Monday 22 October 2012

Glenelg

The Five Sisters as seen from Mars
There can be no profounder cause for celebration than that the small Highland community of Glenelg has twinned with Mars.

Except perhaps among Martian cricketers.  For Glenelg is without either a cricket field or practice facility.  Any Martian cricketer landing for a twinning visit will therefore find themselves at a loose end.  A love of epic scenery will help them - there is no finer view in Scotland than that of the Five Sisters of Kintail from the road above Glenelg.  It may be as the Martian cricketers tire of that view and feel that they have seen enough of Glenelg's impressive brochs - and to a Martian one broch looks pretty much like another they feel a certain anxiety.

By a minor miracle in this part of the world, they find they have a mobile signal and hastily they text the fixture secretary.  They ask whether they have the right date and where the opposition is.  An animated conversation follows.

'Right at which roundabout?  No we went left at the moon and took it from there.  We should have gone left.........'

A simple error, which many touring sides have made.  A failure to check the SatNav at a critical point. All roundabouts look the same until you've seen them before.  Particularly if you are from outerspace.

The cricketing Martians intended to arrive in Glenelg, near Adelaide, in South Australia.  This Glenelg was established in 1836 and is the oldest European settlement on mainland South Australia  and was named after Lord Glenelg, at the time Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.   It may not have the Five Sisters of Kintail; and in all probability is devoid of brochs; even the shark museum that used to be there has moved.  But it does have the Glenelg District Cricket Club, the Seahorses, who are a significant force in the South Australian Grade Cricket.

It is also the club that nurtured Ian and Greg Chappell amongst other Australian cricketers of note.  Overseas players have also played there including Monty Panesar. A worthy fixture for a touring Martian club.




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