The FrenchamFamily is now back in Dubai after their regular trip downunder to visit family and friends during the long school break for the Northern Summer. We had a wonderful time in Melbourne, including a trip to the 'G to see our beloved Collingwood trounce St Kilda. We also took a mini-trip to Perth to visit our relatives there and enjoyed relaxing in and around Freo for a few days. Our thanks to all who hosted us and made our visit so relaxing and enjoyable.
Well it was a great match (tied after regulation and then went to the superover before Pakistan pinched it) but we only got to see a few balls bowled in what was not Dubai's finest hour (despite the normally high standard of organization here for international events). What a shambles! After the best part of two hours getting to the ground due to construction nearby and general chaos, the stadium itself (above setting 25000) appeared to be oversold such that by the time we arrived the only seating left was in the aisles themselves. Not sure what went wrong with the organising or the security, but after our glimpse of cricket in the sub-continent we headed home to follow the match through to its unsatisfactory conclusion. It will all seem funny one day!
So it's back to the grind now with Sarah and Alexander back at school, Tony immersed in his work, and Melissa ensuring the FrenchamFamily is a well-organised unit. But there is always time for a family outing and so last night we headed to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the second T20 match between Australia and Pakistan (scheduled in the UAE because of security issues in Pakistan). Sure it was going to be hot and a little crazy, but we were looking forward to a cracking game after the Aussies dropped the first match.
