
P.Wakefield c Randhava b Slack  133
J.Rezko     c Lomax    b Mayes   47
+M.Surridge c Randhava b Mayes    0
R.Woolhouse bowled       Slack   47
V.Gavin     bowled       Slack    7
R.Mann      bowled       Randhava 1
A.Williams  not out               1
Extras     (2nb,6w,7b,2lb)       17
TOTAL (40 overs,6 wkts dec.)    253
DNB:D.Williams,*M.Blumberg, W.Rodwell,M.Hodd(Absent injured)

FOW :1-158,2-158,3-238,4-247,5-247,6-249.

Bowling-Woolhouse 16 2 62 7,D. Williams 15.2 1 52 3,Rezko 4 0 31, Blumberg 8 0 57 0,Wakefield 4 0 27 0.

ENTRECASTEAUX Innings
M.Lomax     bowled        Woolhouse  5
S.Burke*    c Blumberg  b Woolhouse 70
A.Slack     c Wakefield b Woolhouse  1
E.Carpenter bowled        Woolhouse  5
S.Crossan   bowled        Williams 103
S.Randhava+ lbw         b Woolhouse 14
D.Mayes     bowled        Woolhouse  7
R.Joyce     c + b       b Williams   2
A.Finney    c Woolhouse b Williams   5
L.Terry     c Surridge  b Woolhouse  7
L.Amiot     not out                  0
Extras      (10w, 9b, 8lb)          27
TOTAL       (47.2 overs,all out)   246

FOW :1-158,2-158,3-238,4-247,5-247,6-249.

Bowling-Woolhouse 16 2 62 7,D. Williams 15.2 1 52 3,Rezko 4 0 31, Blumberg 8 0 57 0,Wakefield 4 0 27 0. 

Wakers & Woolhouse star in Nomads 7 run victory

Fresh from victory over Cabris the day before, Nomads again chose to bat first as they sought to square the series. The limited overs format was abandoned in favour of a 'time game', the first in our hosts' brief history. Five and three quarter hours of play, with a minimum twenty overs to be bowled in the last hour

The first session was all Nomads, as former French international Paul Wakefield, and John Rezko from Orange, NSW, put on 157 in 29 overs. Entrecasteaux didn't help their cause by spilling seven hard chances in the session; none straightforward, but all catchable. An unusual incident occurred when Rezko was given out lbw, only to maintain that the ball hit his bat. He was then recalled by the umpire. There is, of course, no provision in the laws of cricket for this – only the captain of the fielding side can withdraw an appeal. This was a first for Nomads and quite contrary to the spirit of cricket and Nomads  philosophy. However John is an Australian which is no excuse and so we can only apologise to Entrecasteaux. John objects to this interpretation and has not played for Nomads since ..which is a pity!

After lunch things briefly looked up for the home side, as Rezko and Mark Surridge were caught off consecutive balls in the first over after the break, bowled by Derek Mayes. Derek should have had a third wicket in the over, as Richard Woolhouse was dropped in the gully. Another costly missed chance, as Richard belted 26 off Derek's next over and contributed 47 to a savage partnership of 80 in six overs.

Having acknowledged his skipper's signal of last over Paul Wakefield was caught off a skier for 133, and then three more wickets fell before Nomads declared on 253-6 as the skipper added another over, Anthony Slack of Entrecasteaux  finished with 3-58 off twelve overs. 

The home side's reply started badly, three wickets falling for 26, all to Richard Woolhouse who did not bowl in the 1st match but was now pumped up for the occasion. The innings was then rescued by Steve Crossan, making his Entrecasteaux début and playing his first game of cricket for eight years. With an eccentric style Steve played a superb innings, taking time to play himself in, running well between the wickets and striking the ball powerfully, particularly on the leg side. He struck eleven fours and smashed three huge sixes off skipper Blumberg's supposedly testing floated filth, and while he was still in Entrecasteaux sensed a famous victory. Dropped by skipper Blumberg off a powerful on drive when in the 90s   he was finally sixth out for 103 bowled by Daryn Williams – only the second century in the Entrecasteaux club's history. After that the home side's innings faltered and failed so Nomads won by 25 runs and thus shared the Entente Cordiale Trophy.

The centenary of the signing of the  Entente Cordiale  was on Maundy Thursday April 8th 2004. This is the background to our Easter tour to Provence. The Guardian had the day slightly wrong but celebrated too!  Since that time there was formed an  Entente Cordiale Association and Scholarships   which provides academic scholarships. The Franco-British Society had a Plaque inscribed in Knightsbridge.

Interview Video with 7 wicket taker Richard Woolhouse at Entrecasteaux Cricket Ground   

Cricket at Entrecasteaux, a magnificent setting for this  thriving French cricket club. 

Nomads in France