2007 LILLEY CRICKET CLUB MALLORCA TOUR

Thursday 4th October 2007 - Tuesday 9th October 2007

In October 2007, Lilley Cricket Club and it's merry band of supporters embarked on it's second tour of the sunny Spanish Island of Mallorca.  Following the success of the initial 2006 tour to the Island, Lilley packed a bumper crowd of players and supporters for the following year, with the tour party reaching in excess of thirty people.

The initial tour party landed safely in Mallorca, but the main party had a horrific start to the tour when their flight flew into the eye of a hurricane which was descending on Palma.  A bumpy landing was accentuated by the Monarch A320 they were flying on dropping dramatically for several seconds, causing one Lilley tourist to fly out of his seat three feet in the air whilst the Jack Daniels he was holding hung in mid air for some four seconds before dropping on the petrified Dave Carman in front.  In spite of the screams, the Captain landed the aircraft safely, although as soon as the plane was on the tarmac, the storm hit the airport.  Lilley's tourists were greeted by howling gales and torrential rain, which was so heavy that it burst through the ceiling of the airport in several places.

There were fears that the rain would set in for the duration of the tour, but luckily for the touring party they were not to see another drop of rain for the next week.  Brilliant sunshine blessed the remainder of the stay, where beach sports, crazy golf and Magaluf nights out became the norm.

The Lilley tour party's first port of call on arriving in Palmanova was 'Karens Bar', a local pub which some supporters had holed up in during the storm.  It became Lilley's home from home, the regular meeting point for players and supporters after dinner.

There were ups and downs of course - Mahnaz managing to lose her passport and being forced to spend two more nights on the holiday Island and the swarm of mozzies which Thursday's storm whipped into a biting frenzy.  But all in all it was a brilliant tour to cap off the 2007 season.

Eh?  The cricket?  Oh yes...two games played over the weekend, both hotly contested affairs.  To view the full match reports, click below.

Mallorca 1st XI vs Lilley CC Touring XI, Saturday 6th October 2007

Mallorca Sunday XI vs Lilley CC Touring XI, Sunday 7th October 2007

PHOTOS TO FOLLOW!!