AFTER the success of last year's tour to Ibiza, Heytesbury Cricket Club travelled to Corfu for this year's tour.

The mixed party of 20 consisted of players, social players and some partners.

With little time to acclimatise, except for a familiarisation of the local facilities (Dirty Nellies bar) the team were into the first match. The ground was not the famous postage stamp in the centre of Corfu town, which would have been fun, but the island's new ground by the marina.

The pitch, a plastic role-out mat nailed into some hard core, in the middle of the brownest, toughest couch grass outfield looked quick, bouncy and uncomfortable. And so it proved.

Heytesbury were quickly dismissed for 28 by an unfeasibly keen Kerkyra side, which featured several national players. The result, a foregone conclusion, but not before the chairman had pulled off an extraordinary one-handed catch at first slip to take the only Heytesbury wicket.

Day two and a match against the Nonnumquan XI, a pure touring team from the UK who have been visiting Corfu for the last 17 years, and a chance to make up for the previous day's disaster. A good innings of 40 from the senior statesman R Head, gave the Noners a respectable total of 136 for seven from their 35 overs.

In reply Heytesbury relied on the evergreen pair of Mike Smith and Ashwin Amin to get close to the target.

However, with just a handful of runs, plenty of wickets and a couple of overs to spare, a mini collapse brought Alan Smith to the wicket. One required to win, six balls to go five balls one form one and yes, in magnificent style to the cheers of the watching Buryites, he tickled one to fine leg for the winning run. Saturday's match against Nausithos was going to be a hot one. John Livesey took the safe route and put them in.

All was going to plan as they reached 77 for three in the 15th over and then in walked Aslam, the hard-hitting Greek import from the sub-continent. He was finally run out for 141. They closed on 236 for eight.

Heytesbury's reply started with Andrew Mead being bowled first ball of the innings.

However, solid batting from Livesey and Wazniak took the total to a respectable 119 all out in the 30th over. The final game was scheduled against the Hellenic national side.

On yet another scorching hot day, the Greeks batted first and made 155 all out. Niko could count himself unlucky and judging by his creative use of the English language probably felt a little hard done by.

Big John Pickford bowled superbly to take 4-24.

Heytesbury replied in style. Ashwin and Olly set-to like men possessed. Ash was eventually out on 29 while Olly carried his bat in style with a man of the match unbeaten knock of 73.