Strollers plundered in Portugal (day one)
posted: May 20, 2025
Oporto Cricket & Lawn Tennis Club is an institution to behold. Founded in 1855 by its benefactors from the English Port lodges established in the locality - Graham’s, Taylors and Cockburns - it feels like a throwback to the colonial era. The club wears its Anglophile heart on its sleeve and, upon entry, a large portrait of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is positioned adjacent to the front door, greeting guests to a leafy oasis from another time at the core of Porto’s city centre.
With groaning trophy cabinets boasting a proud tradition of achievement and with the club crest emblazoned on everything from the placemats to the bed linen, Oporto is nothing if not self-assured. A cursory glance in the visitors book tells all one needs to know about the esteem in which the club is clearly held, with touring teams from the MCC, the Royal Household, the House of Commons and, once again, the Pimlico Strollers.
It had been 16 years since we had last savoured Oporto’s salubrious hospitality and, with George, Gav, Harsh and Spencer the four returning Strollers from 2009’s victorious touring party, we were delighted to find very little had changed.
Indeed all that had noticeably changed was the quality of the home side. Having comfortably won both matches on our previous visit to Porto (a feat never before achieved or repeated since on any Strollers tour) it became apparent that in the following years the Oporto side had morphed from a team made up mostly of retiree English expats and local cricket-curious Portuguese folk to a finely tuned and match fit unit bristling with cricketing prowess harvested from the sub continent, the antipodes and the UK, it’s players comfortably capable of walking into any 1st XI. “Oh we almost always win” an elderly English lady casually remarked as she sipped her G&T on the terrace overlooking the pitch as the sun set on the evening of our arrival… that should have told us something.
For our part, our touring party was down to 12 with the unfortunate late withdrawals of the Davie C and Rohit but those of us that remained were raring to go. Rousing ourselves from our assorted exploits of the night before, which varied somewhat depending on which age group each tourist identified in (from sampling the seafood at rustic eateries along the port side to partying hard to EDM techno at the local student union) we breakfasted and made our way over to the changing rooms for the challenging 11am start time and met the oppo, who welcomed us warmly. The game was to be an all day affair, declaration format with leisurely lunch and tea breaks before the final 20 overs from 6pm. We blanched slightly when we were told it should take no more than around 100 overs to complete. In keeping with his form so far this season, Harry called the toss incorrectly and we were sent out to field first in hot, sunny conditions glorious for batting.
Despite a strong start from Oporto’s openers, we fielded remarkably well considering our collective fragility. For the first few overs both sides exchanged blows with some heavy hitting meted out by both batsmen in the face of some challenging in-swing from Kash and pace from Harry. The home side made it to 67 before we made our first breakthrough after drinks when Spencer was brought on first change and Zinkus promptly top edged behind where Harry took a superb tumbling overhead catch at short fine leg …much to our delight. Our second wicket came soon after when Kash, now fielding at deep square took another well-judged catch off Gaurav (now operating from the pavilion end) to see off Chambers. Whilst Oporto maintained their powerful hitting, likewise we continued to hang on to our catches and Gaurav was the next to pouch a high-swirling mis-hit from Gill to give Spencer his second wicket before lunch.
With 115-3 on the board we stopped for lunch and took the opportunity to gather for a team photo, sporting our customised tour kit adorned with an illustration of WG Grace batting with a bottle of port. We then supped on the delicious spread on offer from the Oporto kitchen – a succulent lamb ragout or a pasta cheese and tomato bake for the vegetarians followed by a local custard flan for dessert …all washed down with local wines and, of course, port – and, turning our thoughts back to the task in hand, felt pretty pleased with ourselves for remaining in the hunt. Equally though, our hosts could feel that with wickets in hand they could afford to hit the gas after lunch and establish a handsome advantage.
They wasted no time in doing just that. Young opener Raghunandan remained at the crease and, after lunch, noticeably shifted up a couple of gears as he started tearing mercilessly into our attack. He was joined by Oporto skipper Neil Charles who, despite playing a supporting role, also managed to get well into the act with some attractive more traditional strokeplay and, between them, both batters managed to notch up a hundred partnership with ease. Hmm.
With Oporto’s score having now passed the 250 mark, thankfully Spencer managed to collect his third wicket and restore some control when he managed to dupe Neil into chipping a regulation catch straight back to Harsh at mid on. However Raghunandan powered on and took the warm applause of all on the field and those still dining on the terrace back at the club restaurant as he carded a well-deserved hundred. After a couple more boundaries spanked for good measure, he graciously left the stage, retiring on 108.
Bashir, in at six for the hosts, didn’t give us any let up as he continued to pummel our tiring attack and had hit a quickfire 40 before he holed out to Tim at cow corner, giving tour virgin Nidhish his first wicket. With the final ball of the 36th over, Nidhish picked up a second when he broke through Ahmed’s defences and, with that, Oporto declared on 280-6 – a sporting gesture by any measure with still at least four hours potentially remaining in the game. Perhaps they knew they wouldn’t need that long.
After a quick turnaround, Gav and George strode out to the middle to get our response underway – the plan being to get to tea as few wickets down as possible so we could have a go in the final act. That didn’t exactly work out. After wearing a searing bouncer on his chest that clattered up into his grill, Gav looked on aghast two balls later as John Zinkus (easyJet pilot by day) sent down and absolute jaffer that swung late, pitched high on leg, and snicked his off bail with a feather-light touch. Unplayable …Glenn McGrath couldn’t have bowled any better. Gav could do nothing but trudge off scoreless, cursing the cricketing gods. It was just the beginning.
What followed was nothing short of carnage. Kash and George both had their stumps similarly cleaned out by Zinkus. Gaurav skied one off Ahmed and was caught at midwicket and Nidhish grumbled as his was triggered LBW off Aryan having sworn he got bat on it. We simply couldn’t stay in, let alone score and we found ourselves licking our wounds with five down and not a single batsman had made it to double figures, none of us apparently able to read the ball off the artificial track.
If anyone could, Harsh – in at six – was our best hope and with some tenacity, he at least managed to survive a little longer. That was until, having made it to all of 11, he too found himself trapped LBW by Aryan. Ron had been down to come in next but, for reasons known only to himself, decided he had had enough and opted out entirely so Tom came in, spanked a rare boundary, only to then find himself run out by a lightning fast single-movement return throw from wicketkeeper Chambers.
Things went from bad to worse when Tim, perhaps looking the most unflustered of any of us up to that point, found himself cruelly run out when Ali nudged to backward point and called for a non-existent single leaving the Rookie crestfallen with guilt. It wasn’t long before he too was back in the hutch, top edging one from Neil to be caught at third man and, chasteningly, we found ourselves nine down for just 45 and facing the humiliating prospect of being bowled out before tea.
Mercifully, that didn’t happen. Harry, having demoted himself all the way down to number eleven, took advantage of the slower stuff that Oporto were by now graciously serving up for us and, with a few lusty blows, took us to the tea break where we caught our breath and found some little solice in some delightful scones and the heartening news of Crystal Palace beating the now not-so-mighty Man Citeh in the FA Cup final …giving faint hope to underdogs everywhere, especially those in Porto.
With the daunting prospect of seeing out the final 20 overs to save the game and salvage the unlikeliest of draws, Harry and Spencer gingerly made their way back out to the middle. Alas our attempted survival lasted only two more deliveries as the skipper was caught behind off Gill. And that was that …all out for 67, our lowest ever total on tour (as far as your writer can recall) and a chastening 213 run margin of loss. Horrific.
Sportingly and gracious as ever, the gentlemen of Oporto shook our hands and offered kind words of consolation, not least in letting us know that their previous week’s opposition hadn’t even made it to tea …so perhaps the smallest of little victories to claim there. But there was no denying it, we had let ourselves down.
We returned to the clubhouse, some of us to enjoy post-match drinks with our hosts, others opting to cool off in the swimming pool and a few just licking their wounded pride. Later that evening we joined Oporto skipper Neil for dinner at the clubhouse who gave a somewhat delayed speech graciously welcoming the Strollers back after our 16 year absence and kindly noting our ‘potential’ to do better. Perhaps it was due to his lack of the trousers to meet the requirements of the dress code or other demons besides, but Harry quietly departed early and Spencer, gamely wearing the much-maligned Strollers 2009 blazer and tie, stepped up and gave Neil our sincere thanks and a promise of a better game the next day. Most of the team remained at the bar for further post-match analysis and a rousing late night rendition of ‘Gold’ before heading back out on the town for a night to forget the travails of a hard day at the office knowing things could only get better.
Gavin Richardson
20.05.2025
scorecard >>
tour report (day two) >> |
