West Indian Test Cricketer helps raise funds for Caribbean Tour
Late January may have brought freezing temperatures and snow to Eltham College but inside the Garden Suite of the Bromley Court Hotel the atmosphere was distinctly Caribbean. It was here that the fund raising for the 2006 1st XI Cricket Tour of St. Lucia and Grenada was launched. Over one hundred and fifty parents, OEs, friends, staff and pupils sat down to dinner and speeches by Roger Dakin, Deputy Chairman of Lashings C.C. and Alvin Kalicharran, the former Warwickshire and West Indian number three batsman. Introduced by Tour Manager Jamie Walker, Roger Dakin hosted the evening and ran the auction which raised over £7,000 for the tour. Alvin Kallicharan then went on to give us an insight into test cricket not least how being picked for the West Indies was a lot easier than getting to the test match ground at Georgetown, such was the poor state of transport in the country of his birth, Guyana The evening was a huge success and many thanks must go to Joy Watkins and Maggie Lott who were instrumental in making it so.
The touring party which comprises eighteen boys and three members of staff leaves in mid July and play six games, three on each island. Pictured above (from left to right) are Robert Kennedy 1st XI Captain, Alvin Kallicharan and Headmaster Paul Henderson.