We looking forward to going to the "onedayer",but have since found out that your can't drink.So watching cricket without a beer is a no no for me.

john

Lin, You can't have eaten all the cheese and pickle already!

Tickets are 2,000, 1,000, 750, and 400. Available from Syndicate bank from 5th Feb.

Hope to get some tomorrow if the queues arn't too long.

ME WICKED, not only is it dry you cannot take cigaretts, ect in, have a good day, I will be celebrating valentines day with a romantic dinner for 1.

Lin

Supposedly you can't take cigarettes in, digital cameras, or mobile phones.
There are ways of course, they don't search you that badly.
I took a disposable camera in last time, argued that it wasn't digital and he let me in...guess he reckoned it didnt have a battery inside to detonate a bomb.
Go figure.

Tickets not on sale today, it says in the paper Wednesday, then it says the 8th which is Thursday. Also only available at 5 Syndicate banks after 4pm.
I think they will probably wait till the 13th after 10pm.

Was a great day out. Am sitting at Mumbai airport as I post. will post tommorrow

We went to the one day match it was an absoulute great day!! Good time had by all!!! I do not usually like cricket (prefer rugby) but had a fantastic day

Dawn

After a few days delay with the tickets eventually got some. Many thanks to Samtheboater for his invaluable help and contacts. A true mate! .
Bought the India cricket shirt on the Tues. After setting off on the Wed from Candolim at 5.45 am we parked up in the field behind the stadium at Fatorda. Immediately set upon buy sellers wanting us to buy flags, headbands hats etc!! 100rps later I'm the proud owner of an India flag that further up the field was only 25-50rps
After walking around in circles for about 45 mins we were pointed in the right direction for our gate (North End, Lower Level Gate 4) the noise was getting louder all the time! The India fans thought it was great that we were wearing India shirts and a few wanted their pictures taken with us After getting some breakfast we queued for a little while to get in. Quick search, took my fags off me and my mates cigars but didn't search Vanda (Samtheboaters lovely wife) at all , could have smuggled my smokes in with her . Found our entrance gate, then tried to find our seat. Mmmm four other people sitting in them. After a chat we swap seats. Originally thought we might be in the shade but oh no.. Must have been the hottest day ever in the stadium, 40 degrees plus I reckon and no breeze.
Noise is so loud, full scale brass band with drums accompianied with Mexican Waves!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bearing in mind that its a football stadium the pitch looks pristine, they did a great job to get it in shape. Beginning to melt now and then they announce a 30 min delay to the start due to dew on the pitch.. 1st Bottle of water 40rps next one cheaper!! Says on back of tickets "No cameras or Binoculars" so didn't bring mine. Gutted!! seemed like everyone else bought theirs!!!! Game starts and what a start..... India take 3 quick wickets in 3 overs 6 for tree at one point! Noise gets louder!!!!!!! Have melted now so sneak out for a fag in the shade. Manage to find someone that got theirs into the ground and cadged one off them (thanks whoever you were).. No beer in ground , Decide to sneak out to get a beer Sneaked out the gate and hit the nearest bar, 3 large Kings Export later I'm feeling much better . Buy some fags and another lighter and tuck them where the sun dont shine . On the way back am approached by good looking Indian lady asking if I'd like to be interviewed on National TV news Now I know next to nothing about cricket, so bluffed my way through a 10min interview about everything cricket By this time I'm surrounded by hundreds of Locals all wanting to be my friend (Jade Goody, Take note. Best bunch of people I've met). Sneak back in to the ground with fags intact Sri Lankan innings almost over In the end they post a respectable score.. Lunch in the shade (not in the seat) then back for India innings. Noise even louder, More Mexican waves and band gone into overdrive. Thank God we're not sitting next to them So hot even the Goans were complaining about heat!!!!!!!!!!!! Had a quick look round stadium looking for shade and had more pics taken. Feel almost a celebrity Deathly silence when Tendulkar is out for 1... then band start again!!!! India eventually win quite easily, starting off a shower of plastic bottles thrown everywhere. I'm sure my bald white head was an enticing target! Thank God most of them were empty!
Then we struggled to leave, Chaos!!! Halfway out Mr and Mrs Samtheboater were interviewed on TV and asked why he's taken his wife to cricket on Valentines Day , then struggled to get out of ground. Try to walk over holes in ground, open drains, heaps of earth and broken glass, eventually make it out without mishap then try to find Pashus' Taxi. Field now like a dustbowl! Find taxi and join queue to get out Finally get back to Candolim about 8pm. Just intime for well deserved shower then out for Beer and food at Ma Thai with the billy no mates table for Valentines Night dinner
Would I do it again? You Bet!!!! Great atmosphere, graet game, great people. Wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Roll on next year
Alan

That was great Alan, sounds like a brill day out

sounds like a fantastic day! Did you see yourself on telly?

Not sure I appeared on TV or not, probably saw through my lack of knowledge on cricket
Great day out Gemma, after meeting you and Mr Gemma it was the holiday highlight

Alan,
Brilliant match report, but you told us it was only 1 beer.

Think you should do a report on The Casino as well.

Steve & Vanda

Goonerfan, I think I saw you at the match in fact we not far behind you. We also couldn't find our seats so a group from Mumbai offered us to join them in their box! We were glad of the shade up until 1.30pm and then it got so hot that Graham had to pour bottles of water over my head! What a great day though I wouldn't have missed that for anything. We eventually got back to Candolim at about 7pm had a quick bite to eat and a couple of beers and collapsed in bed.

We also had tv cameras in our face and managed to get a photo in a Indian newspaper!

Anyway everthing is now back to same old - bad weather, work etc etc can't wait till next year........................