TOUR TO SWEDEN FOR THE MIDNIGHT CUP TOURNAMENT JULY 2010: 
 
WELL. WHAT A GREAT TRIP.
15 HAPPY, EXHAUSTED WALNUTS ARRIVED BACK TO DUBLIN CLUTCHING SOME SILVERWARE.
UNFORTUNATELY NOT THE MIDNIGHT CUP BUT THE RUNNERS UP TROPHY AFTER PLAYING 2 VERY HARD TIGHT MATCHES.
OUR GROUP OF 16 CUT SHORT TO 15 AFTER A CRUEL PIECE OF MISFORTUNE TO OUR TRIP ORGANISER MOWLDSY ON THE EVE OF DEPARTURE MEANT HE COULD NOT TRAVEL WITH US TO EXPERIENCE THE WONDERFUL OCCASION AND  HOSPITALITY OF GUTTSTA CC.
WE ARRIVED IN STOCKHOLM ON THE THURSDAY AND QUICKLY SET ABOUT SEEING THE SIGHTS THAT EVENING. AFTER OUR VISIT TO THE ICEBAR, "MOST OF US" CALLED IT AN NIGHT AND RETURNED TO THE SHERATON HOTEL IN ANTICIPATION FOR OUR 2 HOUR COACH TRIP UP TO KOHLSWA AND OUR MATCH AGAINST THE MIGHTY WANDERERS OF LONDON WITH A START TIME OF 12. NOON THE NEXT DAY. 
JOSEPH AND THE GUYS AT GUTTSTA HAD ARRANGED SOME LOCAL MEDIA RADIO AND SWEDISH TELEVISION STATION SVTV2 TO BE PRESENT TO RECORD A PIECE FOR THEIR SPORTS EDITIONS. (SEE BELOW FOR LINKS)
A WIN AGAINST THE MIGHTY WANDERERS WAS NOT TO BE THOUGH.
THIS TEAM HAD TRAVELLED TO SWEDEN BEFORE AND HAD WON THE MIDNIGHT CUP ON THEIR 2 PREVIOUS SOJURNS SO THEY WERE A STRONG FOCUSED SIDE AND ALTHOUGH WE PLAYED WITH GREAT HEART AND TACTICAL SKILL AND AT TIMES SEEMED TO BE VERY CLOSE IT WAS ONE MAN WHO MADE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNING AND LOSING AND HE PUT UP A TERRIFIC KNOCK FOR THE WANDERERS.
UNDAUNTED AND WITH GREAT FIRED UP SPEECHES FROM OUR CAPTAIN GRAHAMO WHO SET AN ATTACKING FIELD AFTER WE HAD PUT UP 124 AGAINST GUTTSTA, WE CURTAILED THE SWEDISH SIDE TO 70 PLUS RUNS TO WIN THE MATCH.
UNBRIDLED JOY!!
GUTTSTA CC ARE A GREAT SIDE WITH SUPERB BOWLERS AND IT WAS NO SHOCK TO SEE THEM GIVING THE MIGHTY WANDERERS A VERY CLOSE MATCH ON THE FINAL DAY. THEY WERE REALLY UNFORTUNATE TO LOSE BY JUST 13 RUNS.
THE MIDNIGHT CUP IS A WONDERFUL COMPETITION  WITH TEAMS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING IN A VERY FRIENDLY BUT COMPETITIVE FASHION. THE HOST SIDE WICKED CC GUTTSTA ARE A MARVELLOUS CLUB WITH DEDICATED MEMBERS AND A WONDERFUL GROUND KEPT IN TIP TOP CONDITION BY HASSE. THE HOSPITALITY FROM JOSEPH AND NAVEEN AND STEFAN AND ALL THE GUYS FROM GUTTSTA WAS VERY WELCOMING AND OUR STAY AT THE KOHLSWA HERRGARD HOTEL FOR THAT WEEKEND WAS A DELIGHT. THANK YOU SUSAN.
WE RETURNED TO STOCKHOLM AND THE SHERATON ON LATE SUNDAY EVENING.  SOME OF THE TROOPS IN A POOR STATE OF REPAIR. TREVOR (TOE BUSTED) GEORGE AND GRAHAM (MOSSIE BITES) AND OUR DIETERY NEEDS CHANGING FROM REINDEER AND OSTRICH TO MACDONALDS!
EVERYONE ENJOYED OUR FREE DAY IN STOCKHOLM ON THE TUESDAY BEFORE OUR COURT SESSION AND FINALLY OUR GALA DINNER AND AWARDS CEREMONY THAT EVENING IN THE HOTEL.
GREAT CREDIT GOES TO OUR CAPTAIN GRAHAM FOR MAKING GOOD TACTICAL ON FIELD DECISIONS AND MAKING SURE ALL 15 PLAYED AND PLAYED TO THEIR BEST. WITHOUT SINGLING ANYONE OUT IN PARTICULAR FOR EVERYONE PLAYED THEIR PART BUT THERE WAS SOME TERRIFIC BOWLING, SPECTACULAR CATCHING IN THE FIELD AND REAL DOGGED BATTING WHEN WE NEEDED TO DIG DEEP. SO WELL DONE TO ALL THE TEAM:
GRAHAM / ANDY / ARTHUR / GEORGE / CYRIL / TREVOR / ROLY / AL / DAVE / COLIN / SEAN / COXSY / FITZY / JOHN / PHILIP
OUR FLIGHT BACK HOME TO DUBLIN ON TUESDAY WAS AN UNREMARKABLE AFFAIR. NO BAGS LOST OR LEFT IN COPENHAGEN! (SEE CREE/WHELAN)
FOR MOST OF US THIS WAS OUR FIRST TASTE OF SWEDEN. I KNOW THAT MANY WOULD LIKE TO RETURN AND IF GUTTSTA CC WANTS US BACK IN FUTURE TOURNAMENTS I AM SURE  WE WILL BE BACK.

SKAL.


TV CLIP ON SWEDISH TV2:    http://svtplay.se/v/2064829/cricket

RADIO CLIP ON SVERIGESRADIO:   on this page, if you select the third from bottom link "11.30 - 12.00" a little audio player should pop up and at about 11 minutes into the clip you can hear the radio show that was recorded in Guttsta, including an interview with a certain Mr. Colin McKeon and some advice from a Mr. Arthur Dunne at the end!!

http://sverigesradio.se/sida/sandningsarkiv.aspx?programid=67&date=2010-07-02
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