Yesterday was spent lounging by the pool, playing games, swimming, reading and generally unwinding.  A much needed rest.  Some of the party visited Gwalior Fort, and some the Palace Museum.  The museum had some fascinating glimpses into the spendour of the Maharajah's household.  Then it was the train back to Delhi.

So now it is time to post the final blog of the tour, which is a sad moment for me, if not for anyone who has stuck with my ramblings.  But, like all good things, tours must come to an end.  Geographically we have hardly scratched the surface of this huge country, but we have all, the boys especially, got to experience something of its true nature, and it's time to come home.

Defining that true nature is impossible because it is a land of such  contrast and contradiction - a fierce pride in their culture, but dirt and litter choking every drain and roadside.  Sites of stunning opulent beauty adjacent to abject poverty and squalor.  We have been welcomed with such hospitality and kindness, but some of the service at hotels is often laughably shambolic.  We have driven in air-conditioned comfort, behind cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, camels and elephants on the road.

On the strength of 12 days, it would be presumptious to come to any conclusions, and certainly wrong to sound patronising.  There is a real energy and vitality, and a lust for knowledge and education.

This brings me to the schools we visited, all proud of what they do, and so excited to see a touring team.  They welcomed us in and were incredibly generous with food, drink, trophies, anything to make us feel at home.  Especially at Scindia School, where the boys stayed three nights.  The boys got to know the opposition and got to understand a bit about their lives.

The task of interacting with the opposition was made easier by their sharing, amongst the various other teenage interests, a love of cricket.  In that respect these schools were the same as the rest of India, they are all obsessed with the game.  School timetables were put on hold so the games could be watched, and at the public grounds at Jaipur and Gwalior cricket academies, there was great local interest in who we were and what was going on in the match.  We even appeared in the local papers and television.

As ambassadors for Ampleforth the boys did us proud, although some of Kick Douglas' chirping in the field must have mystified the oppo!  I couldn't understand it, anyway.  Josh  Reid's commentary was probably a bit tough for Indian spectators to follow as well.

I'd like to think that the camp followers did our bit as well.  Geoff was brilliant and Roger Douglas and Jamie Black (both of whom had organised fixtures) assumed the role when appropriate.  I should also mention that Geoff was brilliant with his team, as well.  The whole squad got involved, and he looked after the boys superbly.

As for the cricket, we played some good stuff and some not so good.  We kept going in the face of some very tough opposition.  Won 3 Lost 3 was not a bad return.  It could have been much worse!  More important, all six games were played in the right spirit.  Good hard competitive cricket, but friendly and fair.

Off the field, I hope you have already got a flavour of where we have been, and what we have seen.  However, I should make a special mention of our guide and mentor Shalindra who with great patience and humour has coralled us on our travels, entertained and protected us.  Marvellous man.

Before signing off, I asked everyone to answer four questions whilst on the train back to Delhi from Gwalior.  Here are the results:

Best cricketing moment

A clear win for Ed Robinson's 100 on his 18th birthday, but several mentions of Jacob Michie's catch at Roshnahara.

Funniest cricketing moment

Too many to mention, and you had to be there to find them funny.  Fergus' left handed run out attempt is the winner but various commentaries came a close second.

Best off field moment

Clear winner is Josh Prests rendition of 'The Threshing Machine' on the roof top of the Peppermint Hotel, although Roger D and the monkey ran Josh quite close.

Favourite part of the tour

Equal scores for Scindia School, the Taj Mahal and the aforementioned roof top bar.  I'm not sure what that says about us.  You decide.

The final word must be for the MahaRoger.  His energy and enthusiasm is inexhaustable.  Without him this tour probably would not have happened and it certainly would not have been such immense fun.

Thank you Roger.

Paul.

Once again we'll start with Geoffs match report on a wonderful day in hot Gwalior:

Following a terrific evening with the Scindia team, capped by a reception at the Principal's garden, the 1st XI set off for the Roop Singh Stadium - the venue where Sachin Tendulkar scored his One Day International Double Hundred in February 2010.

This 24,000-seater stadium was a perfect venue for the boys, and it seemed to inspire them as Ainscough and Prest bowled beautifully. Ainscough, in particular, was especially menacing.

The bowlers continued to take the Gwalior Academy batsmen and, despite some more frustrating dropped catches, wickets continued to fall. The Gwalior side began to rebuild but as Rex came on, he devastated their lower order, claiming 3-6 in 7 balls, with Pratt taking a very sharp stumping for one of them. Rex was awarded the trophy for Best Bowler for his efforts.

Robinson and Pratt again opened well, running well between the wickets, and, although not at his best, Robinson made another tour fifty. Pratt too began to drive elegantly and was looking very comfortable when he fell to a left arm spinner.

Captain Black then took over and was at his imperious best driving elegantly - first partnered by Robinson and then Michie, who himself played fluently, hitting two exquisite drives through mid-wicket. He guided the 1st XI safely home. It was a wonderful experience to play in such a prestigious stadium and deliver an outstanding team performance.

Black picked up the batting award and all the squad were awarded a winner's plaque - they were joined by a guest fielder, one James Ainscough, who swapped his supporter's kit for whites and gave a fine performance in the field for a short spell.

So I will sign off for the match report and see you all in the valley in April.

Geoff

Matey is off duty as I write this, but I can report a fully fit squad, which I'm sure contributed to their performance. The casualty of the day is Mrs D, the Maharoger's memsahib, but in true Douglas spirit, she battled on through. It seems that we are all getting to grips with India, both on and off th field, just as the tour is drawing to a close. Two more days, but sadly no more cricket.

I've posted some photos of the day today.

Paul

First, report from Geoff on today's exciting match against Scindia School.  Just to put this into some context, the school is on the top of a steep hill, within the old fort.  Our bus was unable to cope with the climb, so another bus was called half-way to pick us up.  Several of the party had serious doubts about the bus which were confirmed as it stalled and a rock was hastily placed under it's rear wheel!  At that point we decided to get off and walk.

The school itself was incredibly hospitable and excited to see us.  Classes and school exams were cancelled to allow students to watch and a commentator announced the sides and kept up the commentary until lunch when Josh Reid took over.  A career in something else beckons, comedy, perhaps?  Anyway, over to Geoff....

On a very warm sunny day the XI once again took to the field.  Early inroads were made by Prest and Ainscough who enjoyed bowling on the matted wicket.  The Scindia School middle order re-grouped and began to score freely and so lapse catching allowed the hosts to post 238-6 in their 35 overs.  With Bidie nipping in with two late wickets and finishing with 2-15.

Robinson continued his like for batting in India and raced past 50 in pursuit of the target.  He fell to one of the hosts 5 outstanding spin bowlers.

Try as the XI did they could not dominated the Scindia attach and despite a fluent 40 from Black and short cameos from Knock and Topham and fine hitting from Douglas and Ainscough the school fell 20 short of the target.

Another wonderful day!

Over to Matey - reporting fit and well!

We now have two clubs, the Andrex Club and the Survivors Club; the former membership fluctuates, but is happily decreasing.  Mr Tulloch is recommending buying shares in a wonderful company named Immodium!

The boys came out to play this morning looking remarkable after a long day travelling yesterday; they were chirpy and pink-cheeked, having spent a "restful" night in the dorm.

No social diary from Morag as she has gone for a kip!

More tomorrow and photos pending.

Paul

I confess to being pleased to drive away from our hotel in Agra. Although it had done the job, it was below previous standards, and overnight a number of us had seen more of the bathrooms than normal. I'm sorry to report that your scribe is amongst the new contenders for the coveted Andrex Award.

In those circumstances, it was fortunate that there was no cricket today, otherwise some of the fathers may have been pressed into action. The good news is that after a long rest on the bus, made longer by roadworks, breakdowns, traffic jams, and the odd unscheduled comfort break, most if not all are better.

 The boys are staying at the school we are playing tomorrow, and as yet I have no report on whether that is good. They were off to a "son-et-lumiere" show over the fort, last I heard.

The  camp followers were delivered to a very comfortable hotel. The only problem being that some of the luggage was delivered elsewhere. All ended happily. This hotel is making elaborate preparations for a wedding tomorrow, which means that it is very full. The best part of this is that team Ainscough and the girls dorm (Morag and LM) have been upgraded to very superior accommodation.

Before leaving Agra we visited the Taj Mahal. No matter how many photos of this you have seen (and we have taken plenty more) nothing can prepare you for the incredible sight. It is truly astonishing. I will leave it to others to give its historical context, and the mind-blowing stats of its construction. Suffice here to say that it is an amazingly beautiful building.

So, more cricket tomorrow, and a visit to the fort. My feeling is that the weather is warming up, but it needs to. 8.00am at the Taj was decidedly nippy.

I hope you were able to get into the photos yesterday. I'm not sure I loaded them quite right, which serves me right for making a quip at my mother's expense. There should have been 22 photos, I think.

Paul

Our final night in Jaipur was memorable for more celebrations, this time for Ed Robinson's 18th birthday, back on the roof top of the hotel.  What a way to spend your birthday - scoring 100, winning the match, having a party, all in India. Fantastic.

The evening ended with an improvised firework display outside the hotel, which our guide had purchased earlier.  The largest ones refused to light but the smaller bangers were quite loud enough!

It's been a long day in the bus, travelling from Jaipur to Agra.  Luckily the weather was a bit cooler today, after two decidely warm and sunny days in Jaipur.

So the climate was perfect for our sightseeing en-route.  After stopping for a very civilised lunch at The Bagh restaurant in Bharatpur we carried on to the 16th Century Fatehpur Sikh, the deserted Mughal capital almost perfectly preserved and harmoniously blending Hindu, Murghal and Persian architectural styles.

Then back in the bus for an hour or so onto Agra where we visited the famous fort built by three generations of Mughal emperors.  The Maharoger (aka Roger Douglas) had a close shave with a monkey who took a definite dislike to the Tour Manager but luckily he came away unscathed!

One or two health issues to report.  Mrs C is back on solids, although I've only actually seen her eating a Rich Tea biscuit so farf.  After an early scare from Ben Knock, he ate a healthy lunch, so it seems all well there as well.

Although the party has been cautious with diet, I am pleased to report that everyone has got stuck in and been adventurous, even when unsure of the ingredients.

We are also getting more adventurous with the shopping, and getting the hang of haggling.  If you notice on the photos that there are some new items of clothing on display, you will know what has happened.

On the subject of photos, I hope you have seen the last entry.  If you are struggling to see them, try clicking on "Photos from Jaipur" when you have opened the page.  The last bit was for the benefit of my  mother, so I hope you have got that Ma.

That's all for now.  I will try to post some more photos later but they will be a mixture of all sorts.  Tomorrow we visit the Taj Mahal and then travel on to Gwalior.

Paul

Last night we had a special celebration for Fergus Black's 18th birthday on the roof top of our hotel.  The boys were also keen to mark their first win on tour.  The late night might explain the slow start that Geoff refers to in his match report below:

This day will remain in the memories of the players and all those who were lucky enough to witness its events.  St Xavier School greeted the  XI warmly and after a speedy Mass in the school church, Black lost his first toss of the tour and the school found themselves in the field.  A somewhat lacklustre fielding display allowed the Xavier batsmen to score freely.  Their opener doing this to great effect scoring a powerful unbeaten century.  The boys were extremely distracted by the huge crowd of school children who watched through the day - possibly in excess of 1,000 over the day.  They made an enormous noise and also clamoured for the boys to speak to them, shake their hands, and also give them their autographs.

The consequence of this experience was that the XI were facing a huge total of 223 from 25 overs.  Following lunch the XI set off and immediately Robinson set the tone of the innings striking three boundaries in the first over.  His aggresive batting was a joy to watch as he drove boundary after boundary.  He raced past 50 and moved swiftly towards 3 figures.  He was helped in no small way by Black who again reached 50 before falling to a slower delivery.  By this time Robinson had roared past three figures  with another huge six over mid wicket.  When he did eventually lose his wicket scoring 125 the XI still needed to keep their heads. Ben Knock saw the team home with some lovely strokes.

The XI has been treated to staggering hospitality and to cap the day headmaster Dr John Ravi presented Black with a trophy for the game and Robinson with a Man of the Match trophy on his 18th birthday.

Another unusual feature was the loud speaker system delivering an enthusiastic commentary throughout the match. 

After the match the party split between shoppers and sight seers.  Those sight seeing, including all the boys, went to the Amber Fort about which another of the party will report in tomorrow's blog.  The return trip to the hotel was in a convoy of jeeps rushing through the suburbs and less salubrious parts of the city.  After the immaculate surroundings of St Xaviers it was an extraordinary contrast.

Health report - sad to say the only taker of the Andex Award is Matey, Mrs C herself.  I am pleased to report that she is improving fast and expects to resume her health care duties tomorrow having researched the subject thoroughly.

So that's it from Jaipur.  Tomorrow we leave for Agra, except for Hannah Codrington who sadly has to return to work in Thailand.  We have a break from cricket for a couple of days so expect more travel and social reports tomorrow and additions to the gallery if I can manage it.  I am also trying to upload a video of the crowd watching the match today.  Watch this space.

Paul

On arrival at the outstanding Jaipur Academy ground, once the eleven had been cleared by security they took to the field on a great track.  The seamers faced an uphill battle as the JCA batsmen once again batted fluently and with some power and fluency.  Nonetheless the eleven made inroads and the tactical change of skipper Black to bring on the "Twirly Twins" Messrs Tulloch and Robinson proved decisive.  They immediately caused the Indian batsmen problems and between them bowled the side out taking collective figures of 8-66 with Tulloch claiming a 5 wicket haul.

Faced with a target of 183 the eleven once again made a good start through Pratt and Robinson with Robinson in particular batting fluently and punishing any width from the Jaipur bowlers.  Both players fell however and it was birthday boy Black who played a quality skipper's innings of 76 not out, ably assisted by Tulloch and Topham to guide the eleven to a thrilling 4 wicket victory.  This was a special day for the eleven helped enormously by the warmth and friendship shown by all at the Jaipur Academy.

Now over to Morag for the social diary. 

Some loyal parents set off on the tour bus with Maharajah Roger et al however some malingerers chose to breakfast at leisure and then go to the ground, watch some cricket then were whisked off reluctantly to shop!!

Shopped 'til we dropped and then back for  late lunch and discovered that Mrs Tulloch had missed a marvellous bowliing session by Geordie.  Were joined by 3 new members of the touring party - Nici and Jamie Black and Ben Thurman.

Finally, the diarist has had to have an emergency supply of tonic shipped in!

I should explain that Roger Douglas has been elevated by our travel firm from "Tour Manager" to "Tour Maharajah". His organisation so far has been immaculate, unlike his jokes.

A quick report from Matey. The first Imodium has been taken, but I'm not giving out the Andrex Award just yet, as the taker, Josh Prest, looks absolutely fine, and is a seasoned curry man. I've just seen Jacob Michie's grass burns on elbow and knee. Sadly this is normal on hard ground, but is indicative of how the team has thrown themselves around in the field. Another good catch from Ferdy today.

Finally, I apologise for the formatting of the photos. If you are wondering, it's my fault. Do not adjust your set!

Paul 

The Headmaster of DPS meeting the team

Robbo scores a boundary

Another one heads for 6 at Roshnahera

Morag's social diary team

Before reporting on Jaipur, we'll start with Geoff's report from last night's cricket at The Roshnahara Club:

Faced with the tradition of a test ground England first played india in 1931 and a senior club side, the XI soon found themselves under fire.  3 first class Indian batsmen launched a ferocious assult on the school's bowling attack and posted a huge score of 247 from their 25 overs. 

Another encouraging start with the bat followed as Michie scored 32, but this was not enough to beat the all star adult side.  Stern and yet fluent resistance did come from Ainscough and Prest to bat through the XI's 25 overs but they fell well short of their target.  Another creditable performance under immense pressure. The club were extremely hospitable and gave us a lovely supper.  And so to Jaipur....

The early morning start to Delhi station (5.00am) was a challenge, but everything went well, and we embarked on the old and rather well-used train before dawn. It was an experience to watch the sun rise over the flat and fertile land.

On arrival in Jaipur we took our bus to The Peppermint Hotel where some of the boys, led by Josh Reid, took an icy dip in the pool.

The weather warmed up nicely during our trip into "The Pink City" to the observatory and Maharajah's palace.

As for the health report, I gather that Ed R's back is improving and we're hoping to have him back tomorrow. To further cheer the tractor-boy, I can report that Ed was awarded his colours under the lights of The Roshnahara Club. Big Joe has a stiff shoulder, but no major problem, and I'm happy to say that The Andrex Award is yet to be awarded.

I'm less happy to report that due to some technical difficulties at our hotel, I can't upload the photo's that I promised. Maybe tomorrow. Sorry. (Here's me assuming someone is reading this stuff!)

Paul

Travel news from Mike Willis, on the spectaclar scenes we visited this morning:

Minor and major sightseeing: the groupie contingent were transported 15km to Delhi's first city, the 800 year old Qutb Minar Complex.  Tall towers of sandstone, short ones, non-rusty iron and a couple of mosques.  Then forward 200 years to Humayun's Tomb, world heritage sight and forerunner of the Taj Mahal.

Team changes for Koshanara Club

Knock in for Robinson

Biddie in for Topham

Rex in for Tulloch

Morale is high before the experience of a day-nighter at the oldest cricket club in India. The weather is warmer again , with a milky sun, but it will be cool under the lights.

Last night we ate outside in the lovely Lodi Gardens and all treated to a talk by William Dalrymple, who brought India's turbulent history to life. A wonderful experience.

Matey reports good news and bad for the tractor-boy's family. Early reports of a tummy problem for Morag proved unfounded. However a back niggle for Ed keeps him out today, but we hope he'll be back in Jaipur. No other news to report.

That's all for now. Next report from Jaipur where we go very early tomorrow morning, unless I master uploading some photos in the meantime.

Paul

The first game of the tour was a fine opener.  After a warm welcome from the Principle of the Delhi Public School the XI took to the field and instantly were shown just how to bat on Indian wickets as the superb Ahjan and Vishal plundered a 236 in their 25 overs.  The XI fought hard in the field and claimed 5 wickets.

Robinson and Pratt got the school off to a terrrific start putting on 96  for the 1st wicket - Robinson going on to score an impressive 67.  The XI though had to accept 2nd pace in the contest falling falling 63 runs short.  though a very postitve game showing  much promise for the tour.

Special mentions for debutants Toby Pratt and Jacob Michie. The team threw themselves around in the field, and, but for a couple of expensive overs, it could have been a different story.

Thanks to Geoff for that report, now over to Morag for the Social Diary.

The girlies and a token 2 boys managed to peel themselves away from the best school in India to to the slums of Delhi to visit an awe inspiring school set up to educate the children from the slums.  The school was set up 23 years ago by a writer, educationalist and social entrepeneur who created a different approach to educating children using a model called Katha.  This involves story telling and inspiring children to read.

The school was a rabbit warren of brightly coloured rooms and cheerful, smiling children, listening with rapt attention.

The walk into the slum was hazardous but all worth it! 

The contrast between the Delhi Public School and the school in the slum could not have been more marked.

That's it for today, a bright and warmer day. Matron has no major health worries.

Paul

The tour party has arrived more or less on time and unscathed in Delhi. The weather is sunny, but not hot. Like early May in Yorkshire, but with sun.

After a bus ride with our charming tour guides, we have settled into our very satisfactory accommodation. Highlights so far have been mainly related to negotiating the traffic, either on foot or in the miniscule tuk-tuks. Your correspondent, together with Mr C and the tour manager sqeezed into one, and laughed, nervously, for at least half an hour.

In advance of tomorrow's match against Delhi Public School (a 25-over match at 9.00am) I spoke to the captain about the state of morale.

So, Ferg, did you get any sleep on the plane?

Yes, a couple of hours, so more than most.

How was the food?

Ok, I had the chicken curry which was fine. Could have eaten more of it.

What about breakfast?

What breakfast? I must have been asleep.

Are you happy with the team preparation?

Yes, we've had a net or two. I'm not sure about the Indian wickets, we play one match on matting, but the temperature is perfect. I'm nervous about what standard of opposition we will face, but we've got a good squad with some good new young players.

Tell me about them?

Well, there's Biddie who bowels, Pratty who bats and keeps wicket, Ferdy who bats and bowls, and Ben who bats. They will all get a bit of cricket, and we'll try to mix it up as best we can.

What about your own form?

OK I think. I'm finding the middle of the bat. I'm not going further than that.

...and that was about it. Sorry, it was about as informative as Nasser Hussain talking to Duncan Fletcher. I'll try to do better after some sleep.

As will we all. There will be more news from Matey and the Social Diary when we've all settled in, and some photos to put on the blog. The cricket begins tomorrow.

Paul

After Geoff's brief introduction, I thought I would explain more about what you will find on the tour blog:-

Squad News

Exclusive insights from inside the dressing room, team tactics, selection. I'll start with an interview with the captain.

Health Reports

Updates from "Matey". St Margaret's Matron, Mrs. Kath Codrington. That'll teach you to defect from St Hugh's, Kath. I'll try not to get over-obsessed with our digestive systems, but I expect that some of you will be concerned about how we will cope with the local cuisine.

Geoff's Match Reports

Colourful, articulate and witty. Imagine Stuart Hall meets Henry Blofeld. It will be almost as good as actually being there. Almost.

Morag's Diary

Social news from around the camp, brought to you by unaccompanied Mrs. Morag Robinson, our very own 3.00am girl. This section may only be of interest to Morag's tractor-boy husband at home, or it might become a web classic. Who knows? That's the magic of blogging.

Guest Column

Contributions from all who want to describe any of the amazing sights or experiences along the way. We should not be short of material.

All that plus photos, weather reports, travel news, hotel reviews...

I can't wait to get going,

 Paul Ainscough

Only 48 hours to go and the 1^st XI squad set off for India. The XI has been netting hard and have completed their final preparations for the cricketing challenge of a life time. On Wednesday the squad set off from Ampleforth travelling to Heathrow from where we fly to Delhi for the start of the XI’s cricketing adventure.

Over the next 14 days we will keep you informed of the cricket and the touring party’s experiences in Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and Gwalior. Paul Ainscough parent and old boy will be at the helm reporting on the adventure of the 1^st XI squad and their dedicated supporting group. I am sure this will be the trip of a life time for the boys and we hope to bring this to you over the next fortnight.

Geoff Thurman