The tourists this time were ( in no particular order) Rohan, Ivor, Doc Sturdy, Mike, Geoff, Lol, Robin, Simon, Steve, Dave M., Dave J., Jon, and Rich and Harley on their tour debuts. In Agen, over beers, we worked out the average age of the squad - it turned out to be 52.57. Plenty of experience there, then.

 Having braved the cross-cabin rugby banter from our Celtic cousins in the rear of the plane we settled into 2 groups - Car A and Car B - and headed to the Agen Ibis, which once again proved accomodating to our needs, late-night supping especially. Agen itself, on an evening anyway, seemed once again pretty much deserted apart from the eating areas a short walk away. Here, M. Jeanot's bowel- testing boeuf bourguignon, for those who plumped for it, was the first major hurdle before the following days game, but both cars arrived promptly at Damazan on Saturday, and there were no major hangovers apparent as we attempted a brief net, five weeks since Blue Flame. It had been longer for most of us. ( Diary entry: Doc- "Robin, get out of the nets, let a proper batsman in!")

 The Damazan side, though again featuring Gagan Singh and Goffey, had a reassuringly less youthful look to them -all good fellows, of course - and they said we could bat first (accepted). Firstly, though, they needed a couple of us to make it a twelve a side game over 40 overs - Jon and Geoff were the ones to make the heroic sacrifice, which meant we were all playing. Those on the boundary had a bit of a treat in store. Ivor and Robin started off well and put on 34 in 10 overs before Robin got a good one from Gagan and was out for 7, but Steve, in at No.3, clipped his first ball down to fine- leg and it seemed, as Jon said, a statement of intent. He and Ivor put on 37 until Ivor fell to a stumping in the 19th over, but it was a very nice knock with 5 fours. This was Rich's opportunity to show us what he was made of with the bat - and it was very stylish too. With great panache he produced 7 fours in his 51 (a lifetime best!) before being undone by Gagan. Towards the end of his innings he unfortunately turned his ankle and needed Rohan, all padded-up as next man in, to act as runner, which made his innings even better. The star of the show was Steve - his 71 included 9 fours and (I think) a six - a display of concentration and power-hitting that only ended with a little turner from Susan Singh who was understandably delighted. With not many overs left Rohan had a go and lost his stumps (Gagan again) for 2, but Doc's pleasing little cameo of 19 not out (two fours) was good to watch, with enthusiastic support from Harley who actually didn't face a ball. The extras amounted to 33, and the total of 216 looked about par for the course. Jon and Geoff were called on to bowl and were wicketless despite their best efforts. Well done lads!

 Damazan's opening pair were Jon and Goffey, facing Mike  and Lol, but five overs in Jon was walking back after sportingly admitting a snick to Steve behind the stumps, and scoring two singles. Geoff, picked as No. 3, also didn't linger as he soon popped a catch to Rohan off change-bowler Ivor for one, so it looked like the serious stuff had arrived with Goffey and Gagan at the crease, with Ivor and DJ wheeling away. The latter began in nightmarish fashon -Goffey filling his boots 646 (doh!) - but thereafter things settled down as the bowlers found their length, with Goffey in particular always looked aggressive. It was a good contest, but the great breakthrough came when Goffey, on 44, took a swing during DJ's third over and the ball sailed sweetly into the safe hands of Lol who was lingering on the mid-off boundary. Good placing Ro!. It was a fine catch and Gagan must have known then that the game was up, even though only three wickets had fallen and knowing the strength of their batting. His efforts to keep the strike meant turning down singles, but he was restricted by the bowling to only 5 fours, two sixes, and fourteen singles. He fell eventually to a returning Lol, caught by the Doc for 51, and sweet revenge for Lol after a few big hits. Wickets had been falling at the other end, meanwhile, as Rohan rotated the bowling. He picked up one himself, as did Robin ; DJ and Lol got two, and Ivor finished up with 3-20. The match ended when DM, after tearing his hair out for 8 overs, got his deserved wicket off his final ball, Susan Singh giving Doc his third catch. Good fielding everybody. Afterwards, Jean-Claude made a gracious speech and donated bottles of high-class alcohol for our pleasure, and to Steve, voted Man of the Match. We gave them our Tour T- shirt  - fair swop, I think. Mention must be made of Mike, valiantly searching for a wicket this season, and to Capt.( " I haven't played this game for 16 years") Haddock, his vintage brown bat and moustache, and playing the shot of the day - an overhead tennis smash over covers for four, and getting 11 before his encounter with a vintage McDowell leg-break.

Catus on Sunday. We'd proved ourselves, in the words on the T -shirt, Strong and Stable the day before, so could we do it  again.? At least we all looked fit - even Rich's ankle was a bit better. Once again there was no toss, we batted first, it was 12 a side, and the day had turned out hotter with no breeze. This time Simon took the first ball, opening with Lol, but it became apparent that this Catus side had some good bowlers, the talented Bangladeshis in particular nipping the pink ball around with pace. The mixed - order look to the V-batting struggled to cope, it must be said, and the individual scores reflect this. Simon couldn't replicate his last knock on ths ground, Geoff got a good one as did Harley, Robin and Rich, all bowled, Lol was caught at mid-wicket, and Ivor inexplicably lofted to square - leg. Jon was once again caught at the wicket. Only Steve looked secure out there, looking on as wickets fell, and it was frustrating that his ground shots were stifled by the uneven outfield. So, 22-4 off ten overs, 54-7 off twenty, not pretty, but Steve was still there. We perked up a bit when Rohan, at No. 10, walked to the crease. He likes to bat at Catus and we needed one of his breezy knocks and to get three figures on the board. Unfortunately his partnership with Steve didn't last too long - Steve a little short in making his ground running for a second, but next man Doc lived up to the T- shirt and hung around for a mighty 8, watching the skipper hit 46 not out ( three 6's) and there was a bit more respectability about the score. In the last over the Doc was run- out, but 133 was more than we thought we might get earlier.

  Once again, the tea was a candidate for T of the Year, but we had to bowl well in reply, the heat of the day had reached its peak, and the pink ball was a novelty for us. The immediate flurry of boundaries was disconcerting, and they put on 57 in 10 overs, but Mike got his wicket in his second over and Lol likewise bowled the No.3, but the No.4 took us to task before retiring on 53 - a good performance we had to admit, with seven sixes. The No. 1 opener carried his bat for 45, a good player, and the only other wicket to fall was the No.5, sent back by DJ hitting his off stump. There were no horsewomen to hold up play this time, sadly, but it was a cheerful moment when we were aware of the familiar fanfare from Isambard Gilbert's cornet and a sight of That Hat. Ed's presence was a fitting end to the weekend's cricketing ( cue many photos). Catus chased down the 134 in the 24 th over, and that was that . So we lost that one but it receeded into the distance replaced by individual moments in the memory like Ivor lying on his back asking, "Am I out", Dave M.'s lone LBW appeal at a forward defensive shot, Rich's 50th run, Mike's wicket, DM's non-catch ( invalid due to to no golden duck therefore no hat-trick rule), wonderment at the size of Ivor's crayfish, and Steve's observation in Car B -"I don't think I'd like eleven bulldogs in a car watching me have a crap in public". We hope the slender Man of the Match appreciated his extra-large T-shirt, and Robin was once again good at the post- match speechmaking. We headed back to Agen past the sunflowers and the Ker- Plunk tower to recover and decide eventually on a curry.

 Later, Steve was obviously voted Player of the tour, also Batsman; bowler was shared by Ivor, Lol  and DJ ;Catch Lol; Jon's Champagne walk; Dave M.'s Brown Ale appeal  (though I thought Robin blowing up his hotel TV a good candidate); Tourist not entered and I've forgotten, but I like to think it's equally shared. Appreciation was shown to tour debutants Harley and Rich for their sterling efforts, and to the drivers. There was a brief coda on the way back - Car A  persuading Car B that Jon had been left stranded at the services. Brief panic..nice one Car A, you win. DJ.