On Saturday 1st April the School and the OB Club put on a joint drinks / buffet reception to welcome the Bedford School Cricket touring party to the UAE. The event was held at the team hotel, the Oasis Beach Towers on Jumeriah Beach overlooking the Dubai Marina and was an excellent start to the tour with over 37 boys and 5 staff attending along with 15 family members and 10 OBs. Chris Williams (68-79), Chairman of the Old Bedfordians Club travelled out from the UK to attend the event, joining his brother Tim (69-80) who is the OB Club’s DVP for the area.
Not only was it a great opportunity to welcome the touring party, but also for all those attending to mingle with friends and make new acquaintances in an informal setting. Speeches were made by both Chris and Tim Williams and OB Pip August (56-67). There was also a speech from 1st XI captain, Shaylen Tomlinson-Patel who thanked the Old Bedfordians for their support.
We can also report that the School boys who were on the Cricket tour had an unforgettable experience. The most successful side in the group was the Under 15 A team who won the Arch Cup, winning all their 4 games. The Under 15 B team and the Senior X1 won 1 and lost 3 of their games but all had an enjoyable trip and benefitted enormously from excellent cricket facilities at all the grounds.