I really enjoyed my visit to Rioja Alavesa, despite the punishing start and the 22 hour day it necessitated. I was visiting Bodegas Palacio in the Rioja Alavesa, who are achieving great success with fruit-dominated Riojas aged in French oak, as opposed to the more common oakier, American oak-aged style ...

Been at the cricket this evening, watching my sons play for the U11s. Elder son is a regular - he opens the batting and normally gets quite a few runs. Was bowled for just 4 today though (the moment is pictured, although the 'welfare officer' for the team we were playing was unhappy about me taking pictures...I think he wanted me to get parental consent forms signed from all the players...

Forum: Social Hall Posted By: Salil Benegal Post Time: 02-13-2007 at 06:10 AM

Forum: Social Hall Posted By: Jayaram Bhat Post Time: 03-11-2007 at 06:49 PM

On the theory that you can't understand a nation unless you understand the sports it plays, I have been watching the cricket matches on Australian television. They are on late at night because they are playing the World Cup matches in the Caribbean, which is on the other side of the world...

Cricket. Went to the first day of the test series against West Indies today at Lords. Woke up to drizzle. Oh dear. Got to the ground at about 10 am: drizzle. Hmmm. Delayed start. Overcast and dark. England were put in to bat; the West Indies bowled only averagely; England reached lunch at 80 odd for nothing. Cook (below) was batting well; Strauss was scratching around a bit. Straight after lunch...

I'm tired at the end of an interesting day. This afternoon I played cricket at Hampton Wick: it was the Wine Trade XI versus Balls Brothers for a fun 20/20 game. I was donated to Balls Brothers as a guest player - technically this was because I was the last to sign up; perhaps, though, the Wine Trade XI fancied some easy runs off my bowling. I took second over, mixing it up a bit...

Spent a most enjoyable Friday playing cricket with the Wine Trade XI at Colchester. We had a rather ... the impression, they play just a couple of games of cricket, but drink a good deal and generally let ... Sam Harrop, wearing cricket whites purchased for him by that other occasional antipodean cricketer ... of the appeals of cricket...

Forum: Social Hall Posted By: Charles Morgan Post Time: 09-12-2007 at 07:25 PM

Spent the day at Lord's, watching the first day of the England v. South Africa test match. To those unfamiliar with cricket, the idea of a game that lasts five days must seem ludicrous. I suppose ... nothing much happening at a cricket match as a punctuation-style interval in an over-busy life.South ... to watch cricket at. It also has the enlightened policy of allowing guests to bring a bottle of wine...