Thank yous

Now that the cricketing part of the Tour is over there are many people to thank (and I apologise in advance if I have missed anyone). On behalf of the players, who have had the cricketing experience of a lifetime, thank you to, in no particular order:

• All family, friends, sponsors and supporters, including those who have made the trip to offer support, encouragement and the occasional sympathetic shoulder to lean on
• Anyone who organised any fund raising effort - bag packs, sponsored runs/swims/bike rides, fashion shows, sports dinners - hopefully all your efforts have been fully recognised in these pages
• Phil Wright, who first suggested the Tour and without whose unfailing optimism and amazing organisation the thing could never have happened, and not forgetting Marcia and Philippa Wright who have been the boys surrogate mothers whilst they have been in "camp" 
• Andy Hayhurst and all at Lancashire Cricket Board for their support 
• Paul & Lisa Clough for organising the flights
• The coaches - Dave Leighton, Shaun Anders and Jonathan Partington (JP)
• John Hood - scorer and Tour Manager
• Umer Khan in his capacity as Coach, water carrier, kit man and Camp Entertainer
• Lisa Clough who has been a godsend in providing laundry facilities at the Cloughs' apartment and has literally taken much of the load from Umer
• Marcus Phelan, Graham Seward and Andy Brown for standing in as umpires at the Four Square Oval
• JP for umpiring at the 20/20 game
• Graham Seward again for his very generous sponsorship of the Tour playing kit
• Liv and Sarah Davidson for the professionally produced Tour Brochure
• Don Gooding for being the Tour's link in Barbados
• Adrian Donovan of the Barbados Cricket Association
• The Grounds Staff in Barbados 
• The Tour's unofficial "medics", Sharon Brown, Sue Houghton and Sarah Davidson, who have dispensed caring advice, soothing balms and restorative potions to the players (and others!) feeling under the weather
• The staff at The Ship Inn for somehow continuing to smile despite several Lancashire Lasses belting out Songs From The Musicals!
• The staff at Dover Beach Hotel where the Tour Party set up camp. The staff were very complimentary about the players and their behaviour whilst staying at the Hotel
• All who have contributed to the Blog - it's been a labour of love and I hope I haven't offended too many people! Much of the text on Tour has been typed late at night after a Banks or two* (sub-editor's note - it has never been just one or two*) so apologies for any errors and omissions. I have constantly reviewed and amended the posts (and I thank Mrs B for being sub-editor) so what you read first time round may have been revised since! I was aware that many of the Tour followers back home were looking forward to receiving match reports at UK breakfast time and one of the problems with t'internet is that it's instant so what was typed and posted at midnight here may, on reflection the morning after, not always have conveyed what I meant to say. I hope I have fairly recognised the efforts of all the players, coaches, family and friends and have reflected the cricketing experience and the fun of this amazing trip. Thanks for reading! (By the way, sub-editor - I don't drink Fum Runches!)